SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham was among 22 players selected to participate in U.S. Under-23 National Team camp in Carson, Calif. and San Jose, Costa Rica from Jan. 8-25.
The January camp marks the third gathering for the U-23s as the team continues preparation for the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in March. The group will conduct the first 11 days of camp at the Home Depot Center before traveling on Jan. 18 to Costa Rica, where they will play two games against local club teams.
"I'm very pleased with where we are at in our process," U.S. U-23 coach Caleb Porter said. "With three training camps remaining, I know the staff and players are hungry to get back to work after the holidays. We feel like we have a good handle on the pool after two camps, and certainly the group will become clearer when we get closer to qualifying."
The U-23s, along with all men's youth National Teams, are incorporating continuity representative of the playing style and framework that is implemented under the U.S. Men's National Team and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The full U.S. Men's National Team will be training at The HDC at the same time, and the U-23s will face Klinsmann's group twice, with scrimmages on Jan. 13 and 17 in Carson, Calif.
The second leg of the training camp in San Jose, Costa Rica, includes a pair of scrimmages as the U-23s face Saprissa Reserves on Saturday, Jan. 21, and Alajuela on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
"Nothing is completely set yet, and you will see several more players sprinkled in until we make our final decisions," Porter said. "Things are taking shape quickly, which is very promising, and I'm eager to continue building on the great progress we made from the last camp."
The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team was drawn into Group A of the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament and will face Canada, Cuba and El Salvador. The teams will play their group matches from March 22-26 at LP Field in Nashville. The two finalists from the tournament will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London next summer. CONCACAF will announce the schedule for the qualifying tournament later today.
Bingham featured in one match as a rookie with the Earthquakes in 2011, a 2-1 win against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. on Oct. 8. He made four saves in that match and recorded his first career assist after launching a ball off the turf 70 yards down field to set up a goal by Chris Wondolowski.
The Pleasanton native also saw time in exhibition and Reserve League matches. Bingham started and kept a clean sheet for 45 minutes against West Bromwich Albion of the English Premier League on July 12 at Buck Shaw Stadium. He also scored a goal against the Baggies, a 90-yard strike off the grass that bounced over West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill for San Jose’s first goal in a 2-1 win (Watch: www.sjearthquakes.com/binghamgoal). Bingham also started in three Quakes Reserve League games, compiling a 2-0-1 record with a 0.33 goals-against average and two shutouts.
U.S. U-23 ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Zac MacMath (Philadelphia Union)
DEFENDERS (7): Gale Agbossoumonde (Estoril Praia), Sebastien Ibeagha (Duke), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact), Jorge Villafaña (Chivas USA), Andrew Wenger (Duke), Sheanon Williams (Philadelphia Union)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Isaac Acuña (Mérida), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabæk), Dilly Duka (Columbus Crew), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz), Sebastian Lletget (West Ham United), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union), Kelyn Rowe (UCLA), Michael Stephens (LA Galaxy)
FORWARDS (4): Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union), Josh Gatt (Molde), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union), Tony Taylor (Atletico Clube de Portugal)
Coach: Caleb Porter
