U.S. Soccer: Sampson calls in more players for Ecuador friendly

U.S. coach Steve Sampson has called in three more players for the USA-Ecuador friendly match Aug. 7 in Baltimore. Midfielder Tab Ramos of the MetroStars, as well as defenders Danny Pena of Los Angeles and Mark Santel of Dallas, were added to the roster to replace Marcelo Balboa (sprained ankle), Cobi Jones (bruised hip) and Paul Bravo (strained knee). Pena, however, has turned down the invitation to play for the U.S., as the Galaxy faces a difficult MLS schedule and an important match against Luis Angel Firpo of El Salvador in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next week. Sampson also called in Dallas forward Dante Washington, but he was not released by the Burn due to a concussion he suffered last week that forced him to miss the team’s match against Kansas City over the weekend. The USA-Ecuador match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. eastern and will be televised live on ESPN