The goalkeeping pool, MLS talent, and building atmosphere from the January USMNT friendlies

By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Jan 30, 2023) US Soccer Players – The USMNT’s two Southern California friendlies against Serbia and Colombia gave us a glimpse at a number of players and trends that will carry over into the near future. In a calendar year that features the Nations League in March and the Gold Cup starting in June, there’s plenty to glean from these two games. The 24-player pool called into camp featured a few MLS-based veterans, but as usual, was loaded with young players.

While assessing the January camp is all about what we saw the last few days, the reality is that these games have to be placed in the context with a longer view. Anthony Hudson, who oversaw the camp, certainly saw it this way, saying, “Overall, I think we achieved our objectives. There’s a bunch of players we wanted to see with us, to see in competitive situations. It was a case of being able to look at those players in our environment and being able to get through two games physically.”

This January version of the USMNT posted a defeat and a draw: a 2-1 loss against Serbia on January 25, followed by a scoreless draw versus Colombia on Saturday night. In those two games, a total of 12 players earned their first caps. Here are three takeaways from these friendlies.

Assessing the goalkeeping pool

The United States has a long history of talented goalkeepers. This camp was another sign that this tradition lives on. Chelsea’s Gaga Slonina earned his first US cap in a start against Serbia, giving glimpses of what he can do with impressive saves. At just 18 years and 255 days, Slonina made history as the youngest goalie to debut for the USMNT, beating the previous record held by Tony Meola.

Against Colombia, the US featured Sean Johnson. The veteran goalkeeper, who recently left New York City FC for Toronto FC, was part of the 26-man roster that competed at the World Cup. Against Colombia, Johnson made a save to record his sixth USMNT clean sheet in 11 appearances.

As we await the official FIFA window in March that will allow for the likes of World Cup starter Matt Turner to return to the fold, it is promising to see Slonina play at a high level. It’s also reassuring to know that the goalkeeping core remains solid.

MLS talent shines through

The January camp is always loaded with MLS players. A few of them stood out over the two games. Against Colombia, attacking midfielder Paxten Aaronson, who left the Philadelphia Union for Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of 2022, showed bursts of energy, especially in the first half, that showed the urgency to his game that will benefit the USMNT in games that count. Aaronson earned his first senior cap after showing what he could do in games that count at U-20 level, helping the USMNT qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

New York Red Bulls defender John Tolkin also earned his first cap against Colombia. Tolkin is one of the most-talented left backs in MLS now taking the next step by making his international debut. Cincinnati FC striker Brandon Vazquez scored the lone goal for the US in his national team debut against Serbia and came on as a sub versus Colombia. He had a decent scoring chance against Colombia, showing potential alongside several of his teammates taking the January camp opportunity.

Building atmosphere

While the midweek Serbia friendly had an announced attendance of 11,475 fans at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, the Colombia game at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson drew a sellout crowd of 27,000 on a Saturday night. Overall, those are positive numbers.

What happens on the field is important, but so is what happens more broadly. The USMNT won over new fans with their round of 16 run at the 2022 World Cup, and that brought in more fans that care about this team. That’s what American soccer builds on as the countdown to the 2026 World Cup begins.
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In the midst of this camp, Concacaf announced that it had formed a partnership with CONMEBOL, South America’s confederation, to host the 2024 Copa America in the United States. While the United States has to qualify for that tournament, the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League will serve as a qualifying tournament, it will be something for this team to play for given the lack of World Cup qualifying matches on the schedule.

As is the case with every January camp, the results of these two games are less important than the individual performances. If that’s what we take away from this camp, then the past week has been a successful one. The coming games will matter much more, but that’s the next step in a familiar annual process for the USMNT.

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Clemente Lisi is a regular contributor to US Soccer Players. He is also the author of the new book “The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event.