January Camp: Formula-Based Roster
Jan. camps are usually domestic-only, here's who "should" get a call-up based on the formula
Strikers
Jesus Ferreira - .401 - FC Dallas - 22 years oldBrandon Vazquez - .373 - FC Cincinnati - 24 years old
Jeremy Ebobisse - .350 - San Jose Earthquakes - 25 years old
Brian White - .278 - Vancouver Whitecaps - 26 years old
I doubt Ferreira gets the call-up, both because this should really be more of an evaluation camp and because he deserves a break after going to the World Cup.
In addition (this may become a theme), I suspect White will be left out in favor of a younger player who hasn’t really “earned” a call-up yet based on first team play, but who seems likely to break-out this season, or is likely to feature for the U-20 national team (or both).
Wingers
Alex Zendejas - .522 - Club America - 24 years oldJordan Morris - .389 - Seattle Sounders - 28 years oldPaul Arriola - .386 - FC Dallas - 27 years oldKonrad de la Fuente - .355 - Olympiacos - 21 years old
Chris Mueller - .335 - Chicago Fire - 26 years old
Jonathan Lewis - .322 - Colorado Rapids - 25 years old
Omir Fernandez - .294 - NY Red Bulls - 23 years old
Andres Jasson - .266 - NYCFC - 21 years old
North American-based winger depth was rough last cycle, I’m really hoping some younger players are finally able to establish themselves as regular starters this season.
Zendejas will apparently be called up, but not released. He would have the best resume of any possible winger by a pretty wide margin.
Morris and Arriola are almost certainly in the Ferreira bucket, and will be given a break as the USSF clearly “knows what they are” at this point. In addition, the assumption is Seattle won’t release any players as they prepare for the Club World Cup.
Mueller and Lewis really fall into the same bucket for me, but again, the depth here is rough.
KDF is my big wild card. He’s a Marseille player on loan at Olympiacos in Greece, but that loan has been a complete disaster. Greece’s limits on international players have kept him from even making the bench since early September. If Marseille hasn’t been able to find another loan destination for him, maybe a couple of starts for the USMNT would catch the eye of a new suitor?
Like striker, I expect at least one U-20 player to get a surprise call-up here.
Central Midfielders
Marky Delgado - .417 - LA Galaxy - 27 years oldCristian Roldan - .399 - Seattle Sounders - 27 years oldHassani Dotson - .379 - Minnesota United - 25 years oldAidan Morris - .346 - Columbus Crew - 21 years old
Keaton Parks - .346 - NYCFC - 25 years old
Paxton Pomykal - .334 - FC Dallas - 23 years old
Alan Sonora - .309 - no team - 24 years old
Joel Sonora - .297 - no team - 26 years old
Eryk Williamson - .265 - Portland Timbers - 25 years old
Delgado is old, Roldan is prepping for the Club World Cup, and Dotson is still hurt.
Does Parks finally get the call-up many of us were clamoring for last cycle?
The Sonora brothers are wild cards like KDF, except they’re literally free agents right now. Alan was supposedly negotiating with Montreal, and Joel was unceremoniously dumped by Maritimo in Portugal over the holidays. Now would be a great time to get a look at them in the national team set up, as well as maybe attracting new suitors for them, especially in MLS.
Defensive Midfielders
Kellyn Acosta - .454 - LAFC - 27 years oldLeon Flach - .441 - Philadelphia Union - 21 years old
Frankie Amaya - .385 - NY Red Bulls - 22 years old
Acosta will get his post-World Cup break.
I will be gobsmacked if Flach isn’t in this camp.
Fullbacks
Mauricio Isais - .516 - Pachuca - 21 years oldJohn Tolkin - .438 - NY Red Bulls - 20 years old
Brandon Bye - .396 - New England Revolution - 27 years old
Brooks Lennon - .396 - Atlanta United - 25 years old
Nathan Harriel - .389 - Philadelphia Union - 21 years old
DeJuan Jones - .384 - New England Revolution - 25 years old
I would love if the USSF pulled a Zendejas and also invited Isais, even knowing he won’t be released. He would be the main competition for Tolkin at LB for our Olympic team, if we could call-in the best available players.
Tolkin and Jones seem like no-brainers.
Bye is a bit older. Lennon was called up last year by Berhalter.
Harriel had a blazing start to 2022, but then cooled off down the back stretch. He’s in a good position to back up Scally in a best available Olympic squad.
Centerbacks
Matt Miazga - .445 - FC Cincinnati - 27 years old
Sean Nealis - .409 - NY Red Bulls - 26 years old
Walker Zimmerman - .389 - Nashville SC - 29 years oldAaron Long - .385 - LAFC - 30 years oldHenry Kessler - .380 - New England Revolution - 24 years old
Miles Robinson - .368 - Atlanta United - 25 years oldJusten Glad - .364 - Real Salt Lake - 25 years old
This is a perfect opportunity to bring Miazga back in and see how he’s progressed.
Nealis was the best Red Bulls CB last year, he deserves a look by the USSF.
Zimmerman and Long will get the World Cup rest, and even if Robinson is healthy I’d be shocked if either the USSF or Atlanta were willing to risk him in a January camp more than three years from the next World Cup.
Keepers
Sean Johnson - .458 - no team - 33 years oldRoman Celentano - .364 - FC Cincinnati - 22 years old
Drake Callender - .356 - Inter Miami - 25 years old
J.T. Marcinkowski - .339 - San Jose Earthquakes - 25 years old
Johnson is a free agent, would get the World Cup break regardless, and has probably aged out of even a backup roll for the USMNT going forward.
Marcinkowski seems unlikely to ever be an international level keeper, and will likely be replaced by a younger keeper who has yet to break through as a first team starter.