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D.C. United's Chris Pontius Earns First-Ever U.S Men's National Team Call-Up

December 22, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
D.C. United News Release

Washington, D.C. (December 22, 2009) - The U.S. Soccer Federation today announced D.C. United midfielder/forward Chris Pontius has been called-up to the U.S. Men's National Team's January training camp in Los Angeles. Pontius will join the U.S. team on Jan. 4 and will remain in camp until the team's friendly against Honduras at the Home Depot Center on Jan. 23. The match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision beginning at 7 p.m. ET. This is the first-ever call-up for United's 22-year-old.

With the seventh overall pick of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft; D.C. United selected Chris Pontius out of the University of California, Santa Barbara. United fans realized they had a special player just sixty-two minutes into the 2009 MLS season-opener against the LA Galaxy. Pontius scored on a beautiful, bending strike to the far post, notching his first career goal. Pontius, who saw action in nearly every offensive position during his rookie campaign, went on to play in all but two of the team's 30 League games (23 starts), tallying four goals and three assists. However his numbers are even more impressive, if you include all first team matches; Pontius played in 40 of the 44 United games, including 31 starts, totaling eight goals and six assists. He concluded his tremendous rookie season as a finalist for the MLS's Rookie of the Year award.

The full U.S. roster:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Kevin Hartman (Kansas City), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), Zach Thornton (Chivas USA)

DEFENDERS (8): Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (12): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (=D6rebro), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jeff Larentowicz (New England Revolution), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (6): Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Brandon McDonald (San Jose Earthquakes), Marcus Tracy (Aalborg)

Check out the D.C. United Statistics

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D.C. United's Chris Pontius Earns First-Ever U.S Men's National Team Call-Up - D.C. United

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