[U.S. SOCCER] Coach Bob Bradley has welcomed San Jose defender Jason Hernandez and Colorado defender Ugo Ihemelu into the team's Southern California training camp to replace Clarence Goodson and Cory Gibbs.
Hernandez, 25, is making his first appearance in a national team camp. The New Jersey product who played college ball at Seton Hall has spent four seasons in MLS (81 games), with the MetroStars (2005), Chivas USA (2006-07) and San Jose (2008). He started 28 games for the Quakes last season.
Ihemelu, who has one cap (2006 friendly against Norway), was born in Nigeria and lived in Canada before attending high school and college (SMU) in Texas. He played two years with the Los Angeles Galaxy, which he helped to the 2005 MLS title, before spending the last two seasons with Colorado. He has played 97 MLS games.
The USA, which started camp on Sunday, meets Sweden in a Jan. 24 friendly at the Home Depot Center for its first game of the year. After the Sweden match, the USA will begin the final round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup when it hosts regional rivals Mexico on Feb. 11 at Columbus Crew Stadium.
Goodson (IK Start/Norway) is out because of injury; Gibbs (Colorado) is out for unspecified reasons.
U.S. Training Camp Roster
(Carson, Calif., Jan. 4-25)
PLAYER (pos.) Caps/Goals Club
Busch, Jon (GK) 1/0 Chicago Fire (MLS)
Bornstein, Jonathan (D) 13/1 Chivas USA (MLS)
Califf, Danny (D) 21/1 FC Midtjylland (Denmark)
Cameron, Geoff (M) 0/0 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Carroll, Brian (M) 6/0 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Ching, Brian (F) 32/9 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Clark, Ricardo (M) 16/1 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Cooper, Kenny (F) 3/2 FC Dallas (MLS)
Davies, Charlie (F) 4/1 Hammarby IF (Sweden)
Franklin, Sean (D) 0/0 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Gaven, Eddie (M) 5/0 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Hesmer, Will (GK) 0/0 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Hernandez, Jason (D) 0/0 San Jose Earthquakes (MLS
Holden, Stuart (M) 0/0 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Jewsbury, Jack (M) 0/0 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Ihemelu, Ugo (D) 1/0 Colorado Rapids (MLS
Kljestan, Sacha (M) 12/0 Chivas USA (MLS)
Marshall, Chad (D) 4/1 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Perkins, Troy (GK) 0/0 Valerenga IF (Norway)
Pickens, Matt (GK) 0/0 out of contract
Rogers, Robbie (M) 0/0 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Rolfe, Chris (F) 9/0 Chicago Fire (MLS)
Thorrington, John (M) 3/0 Chicago Fire (MLS)
Wingert, Chris (D) 0/0 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS
Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Troy Perkins (Valerenga), Matt Pickens (out of contract).
DEFENDERS
Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ugo Ihemelu (Colorado Rapids), Jason Hernandez (San Jose Earthquakes), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC).
MIDFIELDERS
Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire).
FORWARDS
Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire).