FILE PHOTO: Nov 15, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; United States forward Jordan Morris (11) leaves the field against Canada during the second half of a CONCACAF Nations League soccer match at Exploria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The United States Men’s National Team will get a chance to see what it is aiming for when it holds an upcoming training camp in Qatar, the location of the 2022 World Cup.
That camp will take place in advance of a just-announced friendly against Costa Rica on Feb. 1 in Carson, Calif., the home of MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy.
Key players invited to the 22-man camp include USMNT mainstays like forwards Jordan Morris of the Seattle Sounders and Gyasi Zardes of the Columbus Crew.
Other regulars to be on hand include defender Aaron Long of the New York Red Bulls, and midfielders Sebastian Lletget of the Galaxy and Paul Arriola of D.C. United. Young players like midfielder Brenden Aaronson, defender Julian Araujo and forward Jesus Ferreira also were invited.
The USMNT, which missed out on the 2018 World Cup, is expected to hold practices and closed-door scrimmages at the Aspire Academy on Doha, Qatar, starting Sunday. No announcement has been made on who the team will face in the scrimmages.
The U.S. team is scheduled to leave Qatar on Jan. 25 for the friendly against a Costa Rica team that did qualify out of the CONCACAF region for the most recent World Cup. The two sides met in a key World Cup qualifier in 2017 with Costa Rica earning a 2-0 victory.
The teams met in a friendly earlier this year with the USMNT earning a 2-0 victory in a game largely played with backup players.
The U.S. roster for the training camp has not yet been revealed but is expected to be comprised of MLS players who currently are in their offseason.
—Field Level Media