U.S. selects roster for games ahead of Copa America

CHICAGO — Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Matt Turner and Tim Ream, all coming off club seasons in which they saw little playing time over the final three months, were among 27 players picked Monday for the U.S. roster for a pair of friendly games ahead of the Copa America.

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen was left off by U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter despite making 14 starts for Colorado in his return to Major League Soccer. Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson were picked along with Turner as Berhalter went with the same three goalkeepers he took to the 2022 World Cup.

Players omitted from the 2022 World Cup roster included defenders Aaron Long, DeAndre Yedlin and Walker Zimmerman; midfielders Kellyn Acosta and Cristian Roldan; and forwards Jesús Ferreira and Jordan Morris. Right back Sergiño Dest will miss the tournament after tearing an ACL in training with PSV Eindhoven on April 20.

Players on the roster who didn’t go to Qatar included defenders Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards and Miles Robinson; midfielders Johnny Cardoso, Malik Tillman and Timmy Tillman; and forwards Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi.

Players report from May 28 through June 2. The U.S. plays Colombia on June 8 at Landover, Maryland, and Brazil on June 12 at Orlando, Florida. The U.S. opens the Copa America against Bolivia on June 23 at Arlington, Texas, and then has firstround games against Panama and Uruguay.

Teams must submit their 26-man Copa America rosters by June 15. The Americans finished fourth in the 1995 and 2016 editions, and failed to advance past the first round in 1993 and 2007.

Turner lost his starting job at Nottingham Forest after allowing a series of weak goals. He played just one club match after Feb. 28 and none after April 2. Adams, the U.S. captain, played just one club match from March 2023 until this past March 13 because of a torn right hamstring that needed surgery.

After returning to play two matches for Bournemouth in March, the midfielder was limited to one game over the rest of the season, an 11-minute appearance on May 11.

Reyna played just 280 league minutes for Borussia Dortmund in the first half of the season and 235 for Nottingham Forest following a Jan. 31 loan. He didn’t play at all after April 28.

Ream lost his starting role at Fulham during the second half of the season. He started and captained the Cottagers in Sunday’s season finale, his first appearance since Feb. 17.

Only four players are from MLS: goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defenders Shaq Moore and Miles Robinson, and midfielder Timmy Tillman.

SPADA/LAPRESSE VIA AP Christian Pulisic, who has 12 goals and seven assists for AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A, is one of seven forwards named to the U.S. team.