Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to call-up a heaping of Under-23 eligible players may have been the reason that LA Galaxy left back Robbie Rogers was not on the U.S. National Team’s January camp roster, but the USMNT boss insists that the door is open for the LA defender to return to the U.S. fold.
Following a stellar 2014 season that saw Rogers rejuvenate his career with a move to left back, the 27-year-old was considered a frontrunner to earn a call-up for the annual January camp at StubHub Center. However with Klinsmann calling 11 players who are age-eligible for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Klinsmann said that Rogers could not make the cut.
“There was a thought about Robbie,” Klinsmann told reporters on Wednesday. “He had a good season, also, obviously, a winning season. The situation is just, and this is what this kind of camp ended up with was: How can we develop the maximum amount of Olympic team players at the same time? If it was purely senior guys, Robbie would be in that camp.”
Rogers was an Olympian himself the last time U.S. qualified back in 2008 and has complied 18 appearances for the senior team, which included making the 30-man preliminary roster ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although Klinsmann did not room for Rogers this January, the U.S. head coach provided assurances that the LA Galaxy player remains on his radar -- possibly for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“I said, 'Ah, it's a pity not to give that guy that a chance,'” Klinsmann said. “On the other side, we said, 'You know what, it is important to have 12, 13 Olympic team players in here, because we've got to build them. The sooner the better.’ And that's why some players were left out, and Robbie was one of them. But there's always definitely an open door.”
