USMNT January Camp – A Look Back at all 21 Players

---

With the January camp behind us we take a look at the 21 players on the roster and give you our winners, losers, and those that maintained the status quo.

Forwards

Agudelo, Juan 
Agudelo injured his right ankle during a scrimmage on Jan 13 and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. The Red Bull forward will play for the Olympic team that begins qualifying in March.

Bunbury, Teal
Bunbury had his chance, playing 88 minutes vs. Venezuela and 76 minutes vs. Panama. He did not look like a player ready to contribute at the national team level. He is young so will get opportunities with the U-23 squad however he will need to raise his game if he wants to me in the mix come World Cup qualifying time this summer.

Sapong, C.J.
Two short stints off the bench were enough to get you excited about the potential of Sapong. He is young and heading into the dreaded sophomore season in MLS where plenty of players have struggled in the past. Still, have to like his potential as a true target striker the US desperately needs – the question is how long his development timeline will be.

Wondolowski, Chris 
Wondolowski is a classic example of a player that scores goals in bunches in MLS however cannot translate that success to the USMNT. You could argue that Wondo was the best forward of the lot over the two games however it is hard to see him as a regular contributor during World Cup qualifying.

 

Midfielders

Beckerman, Kyle
Beckerman was bothered by a groin strain so did not play. Make no mistake though he is very much in the mix going forward. Klinsmann as stated over and over again how much he values a classic stay at home midfielder. Beckerman fits the bill perfectly.

Clark, Ricardo
Happy to see hard work payoff. Clark has had confidence issues since the disaster in South Africa however has stayed the course and worked his way back into the mix. His problem is he did not do enough to warrant another call in a crowded midfield pool. He seems to lack the midfield awareness in attacking situations that very much hindered his contributions.

Evans, Brad
A late substitute vs. Venezuela and played played just 24 minutes vs. Panama so not much to go on for Evans. He did play in the midfield, which is his natural position while he plays defense for the Sounders.

Feilhaber, Benny
Feilhaber played 62 minutes against Venezuela and did not get off the bench against Panama. You have to wonder if he has a future in the Klinsmann era of US Soccer. He spent too much time barking at the referee and not enough time playing soccer in my opinion.

Jones, Jermaine
Where has he been? Played with a fire and determination and most importantly was the leader on the pitch. His turnovers and the ability to pick up a yellow card in record time are issues no doubt however his work rate and leadership overshadowed that in both games. The question for Klinsmann is how much is the risk vs. reward?

Larentowicz, Jeff 
With Beckerman hurt Larentowicz was given his chance. He did not necessarily disappoint although he did not overly impress either. In my opinion he moved the dial slightly in his favor.

Shea, Brek
Going to be an interesting year for Mr. Shea. How many times are we going to say he looks tired? He looked tired at the end of the MLS season and looked tired in this camp. That being said word is he was suffering from a cold so lets give him the benefit of the doubt. I still look forward to seeing him with the first 11 come June.

Zusi, Graham 
A well deserved call up for Zusi and his first US goal to boot. He did not however take the opportunity that was given to him, perhaps due to playing outside instead of inside in the midfield. Regardless, if he continues to play well in MLS he will get more chances at the senior level.

Defenders

Cameron, Geoff 
The red card was a valid call and placed a mark on his overall performance however you have to agree he is the player who will benefit most from the January camp. With the US back-line in desperate need of new blood Cameron just may be the CB of the future for the United States.

DeLaGarza, A.J. 
Played CB for the Galaxy and was asked to play RB for the USMNT. Had a great chance playing all 180 minutes and did not take advantage of the opportunity.

Loyd , Zach 
His athleticism cannot overcome his mistakes at the national team level. The good news is he is young, a gifted athlete, and with experience should have a future with the USMNT.

Parke, Jeff 
Very happy to see a pro like Parke get his first cap. Actually played fairly well when called upon against Panama.

Parkhurst, Michael
Played well against Venezuela and looked lost against Panama. The Panama game to my mind it the one that gives me pause as to whether or not Parkhurst can make it at the national team level.

Pearce, Heath
Speed, speed, speed. The thing I liked about Pearce is he looked better against the tougher offensive opponent in Panama. With the left-back position wide open its hard not to see Pearce getting another call.

Goalkeepers

Hamid, Bill
Finally gets his first cap against Venezuela and did not have much to do. Did nothing to hurt or help his standing going forward.

Johnson, Sean
Came on in the second half when Rimano hurt his leg and played well. I actually would like to see Johnson get more opportunities going forward however it looks as if Klinsmann has his three in mind (Howard, Hamid, Rimando)

Rimando, Nick
Rimando is simply the best keeper in MLS. He literally saved the game against Panama with his performance in the first half. So steady, how can Klinsmann not think twice before calling in another third keeper?

January Camp Winners: Cameron, Rimando, Jones

January Camp Status Quo: Agudelo, Sapong, Wondolowski, Beckerman, Clark, Evans, Shea, Larentowicz, Zusi,Parke, Parkhurst, Pearce, Hamid, Johnson.

January Camp Losers: Bunbury, Feilhaber, DeLaGarza, Lloyd