Berhalter picks all-MLS roster for Jan. camp

United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter named a 25-player, all-MLS roster ahead of the team’s annual January camp, which begins next week.

The team will include 17 uncapped players and will train for nine days in Orlando before a friendly against Slovenia in San Antonio on Jan. 20.

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Thirteen of the 25 players are eligible for this year’s Olympics, where men’s soccer is limited to players under 23, with three wild cards per nation over the limit.

“This January camp does have a different look and the reason why is because the Olympics are coming up and we’re able to use this opportunity to purposely bring in Olympic age-eligible players,” Berhalter said during a media availability Friday.

With the match and training camp falling outside of a FIFA international window, Berhalter only had access to players not currently in season (there have been exceptions in the past).

As will be the case this year, this camp has traditionally been used to integrate younger players into the national team program.

Nashville right-back Shaq Moore is the only player on the roster who was with the team at the 2022 World Cup, making two substitute appearances against England and Iran.

Four players — San Jose’s Cade Cowell, Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, Atlanta’s Caleb Wiley and Philadelphia’s Jack McGlynn — participated at the U20 World Cup last year.

Defender Walker Zimmerman is hurt, goalkeeper Zack Steffen was left off following his transfer on Thursday to the Colorado Rapids from Manchester City and forward Brandon Vázquez was omitted because of a pending move from FC Cincinnati to Monterrey.

Steffen has not played for the U.S. since March 2022 and was left off the 2022 World Cup roster by Berhalter.

“It’s important for him to be with the club for preseason.” Berhalter said. “He’s going to play a big role with Colorado. I’ve talked to him about his potential role with us, and he’s very much in the pool of players and we expect him to challenge for a position.”

Nashville’s Zimmerman is coming off an Achilles injury.

“Walker was I think up until the beginning of January in a boot,” Berhalter said. “His rehab is going to take a little bit longer.”

Vázquez was on the preliminary roster.

“It was really about understanding the player’s trajectory and what what could be going on with him in his career, but then also being about to evaluate other players,” Berhalter said.

Miles Robinson, fresh off his move from Atlanta to Cincinnati, is the team’s most experienced international player with 27 caps. Robinson reportedly had interest from European teams but opted to remain in MLS.

“That’s a personal choice that he makes,” Berhalter said. “The expectations will be that he’s a dominant center back in this league, that he performs at a really high level at this league, and I think he’s well aware of that.”

If LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman plays against Slovenia, he and brother Malik Tillman will become the 10th set of brothers to play for the USMNT, with Brenden and Paxten Aaronson the latest to join the club last year.

DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami CF; 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), Timothy 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)

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.