CHICAGO — Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei and Vancouver midfielder Kekuta Manneh, both in the process of completing U.S. citizenship requirements, are among 32 players who will report to the first U.S. training camp since Bruce Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann as coach.
Frei, 30, relocated from Switzerland with his family in the 1990s and played college soccer for California. He would give Arena another veteran option in addition to Colorado’s Tim Howard, projected to be sidelined for four months following November surgery on his right leg, and Brad Guzan, who on Monday made his first appearance since August for Middlesbrough.
Manneh, a 22-year-old Gambian, moved to Texas in 2010.
Veterans Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Jermaine Jones, Alejandro Bedoya and Chris Wondolowski also are on the roster that will report to Carson, California, starting Jan. 10 ahead of exhibitions against Serbia on Jan. 29 at San Diego and versus Jamaica on Feb. 3 at Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Seattle forward Clint Dempsey, sidelined since Aug. 21 by an irregular heartbeat, was not included on the roster. Arena said last month he hoped Dempsey would be able to participate in a limited role.
Arena coached the U.S. from 1998-2006 and was hired in November after the Americans lost to Mexico and Costa Rica in the first two games of World Cup qualifying. He announced 11 players for his training camp roster on Dec. 16, a group that included defender DaMarcus Beasley, midfielder Benny Feilhaber and forwards Juan Agudelo and Gyasi Zardes.
Several players return following long absences: defender Chad Marshall was last at a national team training camp in January 2010, midfielder Dax McCarty in January 2011 and Feilhaber in January 2014.
“This is an opportunity that I’ve been waiting for,” Feilhaber, who turns 32 on Jan. 19, said in a statement. “I’m appreciative that Bruce has given me the chance to prove myself again on the international stage. Every player is entering January camp with a clean slate, and I plan to make the most of the opportunity given to me.”
Nine players are World Cup veterans, including the 34-year-old Beasley, the only American to play in four World Cups. Altidore needs one international appearance to become the 17th American man to reach 100 and at 27 would be the second-youngest behind Landon Donovan, who was 26 at the time of his 100th appearance in 2008.
Altidore is scheduled to report on Jan. 12 and McCarty on Jan. 16.
Five of the eligible players have not appeared for the national team: defenders Taylor Kemp, Keegan Rosenberry and Walker Zimmerman, and midfielders Sebastian Lletget and Chris Pontius.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (5): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Luis Robles (New York Red Bulls)
DEFENDERS (10): DaMarcus Beasley (Unattached), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Greg Garza (Atlanta United FC), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Taylor Kemp (D.C. United), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Jermaine Jones (Unattached), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Kekuta Manneh (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Dax McCarty (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
