BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - With the 52nd all-time meeting between the national soccer teams of the USA and Mexico on the horizon, U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has called in 26 players to a training camp that will begin on Thursday (Jan. 25) at U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Among the 26 players attending the camp will be four members of the Chicago Fire - midfielder Justin Mapp, goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Dasan Robinson and forward Chris Rolfe. All four players were also a part of the recently conducted two-week camp in Carson that ended last weekend.
The group of players is preparing for the United States' showdown with regional rival Mexico on Feb. 7 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. In addition to the 26 players arriving in California on Thursday, Bradley has also submitted releases for eight U.S. players based in Europe. Per FIFA rules, requests for the release of players must be sent no later than 15 days prior to match day. The final decision on which European-based players will travel to Phoenix will be made the week prior to the Mexico game.
The match will be part of a two-and-half-hour broadcast window on both ESPN2 and Univision beginning at 8 p.m. CT, with kickoff slated for 8:25 p.m. CT. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. Bradley made his announcement at a press conference in Arizona broadcast live on ussoccer.com.
"We are excited to get back to work and continue the progress we have made since the beginning of January," said Bradley, who collected a 3-1 victory against Denmark on Jan. 20 in his first match at the helm of the U.S. National Team. "All the little things that surround a USA-Mexico game - whether it is great crowds, intense competition, or media attention - can only benefit our players as they continue to gain experience at this level. We are also looking forward to adding more of our European-based players into the mix for the first time this year."
Rolfe and Mapp were part of the youth movement that helped make Bradley's debut last Saturday a successful one. Rolfe earned a starting nod against the Danes and played 74 minutes in his fifth appearance for the U.S., while Mapp tallied his first-ever point in international play - the game-winning assist on Jonathan Bornstein's 57th minute goal - during his second "cap" for the USA. The recently-ended camp marked the first looks for both Pickens and Robinson by the U.S. program at the senior international level, and both will be hoping to make their first appearance for the USA during the clash against Mexico next month.
The U.S. has dominated the series of late, collecting a 6-0-1 home record against Mexico since 2000. During that span, the USA has netted 11 goals, while the Mexicans have failed to score a single goal on American soil in this decade. In the teams' last meeting, the U.S. used a 2-0 victory on Sept. 3, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio to become the first team in CONCACAF to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. has a lifetime record of 12-29-10 against Mexico in a series that dates to 1934, but the U.S. has a 10-6-8 advantage in home matches since 1957.
The Chicago Fire will begin its tenth season of play in Major League Soccer at Bridgeview's TOYOTA PARK on Saturday, April 7, 2007, when the squad will welcome 2006 MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution for a 7:30 p.m. CT kick-off (television information TBD). Currently, the only way for fans to secure their seats for the Fire's 2007 season at TOYOTA PARK, including the season opener against the Revolution, is by purchasing a 2007 Season Ticket Package, available now by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE or by visiting the club's official website, www.Chicago-Fire.com.
U.S. Men's National Team Training Camp Roster: January 25-February 3
Goalkeepers (4) - Joe Cannon (Los Angeles Galaxy), Matt Pickens (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (D.C. United), Matt Reis (New England Revolution)
Defenders (9) - Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Bobby Boswell (D.C. United), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Todd Dunivant (New York Red Bulls), Bryan Namoff (D.C. United), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Dasan Robinson (Chicago Fire), Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo)
Midfielders (7) - Kyle Beckerman (Colorado Rapids), Brian Carroll (D.C. United), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Joshua Gros (D.C. United), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)
Forwards (6) - Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Nate Jaqua (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
Head Coach: Bob Bradley
