International Duty

Kellyn Acosta Called Up to USMNT Training Camp Ahead of Friendly vs Switzerland

CHICAGO (May 20, 2021) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter has named 27 players to the team's May training camp roster, presented by BioSteel. The USMNT will take on No. 13-ranked Switzerland on May 30 in St. Gallen as the USA prepares for its final match ahead of the Concacaf Nations League Final Four. ESPN, UniMás and TUDN will broadcast from kybunpark at 2 p.m. ET.

Fans will also be able to follow the match via Facebook, Twitter @USMNT, Instagram @USMNT and the official U.S. Soccer App.

The match against Switzerland represents the sixth time the USMNT will face a Top 20 opponent since Berhalter became head coach in 2019. Led by Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and Liverpool midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, the Swiss are gearing up for the European Championship where they have been drawn into Group A with four-time World Cup champion Italy, Turkey and Wales.

The Switzerland encounter, combined with the Concacaf Nations League Final Four and the USMNT’s match in Salt Lake City on June 9 against Costa Rica, presented by Allstate, will simulate a match cadence similar to what many players coming from Europe will experience during the upcoming three-match window during the World Cup Qualifying campaign which kicks off in September. As with numerous players in the pool during World Cup qualifying, the U.S. team will travel from Europe to North America for three matches, two in the Nations League in Denver and then Costa Rica in Utah.

DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL; 4/0), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; 0/0), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; 0/0)

DEFENDERS (10): John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER; 40/3), Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 14/0), Justin Che (Bayern Munich/GER; 0/0), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 7/1), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 2/0), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht/BEL; 21/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 42/1), Bryan Reynolds (Roma/ITA; 1/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 10/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 62/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 27/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 12/1), Julian Green (Greuther Fürth/GER; 15/4), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 20/6), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 21/6), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 4/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 9/0)

FORWARDS: (7): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 4/2), Daryl Dike (Barnsley/ENG; 2/0), Matthew Hoppe (Schalke/GER; 0/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 4/2), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 13/5), Jordan Siebatcheu (Young Boys/SUI; 2/0), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 10/1)

COMING SOON: CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE FINAL ROSTER

With the final 23-player roster for the Concacaf Nations League Final Four not due until May 24, the coaching staff still has the opportunity to make final evaluations. Thanks to at least one happy circumstance, not all the eligible players for the Nations League are available for the match against Switzerland as USMNT teammates Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen will square off in the UEFA Champions League Final on May 29 in Porto, Portugal.

ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

With the arduous task of playing two matches in three days in the mile-high altitude of Denver, the USMNT will head to the Swiss Alps for training in order to acclimatize to the conditions. Players will begin reporting May 23, and the group will head to St. Gallen in time to watch the Champions League Final on May 29.

WELCOME BACK

DeAndre Yedlin returns to the USMNT fold for the first time since November of 2019. The veteran right back made the move to Galatasaray from Newcastle United earlier this year, where his team finished in second place and secured a place in Champions League qualifying.

He is joined by fellow 2014 FIFA World Cup veteran Julian Green, who earns his first call-up under USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter. The midfielder will seek his first cap since Nov. 15, 2018 against England. Green has registered nine goals and three assists in 32 matches to put Greuther Fürth in position for either automatic promotion to the Bundesliga or the promotion/relegation playoff going into the final match of the season on Sunday. 

COMPETITION COMING UP

The May 30 encounter is a lead-in to three significant competitions in 2021, beginning with the Concacaf Nations League Final Four. Winners of League A’s Group A, the USMNT takes on Honduras in one semifinal, while Mexico and Costa Rica will square off in the other, with the winners competing for the inaugural Nations League title. 

The USA will have a chance to meet one of its closest Concacaf rivals on June 9 in the friendly against Costa Rica in Salt Lake City. Heading into this summer, the USMNT have a narrow 17-16-5 edge in the series through a rich history of 38 matches played since 1975.  

 The following month, the U.S. will compete in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup in search of its seventh confederation championship title. The USMNT has been drawn into Group A with Canada, Martinique and a third team to be determined through a qualifying tournament. The United States last lifted the trophy in 2017, when Jordan Morris netted the game-winner against Jamaica in the 2-1 victory.

Those games serve as prelude to the start of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying, which will feature an eight-team final round and commence in Sept. of 2021.

ROSTER NOTES

  • As of the first day of training on May 25, the roster will hold an average age of 23 years, 37 days. 
  • Seventeen players are age 23 or younger.
  • The 27-player squad averages 13 caps.
  • Players ply their trade in 11 different countries: Germany (7), England (4), USA (4), Belgium (3), Italy (2), Spain (2), Austria (1), France (1), Portugal (1), Switzerland (1), Turkey (1)
  • Seven players hold 20 or more caps: DeAndre Yedlin (62), Tim Ream (42), John Brooks (40), Kellyn Acosta (27), Weston McKennie (21), Matt Miazga (20) and Sebastian Lletget (20). 
  • Seventeen players took part in the USMNT’s last camp in March. 
  • Right back DeAndre Yedlin will take part in his first camp since November 2019 when he played in the 4-0 win against Cuba in the Concacaf Nations League group stage finale. Yedlin just finished his first season with Galatasaray in Turkey. 
  • Midfielder Julian Green earns his first call-up under USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter. The 2014 FIFA World Cup veteran will seek his first cap since Nov. 15, 2018 against England. Green has registered nine goals and three assists in 32 matches to put Greuther Fürth in position for either automatic promotion to the Bundesliga or the promotion/relegation playoff going into the final match of the season on Sunday. 
  • Three of the four uncapped players will take part in their first USMNT camp: goalkeeper David Ochoa, defender Justin Che and forward Matthew Hoppe. 
  • Hoppe burst onto the scene for Schalke this season, becoming the first American to record a hat trick in the Bundesliga during the club’s 4-0 win against Hoffenheim on January 9. The Yorba Linda, Calif. product registered six goals in 21 league appearances this campaign. 
  • David Ochoa, 21, was the USA’s goalkeeper during March’s Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Championship and has started all four matches for Real Salt Lake this season. 
  • A product of the FC Dallas Academy, 17-year-old defender Justin Che has made seven appearances for Bayern Munich II since joining the side on loan in January. 
  • Six players on the roster have already lifted silverware during the European season: Brenden Aaronson (Austrian Bundesliga, ÖFB Cup), Sergiño Dest (Spanish Copa del Rey), Weston McKennie (Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup), Mark McKenzie (Belgian Cup), Gio Reyna (German DFB Pokal), Jordan Siebatcheu (Swiss Super League).
  • Two more players could still win silverware before coming to camp. Ethan Horvath and Club Brugge could clinch the Belgian Jupiler League as early as Thursday afternoon, while Tim Weah and Lille can claim the French Ligue 1 title with a win i
  • Brenden Aaronson will come to camp on the heels of winning the Austrian Bundesliga and ÖFB Cup with Red Bull Salzburg. The 20-year-old double-winner has contributed seven goals and three assists in 24 appearances across all competitions since joining Salzburg in January.
  • Striker Jordan Siebatcheu will take part in his second camp after making his USMNT debut in March. Siebatcheu recorded 15 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions while playing on loan for BSC Young Boys, helping the side clinch the Swiss Super League title before signing with the club through 2024 earlier this week.