USA opens football training camp in Colorado

Chicago (AFP) – Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore highlight a group of 27 players invited to USA Soccer’s training camp as the national team prepares to play two World Cup qualifiers in June.

Dempsey and Altidore are two of 11 players on the invite list who have played in 10 or more FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

“I think we have a good group,” coach Bruce Arena said. “I’m still in the early goings with this team and I haven’t seen all of our players, so this camp gives me the opportunity to see six new faces we haven’t had in with the team yet. 

“It’s also great that we’re able to bring back 21 players that have been in with our program already in 2017. We have a roster that has good balance all over, we have good young players and hopefully it’s a team we can put together to get us points in both games.”

Training camp opens Sunday in Denver, Colorado ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico.

The Americans play Trinidad on June 8 in Denver and three days later they will battle rival Mexico at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

It will be the 66th all-time meeting between the US and Mexico. History will be on the side of Mexico as they have lost to the US just once at home since 1934.

The Americans will also play an exhibition match on Saturday against Venezuela in Utah.