Jones omitted from US squad for World Cup qualifiers
NEW YORK: With key World Cup qualifiers coming up, coach Bruce Arena has called in a mixture of veterans and young players for the United States’ training camp in Denver.
“I think we have a good group,” Arena said on Sunday.
“I’m still in the early goings with this team and I haven’t seen all of our players, so this camp gives me the opportunity to see six new faces we haven’t had in with the team yet, which is valuable.
“It’s also great that we’re able to bring back 21 players that have been in with our programme already in 2017.”
Those new faces to Arena, who returned to national team duty last year when Juergen Klinsmann was fired, are goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Ethan Horvath, defenders Timmy Chandler, DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson, and forward Bobby Wood.
All except Guzan play for clubs in Europe, though Guzan saw some time last season with Middlesbrough in England.
Missing from the 27-man roster is Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Jermaine Jones, often a regular in international games.
Jones, bothered by a sprained right knee, might not fit Arena’s plans as Michael Bradley is used in more of a defensive midfield role that Jones has filled.
Tim Howard, Guzan and Nick Rimando, fixtures guarding the net, were chosen along with 21-year-old Horvath of Club Brugge in Belgium.
“I think we’re going to camp with three good, experienced goalkeepers,” Arena said.
“In Ethan Horvath’s case, he’s one of our young, promising goalkeepers that we need to see.
“We won’t have the opportunity to see him for the Gold Cup (this summer), so we wanted to see him in this camp, and he’s also from Denver, so it worked out pretty well.” After the Americans play a tune-up against Venezuela in Sandy, Utah, on Saturday, they have the qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago on June 8 in Commerce City, Colorado, and then at archrivals Mexico three days later.
The US are fourth in the six-team hexagonal after a rough start under Klinsmann.
The Americans routed Honduras 6-0 and tied Panama 1-1 under Arena.
Other mainstays called in by Arena included Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya and Dax McCarthy in midfield; Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore at forward; and defenders DaMarcus Beasley, Geoff Cameron, Johnson and Chandler.
Defender Matt Hedges of FC Dallas was invited to his first camp ahead of a qualifier.
Hedges was injured earlier this year and missed friendlies against Serbia and Jamaica.
“We can’t ignore the fact that Matt’s been a good player and he needs an opportunity with the national team,” Arena said.
“Bringing him in is a plus, it’ll get him a foot in the door and hopefully allow him to move forward with a bigger role in the US team.”