Richmond’s Simms still at US National Team camp
Kickers midfielder joined by 27 MLS players in US National Team camp
USL News Release
Monday, January 24, 2005
CHICAGO – US Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena has called 28 players into camp to train for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago on Feb. 9 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Richmond Kickers midfielder Clyde Simms was invited to stay for the camp after initially being selected as an alternate last week during the labor dispute and is joined by seven players with significant USL experience.
“It’s very exciting,” said Simms. “I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. I’m a little bit nervous, but I’m just going to go out there and do my best. Obviously the fact that I was selected gives me a bit of confidence. I’m not going to worry too much about the outcome because I have nothing to lose.”
A professional rookie with the Kickers in 2004, Simms played in 26 of 28 games and scored three goals. He previously played two seasons with the Raleigh CASL Elite of the Premier Development League, registering six goals and three assists in 30 games.
“[Arena] said there is a void in the midfield in this camp that he is trying to fill,” Simms added. “he said ‘play like you’ve been playing, and you’ll do fine’.”
Simms is joined in camp by former USL players Jon Busch, Brian Ching, Jimmy Conrad, Alecko Eskandarian, Pat Noonan, Tony Sanneh and Josh Wolfe. The seven players all saw significant action in USL before moving on to their Major League Soccer and international careers.
Busch played five seasons in the USL First Division with the Hershey Wildcats, Hampton Roads Mariners and Carolina Dynamo. After earning the 1998 PDL Rookie of the Year honor with the Spokane Shadow, Ching was drafted by the LA Galaxy but needed a standout 2002 campaign with the Seattle Sounders before breaking through in MLS and the National Team a year later. Conrad played for two seasons for the San Diego Flash and US Pro-40, which also saw Wolfe as a regular in 1998 before his MLS career took off. Eskandarian and Noonan spent time in the PDL with Eskandarian playing two seasons with the North Jersey Imperials and Noonan making his mark with the Michigan Bucks and Kalamazoo Kingdom. Sanneh, who played three seasons with the Minnesota Thunder and Milwaukee Rampage before MLS formed, is a member of the USL Hall of Fame.
“I think anyone who saw Clyde play in his rookie season can testify that he as a player with a lot of ability,” said Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw. “I think he started every game but one for us coming out of East Carolina. It’s a wonderful achievement. He can certainly play at the professional level. Clearly Coach Arena sees something for the future.”
“All the USL players had a unique opportunity,” added Cowlishaw about the group of USL players in camp last week. “It’s not every day that you get a chance, for whatever amount of time, to be in front of the head coach of the national team. And I’m happy [Simms] was able to impress in such a short time.”
Simms is one of four newcomers to the US Training Camp, which includes Conrad, a Kansas City Wizards defender, and MLS Rookie of the Year finalist Chad Marshall. Also making his debut appearance for the senior team is Chicago Fire midfielder Justin Mapp, who shined at the youth international level. Mapp, who was loaned to Richmond and Virginia Beach in 2002, started all five matches with the U.S. U-20's at the FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates in 2003, scoring the game-winning goal against the Ivory Coast to help the squad advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Kickoff at the Queen’s Park Oval is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics.
The team will train at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and will depart for Trinidad on Feb. 7 after relocating to South Florida. Several European-based players are expected to join the squad in Florida either Feb. 6 or 7 after competing in their league matches that weekend.
“We certainly have a lot of hard work ahead of us,” said U.S. Manager Bruce Arena. “Trinidad is a very talented opponent with a lot of experience on their roster. We’re happy to be able to focus on the task of getting a result in our first qualifier in the final round.”
After Trinidad, the U.S. faces a double-dose of qualifiers at the end of March. Following a trip to Mexico on March 27, the USA will open its home schedule of final round qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, March 30 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. Kickoff against Guatemala is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also follow the match on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. Tickets ranging in price from $18 to $55 are available online at ussoccer.com, all Ticketmaster outlets throughout Alabama (including Publix and Coconuts), and by phone at 1-800-277-1700. Groups of 15 or more can order through the Alabama Sports Foundation at 205-967-4745 ext. 119.
The U.S. will play 10 games in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup from Feb. 9 – Oct. 13, 2005. The USA, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago are competing for three automatic berths to the World Cup finals in Germany. The fourth-place finisher will face the fifth-place team from the Asian Football Confederation in a home-and-home series to determine the last entrant into the tournament.
ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (4) – Jon Busch (Columbus Crew), Joe Cannon (Colorado Rapids), Kevin Hartman (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nick Rimando (D.C. United)
Defenders (8) – Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Nick Garcia (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Ritchie Kotschau (Colorado Rapids), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Eddie Pope (MetroStars), Tony Sanneh (Columbus Crew)
Midfielders (9) – Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Diego Gutierrez (Kansas City Wizards), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Clint Mathis (Real Salt Lake), Brian Mullan (San Jose Earthquakes), Ben Olsen (D.C. United), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution), Clyde Simms (Richmond Kickers)
Forwards (7) – Brian Ching (San Jose Earthquakes), Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United), Ed Johnson (FC Dallas), Mike Magee (MetroStars), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
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