Brek Shea is looking to earn his second cap against Chile

US Soccer announced the roster for the January training camp. The camp begins on January 4 in Southern California, and concludes with a friendly match against Chile on January 22 at the Home Depot Center.

Here is the 24 man roster:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Dominic Cervi (Celtic), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (9): A.J. DeLaGarza (Los Angeles Galaxy), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ugo Ihemelu (FC Dallas), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Ryan Miller (Halmstads BK), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids), Marvell Wynne (Colorado Rapids)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Eric Alexander (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Sam Cronin (San Jose Earthquakes), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabaek), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Dax McCarty (D.C. United), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)

FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Justin Braun (Chivas USA), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Here are my thoughts:

Who the ‘F’ is Ryan Miller?

I know you asked yourself that question when you saw his name.  Lucky for you I’m here to explain these things. Miller, an Illinois native, is a midfield/defender that plays with Halmstad in the Swedish Allsvenskan league. He played his college ball at Notre Dame before joining the Columbus Crew in 2008. After two unsuccessful seasons in MLS, one with the Crew and the other with DC United, Miller went on trial in Europe and wound up in the Swedish league. The 26 year old probably needs to impress at this camp if he wants a call back in the future.

Youth Movement

The group is young, with an average age of 23.  The most experienced player on the team is 23 year old Alejandro Bedoya with 6 caps. First year professionals such as Eric Alexander (Age 22), Zach Loyd (23), and Sean Johnson (21) are coming off strong rookie campaigns. The trio was probably brought in to get a feel for the system and the staff,  but we might see at least one of them on game day. This experience should boost their development.

Its nice to see youngsters Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury, and Mikkel “Mix” Diskerud in the camp. The three attackers earned their first cap against South Africa last month.  Mix and Agudelo combined for the winning goal that night.

This is the first step in preparation for the 2014 World Cup, so it isn’t surprising that Bob Bradley took chances on some young players.

MLS Success = USMNT Opportunity

Strikers Chris Wondolowski, MLS Golden Boot winner, and Justin Braun had breakout seasons with their MLS clubs.  Both are fairly young and the race for a forward spot is wide open at the moment.

MLS Cup Champions Colorado Rapids are represented by four players: Marvel Wynne, Matt Pickens, Jeff Larentowicz, and Anthony Wallace.  All four were pivotal figures in the teams MLS Cup run. I see Wynne and Wallace with the most opportunity in this camp. Wynne, typically deployed as a right back, might see time as a central defender against Chile. The young defender has excelled for the Rapids in his first season playing centrally. Wallace is young, athletic, and has a good left foot. He is also a very smart defender that can contribute to the attack. I think the left back spot is his for the taking.

The 2014 center backs?

Tim Ream, Omar Gonzalez, and Brek Shea are turning heads with their defensive play. Ream (23) is a very refined defender who had a rookie of the year caliber season in 2010. He earned his first cap last month against South Africa and impressed with his calm and composed demeanor on the ball. Omar Gonzalez (22), 2009 R0okie of the Year, is one of the best defenders in MLS. His towering 6’5 build makes him an ideal candidate to inherit the center back role. Brek Shea (20) has played everything from forward to center back. The young FC Dallas midfielder astounded observers with his play at center back during the Generation Adidas tour in Spain. It is also suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson commented that Shea’s best position would likely be as a central defender.  Shea’s 6’4 build is suited for that position and we could see Bradley groom Shea with that goal in mind.

Let me know your thoughts on this roster.

The Rapids picked up young left back Anthony Wallace from FC Dallas.  We heard rumblings about a possible trade yesterday and I’m not surprised the Rapids ended up acquiring a defender. Here are Wallace’s vitals:

Anthony Wallace – Defender
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160
DOB: January 26, 1989
Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL
College: South Florida
Last Club: FC Dallas
Roster Status: Senior

During the World Cup break Coach Smith mentioned that the team needed defensive reinforcements. It seemed like Danish defender Ulrik Lindkvist was going to join the club but the Rapids have gone a different direction.

So is this a good trade?

Although the trade isn’t without some downsides, like the fact that this acquisition isn’t going to help the Rapids score more goals, I think it’s a positive acquisition for the Rapids. He is a young player with plenty of upside, he will add competition in the group, and he didn’t cost too much.

First, Anthony Wallace provides competition, and rest, for young Danny Earls. Earls has been excellent for the Rapids this season but a little competition should help him grow. Scott Palguta has played a few minutes at left back this season but Wallace is a more natural option.

Second, Wallace is a good player. His career stats might paint a different picture but the reality is that he is only 21 and needs regular minutes to develop. He wasn’t a regular player for Dallas and that has clearly hurt his development. Wallace has consistently performed well when representing the US at the U-17 and U-20 level so there is evidence that he has the “potential” to become a quality MLS left back.

No one expected 18 year old Anthony Wallace to start playing right away when he was drafted in the first round of the 2007 Superdraft. He was growing as a player throughout the 2007 and 2008 season, until he hit some setbacks in 2009, including a torn meniscus. This year, competition with Colombian international Jair Benitez and US international Heath Pearce meant very little opportunity for the young outside back.

Third, he doesn’t cost anything. We traded away a fourth round pick and a conditional pick in 2012. The Rapids didn’t have to move any players since Oscar Murillo’s departure last month opened up a roster spot. Not a big price to pay even if he doesn’t work out.

I do have one concern about the attitude that this trade represents.

Anyone who has watched the Rapids play this season knows that the Rapids create a ton of opportunities but can’t finish. When Coach Smith mentioned that the club would look for a player that can add six goals I got my hopes up a little. I think the Rapids need a quality playmaker or goal scorer but that won’t come without a price. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a major shake-up to bring in some offensive quality. I don’t think the club is willing to take that step during this transfer window. Nothing new here.

As always, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Rapids prove me wrong.

What do you think about this acquisition?