Photo by Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports
Andi Herzog has called in some of the biggest names in the pool for the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team’s pair of upcoming friendlies.
John Brooks, Julian Green and Gedion Zelalem are among 19 players called in by Herzog for the U-23’s upcoming friendlies against Brazil. The U.S. is scheduled to take on Brazil Nov. 11 in Recife before a rematch four days later in Belém. The pair of friendlies are set to serve as a tune-up before the U.S. takes on Colombia in March’s Olympic qualifying playoff.
“These matches against Brazil are a huge opportunity for us,” Herzog said. “On one hand you have a strong challenging South American opponent in Brazil, with a playing style that’s similar to that of Colombia, and on the other we’ll get to experience playing in Brazil, which is where we hope to be next summer for the Olympics.”
Brooks joins the U-23 squad for the first time in 2015 after spending a majority of the past year-and-a-half with the senior side.
Nine players, including Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jerome Kiesewetter, return from last month’s Olympic qualifying tournament. The roster also features Cody Cropper, who missed the qualifying tournament due to injury. In addition, LA Galaxy defender Dave Romeny earns his first call-up at any level within the U.S. system.
Here’s a look at the full roster for the upcoming friendlies:
GOALKEEPERS: Cody Cropper (MK Dons; Maple Grove, Minn.), Charlie Horton (Leeds United; Cleveland, Ohio), Jon Kempin (Sporting Kansas City; Leawood, Kan.)
DEFENDERS: John Brooks (Hertha BSC; Berlin, Germany), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff on Sea, England), Eric Miller (Montreal Impact; Woodbury, Minn.), Shane O’Neill (Royal Mouscron; Boulder, Colo.), Boyd Okwuonu (Real Salt Lake; Edmund, Okla.), Dave Romney (LA Galaxy; Irvine, Calif.), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS: Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes; Northville, Mich.), Julian Green (Bayern Munich; Tampa, Fla.), Alejandro Guido (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire; Milwaukee, Wisc.), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids; Brighton, Colo.), Gedion Zelalem (Rangers; Bethesda, Md.)
FORWARDS: Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart; Berlin, Germany), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC; Leander, Tex.), Maki Tall (FC Sion; Washington, D.C.)
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What do you think of the roster? Any surprises? What players do you expect to stand out against Brazil.
