Matt Turner only World Cup regular starter named to US Gold Cup roster
CHICAGO (AP) — Just four players who appeared for the U.S. at last year’s World Cup are on a largely junior varsity roster announced Monday for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, including just one regular starter: goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The 23-man roster selected by new interim coach B.J. Callaghan for the championship of the Confederation of North and Central America and the Caribbean has three others who saw limited World Cup time: forwards Jesús Ferreira and Jordan Morris, and right back DeAndre Yedlin. Three additional players were on the World Cup roster without getting into a match: goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defender Aaron Long and midfielder Cristian Roldan.
The Gold Cup roster totaled just 442 minutes in Qatar: 360 by Turner, 45 by Ferreira, 33 by Yedlin and 4 by Morris.
Five of the players are with the U.S. for this week’s CONCACAF Nations League matches: Turner and Johnson plus defender Miles Robinson, midfielder Alan Soñora and forward Alex Zendejas.
Turner was limited to five Europa League and two FA Cup matches in his first season with Arsenal, playing just once since Jan. 27.
Sixteen of the Gold Cup players are from Major League Soccer.
The U.S. also used a largely JV roster two years ago when it beat Mexico 1-0 in the Gold Cup final on Robinson’s extra-time goal. Robinson likely would have been a World Cup starter but tore his left Achilles in May 2022. Turner, selected top goalkeeper of the 2021 tournament, also is among six holdovers from the Gold Cup roster, joined by Johnson, Roldan and midfielders Gianluca Busio and James Sands.
The U.S. opens against Jamaica at Chicago on June 24, plays Curaçao, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana or Sint Maarten four days later at St. Louis and closes the first round against Trinidad and Tobago at Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 2. The final is July 16 at Inglewood, California.
Nicaragua was originally drawn to face the U.S., but was thrown out of the tournament on Monday by CONCACAF for using an ineligible player.
Mexico has eight Gold Cup titles, the U.S. seven and Canada one.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Sean Johnson (Toronto), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea, England), Matt Turner (Arsenal, England)
Defenders: DeJuan Jones (New England), Aaron Long (Los Angeles), Matt Miazga (Cincinnati), Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy), Bryan Reynolds (Roma, Italy), Miles Robinson (Atlanta), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), DeAndre Yedlin (Miami)
Midfielder: Gianluca Busio (Venezia, Italy), Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Aidan Morris (Columbus), Cristian Roldan (Seattle), James Sands (New York City), Alan Soñora (Juárez, Mexico)
Forwards: Cade Cowell (San Jose), Jesús Ferreira (Dallas), Julian Gressel (Vancouver), Jordan Morris (Seattle), Brandon Vazquez (Cincinnati), Alex Zendejas (América, Mexico)
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