COLUMBUS, Ohio - U.S. Men's National Team manager Bruce Arena announced today that four Columbus Crew players are among the 28 players called into camp to train for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago on Feb. 9 in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Kickoff at the Queen's Park Oval is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics.
The team is currently in camp in Carson, Calif., and departs for Trinidad on Feb. 7. Several European-based players are expected to join the squad in Southern Florida either Feb. 6 or 7 after competing in their league matches that weekend.
The four Crew players in camp are goalkeeper Jon Busch, defender Chad Marshall, midfielder/defender Frankie Hejduk and midfielder/defender Tony Sanneh. Marshall, a 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year finalist, will be making his first appearance in a senior National Team camp. Busch has been called-in to camp before but has yet to make an appearance in a game, while Hejduk has 61 caps and five goals and Sanneh 41 caps and three goals. The four Columbus players in camp are tied for the most of any team with Kansas City and New England.
"We certainly have a lot of hard work ahead of us," said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena. "Trinidad is a very talented opponent with a lot of experience on their roster. We're happy to be able to focus on the task of getting a result in our first qualifier in the final round."
Arena has called four goalkeepers into camp, led by MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Joe Cannon. Busch, Kevin Hartman and Nick Rimando round out the goalkeeping corps.
After Trinidad, the U.S. faces a double-dose of qualifiers at the end of March. Following a trip to Mexico on March 27, the USA will open its home schedule of final round qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, March 30, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. Kickoff against Guatemala is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also follow the match on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. Tickets ranging in price from $18 to $55 are available online at ussoccer.com, all Ticketmaster outlets throughout Alabama (including Publix and Coconuts), and by phone at 1-800-277-1700. Groups of 15 or more can order through the Alabama Sports Foundation at 205-967-4745 ext. 119.
The U.S. will play 10 games in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup from Feb. 9 - Oct. 13, 2005. The USA, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago are competing for three automatic berths to the World Cup finals in Germany. The fourth-place finisher will face the fifth-place team from the Asian Football Confederation in a home-and-home series to determine the last entrant into the tournament.
