Signs are pointing to MLS shutting their doors until further notice, and even if it not, MLS season does not begin now until April. Should we extend US camp? Should we include the u-20s and u-17s - with the u23s and seniors? Who do we call up? Who can we play? What are logistical/operational concerns?
Hopefully, the USSF has the resources and motivation to make this happen. If it were me, I’d give the players a week off to spend time with family and tie up loose ends to be gone for a couple months. Here’s my list of players... Senior: GK Matt Turner GK Sean Johnson GK Bill Hamid RB Julian Araujo* RB Nick Lima CB Aaron Long CB Walker Zimmerman CB Miles Robinson* CB Mauricio Pineda* LB Sam Vines* LB Chase Gasper MF Jackson Yuiell* MF Cristian Roldan MF Kelyn Acosta MF Andres Perea* MF Tanner Tessman* MF Sebastian Lletget W/F Jesus Ferreira* W/F Paul Arriola W/F Jonathan Lewis* W/F Chris Mueller W/F Benji Michel* FW Daryl Dike* FW Jozy Altidore FW Gyasi Zardes * = playing up. Alternates: GK = Guzan, Frei DF = Hollingshead, Rosenberry, Blackmon, Opara, Parker, Lovitz MF = Trapp, Delgado, Hyndman, Nagbe FW = Rubin, Wood U-23 (1997): GK JT Marcinkowski GK Matt Freese GK Brady Scott RB Kyle Duncan RB Aaron Herrera RB Jaylin Lindsey RB Dylan Nealis CB Donovan Pines CB Henry Kessler CB Aboubacar Keita CB Justen Glad CB Auston Trusty LB DeJuan Jones LB Matt Real LB George Bello* LB John Nelson LB Marco Farfan MF James Sands (injured) MF Paxton Pomykal (injured) MF Eryk Williamson MF Cole Bassett* MF Gianluca Busio* MF Frankie Amaya MF Keaton Parks MF Hassani Dotson MF Djordje Mihailovic W/F Anthony Fontana W/F Caden Clark* W/F Cade Cowell* W/F Efrain Alvarez* W/F Brooks Lennon FW Jeremy Ebobisse FW Ricardo Pepi* FW Robbie Robinson FW Mason Toye FW Brandon Vasquez * = U-20 playing up U-20 (2001): GK John Pulskamp GK David Ochoa (injured) GK Chris Brady GK Abraham Rodriguez RB Nathan Harriet RB Sebastian Anderson RB Jacob Akanyirige CB George Campbell CB Justin Che CB Casey Walls CB Tayvon Gray CB Josh Atencio LB Travian Sousa LB Jonathan Gomez LB Andre Reynolds LB John Tolkin MF Danny Leyva MF Moses Nyeman MF Aiden Morris MF Sebastian Berhalter MF Jack McGlynn MF Justin Haak MF Ian Hoffman W/F Paxten Aaronson W/F Kevin Paredes W/F Jose Gallegos W/F Quinn Sullivan W/F Brian Gutierrez W/F Ethan Dobbelaere W/F Tyler Wolff FW Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez FW Jack DeVries FW Jackson Conway FW Dante Sealy
So, what’s going on? Is MLS back in action? Or should we try to have a February Camp to keep players fresh? February Camp, senior GK: Matt Turner, Sean Johnson, Brad Guzan RB Nick Lima, Jaylin Lindsey* CB Aaron Long, Walker Zimmerman, Donovan Pines*, Aboubacar Keita* LB George Bello*, Chase Gasper, DeJuan Jones* MF Kelyn Acosta, Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Lletget, Frankie Amaya*, Hassani Dotson*, Keaton Parks* W/F Chris Mueller, Anthony Fontana*, Brooks Lennon* FW Jozy Altidore, Bobby Wood —————-Altidore—————— Fontana————————Mueller —————-Lletget——————— ———Acosta——Amaya———— Bello——————————Lima ————Long—-Walker————- ——————Turner——————- note: even though Sam Vines is ahead of George Bello; Bello is with senior, because he needs to play, and the u23 remains the priority. Note: the other u23’s are playing up because they were cut from the u23 team, and yet called into team as sort of a catch-all approach. Note: Tristan Blackmon, Bill Hamid, Gyasi Zardes injured. February Camp, u23 GK JT Marcinkowski, Brady Scott, Matt Freese RB Aaron Herrera, Kyle Duncan CB Miles Robinson, Mauricio Pineda, Justen Glad, Henry Kessler LB San Vines, Marco Farfan, John Nelson MF Jackson Yuiell, Andres Perea, Tanner Tessman, Cole Bassett, Djordje Mihailovic W/F Jonathan Lewis, Caden Clark, Cameron Harper, Benji Michel, Efrain Alvarez* FW Jesus Ferreira, Jeremy Ebobisse —————Ferreira—————— Lewis—————————-Clark —————-Djordje—————— ——-Yuiell—————Perea——- Vines——————————Herrera ———-Miles———Pineda———- ——————JT———————— Note: Efrain called up if he’ll commit. Note: David Ochoa, James Sands, Paxton Pomykal, and Julian Araujo not called in due to injury or illness. Note: called up best team possible for u23’s (minus Bello for seniors) to prepare for Olympics. Note: Even if we couldn’t get a match with an international opponent, I would like to see a matchup between this senior vs this u23 team. U20 GK Pulskamp, Brady, Rodriguez RB Anderson, Akanyirige CB Walls, Gray, Atencio, Campbell LB Sousa, Gomez, Reynolds MF Busio, Nyeman, Morris, Berhalter, Leyva W/F Cowell, Paredes, Aaronson FW Pepi, Sealy, Conway
As with all of these CBA negotiations (regardless of sport), both sides want to make it seems like disaster is near. But they almost always figure it out. W/ @PaulTenorio: Sides still working on a deal. Some sources expect it to get done, another cautions that there’s still a big gap to close before 11:59 pm ET.If CBA is extended through 2027, expect givebacks to players in free agency, bigger increase in $ between ‘26 and ‘27.— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) February 4, 2021
There will be exceptions and late bloomers (Drogba was in lower divisions until age 24) but there is a path now for players to get minutes in MLS by 18 and move to Europe by 21-22 with 50-75 pro games of experience. That is how it should be.