SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that midfielders Fatai Alashe and Marc Pelosi have been named to the United States Men's National Team roster for the upcoming January Training Camp that takes place at the Stubhub Center in Carson, Calif. from January 10 to February 6. The Quakes are one of five Major League Soccer clubs, and the only one in the Western Conference, to send multiple players to the camp.
During the camp, the U.S. will play a pair of friendlies at the StubHub Center, hosting Iceland on Jan. 31 and Canada on Feb. 5.
Alashe, 22, and Pelosi, 21, have been regulars with the U.S. U-23s, competing alongside one another at the 2015 Toulon Tournament in France, as well as the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship in early October. Alashe was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft out of Michigan State University. He made 27 starts in 28 total appearances, tallying two goals and two assists for San Jose in 2015. Pelosi signed with the Quakes on July 17, 2015 and appeared in 12 of the club’s last 15 matches of the season, making seven starts.
“We start out our year with a January camp where we give the opportunity to the next wave of players to come in and make an impression and see if they are ready to step it up into international level, if they are ready to understand what it takes to become a National Team player,” said Klinsmann. “This camp will be a little bit different because we’re going to mix it almost half-and-half with senior players that are already National Team players or some that are older and maybe get the chance to play their first cap, and a lot of the Under-23 players that hopefully qualify us for Rio de Janeiro. This will be more of an identification camp and a development camp. We want to give those players a head start into their very busy year 2016, but we also want to make it clear to them that it’s a huge opportunity that you have to understand what it takes to step it up and to become an international-level player.”
The youthful roster – with an average age of around 24 years old – is anchored by five veterans from the 2014 FIFA World Cup roster, led by U.S. captain and 2015 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year Michael Bradley. He is joined by Jozy Altidore, Matt Besler, Mix Diskerud and Jermaine Jones. At the other end of the spectrum, it features many fresh faces with 11 players who are age-eligible for the U-23 Men’s team that will compete in an Olympic-qualifying play-in against Colombia this March. Among the Olympic hopefuls is Matt Miazga, the 2015 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.
As usual, the January camp roster is loaded with MLS players, with a total of 20 players plying their trade in the domestic league. Among the players looking to gain international experience are several players recognized with end-of-season awards, including two members of the MLS Best XI in forward Ethan Finlay and goalkeeper Luis Robles, who also collected Goalkeeper of the Year honors. D.C. United netminder Bill Hamid was a finalist for that award, while San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Fatai Alashe and Chicago Fire defender Matt Polster were in the running for Rookie of the Year. Will Trapp, who captained the U-23 MNT in CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying, was a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year award.
U.S. Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
DEFENDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Eric Miller (Montreal Impact), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Marc Pelosi (San Jose Earthquakes), Matt Polster (Chicago Fire)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Jermaine Jones (Unattached), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Tony Tchani (Columbus Crew SC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart), Jordan Morris (Unattached), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
