Union midfielder Jack McGlynn is called up to the USMNT’s January prospect camp
With the U.S. camp running through Jan. 22, McGlynn will miss the start of the Union’s preseason next week. But it's for a good reason.
Although Mauricio Pochettino is still pretty new at the job as manager of the U.S. men’s soccer team, he is keeping up an old tradition: the program’s January camp for MLS-based prospects.
The 24-player squad for this year’s edition was announced Monday, and it includes Union midfielder Jack McGlynn. With the U.S. camp running through Jan. 22, McGlynn will miss the start of the Union’s preseason next week.
Two non-Union players called up have ties to the Philadelphia area, both goalkeepers: Matt Freese of Wayne and New York City FC (and formerly the Union), and Zack Steffen of Downingtown and the Colorado Rapids.
Notable youngsters on the squad include centerback Jalen Neal (just traded to CF Montréal), central midfielder Benjamim Cremaschi (Inter Miami), and attacking midfielder Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake) — the last of whom controversially came up short of last year’s Olympic team.
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Notable veterans include Steffen, centerbacks Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), and Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), and forward Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas, but reportedly on the way to the Seattle Sounders.)
Along with the training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., there will be games against Venezuela at Inter Miami’s stadium on Jan. 18 (3 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo), and Costa Rica at Orlando City’s stadium on Jan. 22 (7 p.m., TNT, truTV, Universo).
“We are extremely excited to work with a new group of players and continue to implement our ideas,” Pochettino said in a statement. “As I have said, MLS is very important to the national team project, and these players have earned this opportunity.”
As for the Union’s January plans, for the first time in many years they include a trip abroad. The team is headed to Marbella, Spain, for warm weather and exhibitions against European clubs — surely with other European clubs’ scouts watching closely. Though the traveling party isn’t set yet, the Union traditionally invite some of their top young prospects to join the first team’s work.
That is expected to continue under new manager Bradley Carnell, who last week became the fourth manager in the team’s history. The Spain trip will be his first time working with his players (and it was in the works long before his hiring was announced.)
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The Union haven’t announced their preseason game schedule, but one contest in Spain was announced by the opponent: Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic on Jan. 19.
As the American soccer world gets its new year going, this week also brings MLS’s preseason media day festivities in Miami and the annual United Soccer Coaches convention in Chicago. Although MLS’s college draft is now remote and the NWSL scrapped its draft entirely, the coaches’ convention remains one of the bigger gatherings each year of the American soccer community. Next year’s event will be in Philadelphia ahead of the men’s World Cup’s arrival in the summer.
In other news, U.S. women’s team manager Emma Hayes will announce the roster for her January training camp on Tuesday. That group is expected to have some veterans in the midst of the NWSL’s offseason but also a lot of young prospects who could be part of the 2027 World Cup team.
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USMNT January camp roster
Goalkeepers (4): Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), George Campbell (CF Montréal), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas), Jalen Neal (CF Montreal), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders (4): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Union)
Forwards (7): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Caden Clark (CF Montréal), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire), Matko Miljevic (Unattached), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City SC), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps)