Sixteen MLS players called into U.S. U-23 team for Canary Islands tournament

United States Under-23 national team coach Jason Kreis has called in a 24-player roster for the United International Football Festival in Canary Islands from Nov. 14-17, as part of the preparation ahead of the Concacaf Olympic qualifiers in March.

Of the 24 players, 16 are MLS-based with Real Salt Lake leading the way with four selections as defenders Justen Glad and Aaron Herrera and forwards Brooks Lennon and Bofo Saucedo were picked.

The Philadelphia Union had three player — goalkeeper Matt Freese, defender Matt McKenzie and midfielder Brenden Aaronson — picked, while the Colorado Rapids (Jonathan Lewis, Sam Vines) and Minnesota United (Hassani Dotson, Mason Toye) both had two players selected.

San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, New York Red Bulls defender Kyle Duncan, NYCFC midfielder James Sands, Chicago Fire midfielder Djordje Mihailovic and Portland Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse are the other MLS players on the roster.

Marcinkowski and Mihailovic have appeared in all three of the U-23’s games thus far in 2019. Marcinkowski is the only player to appear in all four training camps this year, as well as the team’s June joint camp with the USMNT.

The other eight players compete in Europe, including defender Antonee Robinson, who has started all 15 league games this season for Wigan Athletic, defender Chris Richards, who scored his first goal for Bayern Munich II on Nov. 3 in a 5-3 loss at Meppen and forward Emmanuel Sabbi, who is Hobro IK’s joint-leading scorer with five goals in the Danish Superliga.

The U.S. will meet Brazil on Nov. 14 and either Argentina or Chile in the four-team tournament’s final or third-place game three days later.

Concacaf Olympic qualifying will be held from March 20-April 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The tournament’s draw will be announced at a later date.

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