US Soccer confirmed the opponents that the MLS-based squad will face in a series of closed-door scrimmages during the two-week fitness camp leading into World Cup qualifying.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has assembled a collection of 20 MLS-based players for a two-week January camp ahead of the upcoming round of World Cup qualifying games, in an attempt to both create competition amongst domestic hopefuls and keep non-European-based players in shape during the cold off-season.
On Tuesday, the opponents for the three closed-door scrimmages for the 20-player squad were confirmed by US Soccer. These games will serve to give Berhalter and his staff the opportunity to see the squad in competitive action, and provide the team with a competitive atmosphere at what is essentially a fitness training camp.
The first of the three training games will take place on Thursday, January 13 against local USL club Phoenix Rising FC, who play in the second tier of the US soccer pyramid, and topped the Western Conference table in their division.
Four days later, Berhalter’s squad will face the team of local private college Grand Canyon University, who compete in the Western Athletic Conference and were most recently led by legendary coach Schellas Hyndman.
Finally, they will face off against MLS club Sporting Kansas City on Friday, January 21 at the tail-end of the camp. Sporting finished third in the MLS Western Conference, and were knocked out of the MLS Cup playoffs in the final eight.
See Berhalter discuss the camp in a recent press conference.
