CHICAGO (Jan. 5, 2024) – With a massive year of important official competitions on the horizon, USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has called 25 MLS-based players to Orlando for the annual U.S. Men’s National Team’s January training camp. With the match date falling outside a FIFA international window, the training camp and match against Slovenia provide a huge opportunity for the next generation to make a statement during an important year for U.S. Men’s National Team programs which includes the opportunity to win a third-straight Concacaf Nations League championship in March as well as compete in the prestigious Copa America and the 2024 Olympic Games.
The training camp will run from Jan. 8-16 in Orlando. The team will then head to San Antonio to open its 2024 schedule with a friendly against Slovenia on Jan. 20 at Toyota Field. Coverage of the USA’s first match of the year begins at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, MAX and Peacock. Live Spanish-language audio for the match will be available on Fútbol de Primera radio.
Fans will be able to follow the match via Twitter @USMNT, Instagram @USMNT, Facebook and The Official U.S. Soccer App.
“This is an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of players who have the potential to make an impact on our program,” Berhalter said. “We appreciate the support from MLS and all their clubs so that we can utilize this platform. Our priority is on getting as many players as possible experience in important competitions, and this camp and the match against Slovenia will be extremely valuable in the evaluation process.”
GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (10): Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 7/0), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; 17/1), Ian Murphy (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders; 0/0), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 27/3), James Sands (New York City FC; 13/0), Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas; 0/0), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; 3/0), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United; 1/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Joshua Atencio (Seattle Sounders; 0/0), Aziel Jackson (St. Louis City; 0/0), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; 4/0), Timmy Tillman (LAFC; 0/0), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew; 0/0)
FORWARDS (6): Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution; 0/0), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/1), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas; 0/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0)
MLS Cup winning Columbus Crew have three players on the roster in Orlando, including goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and midfielders Aidan Morris and Sean Zawadzki. Supporters Shield winners FC Cincinnati send a trio, with newly acquired defender Miles Robinson joining goalkeeper Roman Celentano and defender Ian Murphy.
The USMNT’s January training camp roster is traditionally filled with rising talents getting their first looks with the senior team and this year’s squad is no different. Fifteen players earn their first call-ups to a USMNT camp: Josh Atencio, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Nathan Harriel, Aziel Jackson, Bernard Kamungo, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Duncan McGuire, Ian Murphy, Jackson Ragen, Patrick Schulte, Nkosi Tafari, Timmy Tillman, Brian White, and Sean Zawadzki.
Goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Drake Callender, both of whom were a part of USMNT camps in 2023, join the above as part of the group of 17 uncapped players on the roster.
The young players come with plenty of experience in the U.S. Men’s Youth National Teams program. A total of six players have represented the United States in Youth World Cups, including four at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The full group: Cade Cowell (2023 U-20 WC), Diego Luna (2023 U-20 WC), Jack McGlynn (2023 U-20 WC), Shaq Moore (2015 U-20 WC), James Sands (2017 U-17 WC), Caleb Wiley (2023 U-20 WC).
With the United States participating in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time since 2008, this window provides another spotlight. U-23 head coach Marko Mitrovic is on the technical staff for this camp and will have the chance to observe 13 players who are age-eligible for the 2024 Summer Olympics: Atencio, Bajraktarevic, Cowell, Harriel, Jackson, Kamungo, Luna, McGlynn, McGuire, Morris, Schulte, Tolkin and Wiley.
The roster has been infused with a core of experience, with eight of the 25 players having earned senior team caps and three holding double digit appearances: Robinson (27), Moore (17), Sands (13), Cowell (8), Jones (7), Morris (4), Tolkin (3) and Wiley (1).
The annual January Camp has a long history of providing opportunities for MLS-based players to get an extended look from the coaching staff and make an impact. Dating back to 1999, 30 players who have debuted or earned their second cap during the USMNT’s first camp of a calendar year have gone on to make a FIFA World Cup roster.
From the USA’s squad at Qatar 2022, nine players earned their first or second cap during a January camp match, including captain Tyler Adams, forward Brenden Aaronson, defenders Walker Zimmerman and Tim Ream and starting goalkeeper Matt Turner. The list of alumni also includes five members of the 100-cap club: Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
San Antonio is hosting the first friendly encounter between the teams on U.S. soil. The USMNT holds a 1-0-1 record overall in the series, with the most famous meeting coming in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Following the USA’s 1-1 draw with England to open the tournament, Slovenia jumped to a 2-0 lead before halftime, setting the stage for a dramatic U.S. comeback. Landon Donovan cut the deficit in half in the 48th minute and then Michael Bradley buried the equalizer in the 82nd. Three minutes later, Maurice Edu appeared to have scored the go-ahead goal which was controversially nullified by referee Koman Coulibaly.
The following year, a goal and assist by Clint Dempsey and a game-winning penalty conversion by Jozy Altidore paced the USA to a 3-2 victory on Nov. 15, 2011, in Ljubljana.
The first match of the year is a prelude to three significant competitions in 2024 for both the senior team and the U-23 USMNT.
The USMNT kicks it off with the Concacaf Nations League final four in March. Having won the first two editions of the tournament, the U.S. will face Jamaica in the first semifinal on March 21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
In June, the U.S. will compete in the prestigious 2024 Copa America featuring 10 CONMEBOL nations including defending World Cup and Copa America champion Argentina led by captain and Inter Miami attacker Lionel Messi. The U.S. will compete in Group C and face Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia.
For the first time since 2008, the U.S. qualified to compete in the Olympic Games. The tournament will be held from July 24-Aug. 10 in France, and features players under the age of 23, with the ability to include three overage players on the roster.
Playing at the home of 2022 USL Championship winners San Antonio FC, this marks the second time U.S. Soccer will host a match in the venue of a club currently playing in the United Soccer League during the modern era. As part of its strategic initiatives, U.S. Soccer wants to grow participation, increase retention and ensure lifelong connections to the game.
Toyota Field has hosted several notable matches throughout the years which have included European teams like Cardiff City, Sunderland, as well as several Liga MX teams.
With more than 9,000 tickets already sold, the USA-Slovenia match will set an attendance record at Toyota Field.
This will be the USA’s third visit to San Antonio, and the first since 2015. In that match, Stanford University sophomore Jordan Morris scored early in the second half in his first start for the U.S. and Juan Agudelo added his first international goal in four years and the Americans dispatched Mexico by their traditional 2-0 score in front of a sold-out crowd of 64,639 at the Alamodome.