MLS Real Salt Lake

Four Real Salt Lake Players Called into U.S. National Team Camps

January 24, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SALT LAKE CITY (Thursday, January 24, 2008) - Four members of Real Salt Lake will have excused absences when the MLS squad opens up preseason training this weekend in Salt Lake City after earning invitations to a pair of U.S. National Team training camps. U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named RSL MF Kyle Beckerman to the Senior team's 21-man camp taking at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., while U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team head coach Peter Nowak has tabbed FW Robbie Findley, D/M Nathan Sturgis, and GK Chris Seitz among the 23 players participating in a camp from Jan. 26 - Feb. 2 across the country at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla.

The trio of Findley, Sturgis, and Seitz - which represents the largest MLS contingent at the U-23 camp along with FC Dallas - are expected to rejoin RSL during the Utah MLS side's first preseason camp in southern California next week. Meanwhile, Beckerman's status for RSL's California camp hinges on him being named to the roster for the latest edition of the USA's ongoing rivalry against Mexico, set to take place Wednesday, Feb. 6 at Reliant Stadium in Houston (7:00 p.m. MT; live on ESPN2 and Univision). The final roster for the Mexico match, which may include more European-based players, will be finalized prior to the team's departure from Carson.

This will mark the second straight Senior team camp for the 25-year-old Beckerman, who, along with the other 20 invited players, trained together for two weeks prior to the team's 2-0 victory over Sweden last Saturday at The Home Depot Center. Beckerman is looking to add to his three U.S. Senior team "caps," all of which came in the USA's appearance in last summer's Copa America tournament in Venezuela. The 21-man training camp roster remains a largely domestic-based group, holding 16 players who ply their trade in Major League Soccer. The team will train in Carson until Feb. 3 before leaving for Houston.

The U.S. Under-23 camp will be the third in the last two months for both Findley and Seitz, who participated in the team's weeklong camp and trip to China last December and a recently-concluded two-week stint in Bradenton. Sturgis was also a member of the December camp, but a calf injury suffered during training in California kept him from making the trip to China and also out of contention for the team's camp earlier this month.

The week-long camp will be Nowak's final chance to train and evaluate players before selecting the team that will compete in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament from March 11-23, 2008, in Los Angeles, Tampa, and Nashville. After group play, the top two teams will advance to the semifinals, which will be contested on March 20 at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. LP Field will also be the location for the third-place game and championship match on Sunday, March 23. The two finalists will advance to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

For the entire Senior and U-23 training camp announcements from U.S. Soccer, including the full camp rosters for both teams, visit www.ussoccer.com.

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