Four LA Galaxy players called up to U.S. National Team duty

Gyasi Zardes

CARSON, Calif. (Sunday, March 22, 2015) – Four LA Galaxy players were named to rosters for upcoming U.S. Men’s National Team matches, U.S. Soccer announced today. Galaxy Homegrown Players Gyasi Zardes, Oscar Sorto, Bradford Jamieson IV and LA Galaxy II forward Ariel Lassiter will all represent various USMNT sides in March camps.

Forward Gyasi Zardes was called up by Jurgen Klinsmann to a 23-man USMNT Senior roster for friendlies against Denmark (Wednesday, March 25; 12 p.m. PT on ESPN2, UniMas) and Switzerland (Tuesday, March 31; ) in preparation for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Oscar Sorto and Galaxy II forward Ariel Lassiter were named to an 18-man roster for the U-23 side that will train from March 23-26 and then face Bosnia’s U-23 National Team on Friday, March 27, in Tuzla, before travelling to face Denmark on Tuesday, March 31. Forward Bradford Jamieson IV was called to the U-20 USMNT by Tab Ramos for a training camp from March 23-30 in England that will see the team face Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-21 team on March 27 followed by a matchup against England’s Under-21 Men’s National Team on March 29.


Zardes, Sorto and Jamieson IV will miss the LA Galaxy’s match on the road at RFK Stadium against D.C. United this Saturday, March 28 (4 p.m. PT, Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Time Warner Cable Deportes).


Zardes received his first call up to the U.S. Men’s National Team by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann earlier this year. He made his first appearance January 28, 2015 when he appeared as a second-half substitution in a friendly against Chile. On Feb. 8, he earned his first start when the U.S. took on Panama at StubHub Center, earning a man-of-the-match performance after recording an assist. The Galaxy Homegrown Player has one goal in three matches this season for the club. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2014, scoring 16 goals during the regular season to set a new Homegrown Player single season record.


Sorto earned his first U.S. Men’s National Team Call up earlier this season and has featured for various USMNT youth sides on the international level. His professional debut for the Galaxy came in the CONCACAF Champion’s League in 2013 when he was a substitute during a 3-0 win over Cartagines of Costa Rica. His MLS debut came last season in a 3-0 victory over Chivas USA at StubHub Center. In 2014, Sorto featured for the Galaxy’s USL PRO Team Galaxy II, starting in 23 regular season matches and leading the club to the USL PRO Semifinal during their inaugural season.


Jamieson IV earns the call up after representing the U.S. U-20 squad various times during 2014, most recently helping the U-20’s qualify for the 2015 U-20 FIFA World Cup earlier this year. As a 17 year old, Jamieson IV notched his first MLS appearance last season, recording an assist when the Galaxy faced Sporting KC on the road July 19. He also featured extensively for LA Galaxy II in USL PRO last season, scoring six goals in his 18 appearances, on his way to becoming a finalist for the USL PRO Rookie of the Year award.


Lassiter, who signed with Galaxy IIahead of the 2015 USL season, earns his first call up to the U.S. U-23 side. The 20-year-old forward attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2014, where he earned honors on the Big West Conference All Freshman Team, starting in 21 games while scoring five goals and adding four assists.In July 2014, Lassiter signed a professional contract with GAIS in Sweden’s second highest division, Superettan, where he scored one goal in 12 appearances for the club. Earlier this year, Lassiter represented the Costa Rican U-23 Men’s National Team in the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic in Bradenton, Fla., where he scored twice in the tournament.


MATCHES
March 25, 12 p.m. PT  
MNT vs Denmark          
NRGi Park; Århus, Denmark      
ESPN2, WatchESPN, UniMás, UDN
March 27, 8 a.m. PT    
U-23 MNT vs Bosnia and Herzegovina   
Stadion Tusanj; Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina
March 29, 8 a.m. PT    
U-20 MNT vs England   
Home Park; Plymouth, England
March 31, 9 a.m. PT    
MNT vs Switzerland      
Stadion Letzigrund; Zurich, Switzerland  
FOX Sports 1, UniMás, UDN
March 31, 2015 11 a.m. PT        
U-23 MNT vs Denmark  
Lyngby Stadion; Copenhagen, Denmark
U.S. SENIOR ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (3): Cody Cropper (Southampton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)


DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)


MIDFIELDERS (8): Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Hamburg), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading FC), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)


FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht)


U.S. U-23 ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Charlie Horton (Cardiff City; Cleveland, Ohio), Tyler Miller (SVN Zweibrücken; Woodbury, N.J.)

DEFENDERS (5): Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps; East Palo Alto, Calif.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Alebrijes de Oaxaca; Riverside, Calif.), Shane O’Neill (Colorado Rapids; Boulder, Colo.), William Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.)


MIDFIELDERS (5): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes; Northville, Mich.), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Benji Joya (Chicago Fire; San Jose, Calif.), Ariel Lassiter (LA Galaxy II; Temecula, Calif.), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew; Gahanna, Ohio)


FORWARDS (6): Alonso Hernandez (C.F. Monterrey; El Paso, Texas), Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart; Berlin, Germany), Alfred Koroma Shams (Southlake Carol, Texas), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.), Mario Rodriguez (Borussia Mönchengladbach; North Hollywood, Calif.), Khiry Shelton (NYCFC; Leander, Texas)


U.S. U-20 ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeff Caldwell (University of Virginia; Todd, N.C.), Thomas Olsen (University of San Diego; LasVegas, Nev.).


DEFENDERS (6): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur; Westcliff on Sea, England), Conor Donovan (OrlandoCity SC; Fuquay-Varina, N.C.), Shaquell Moore (Unattached; Powder Springs, Ga.), Erik Palmer-Brown (SportingKansas City; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Desevio Payn (FC Groningen; Greenwood, S.C.), John Requejo (Club Tijuana;Carlinteria, Calif.).


MIDFIELDERS (6): Russell Canouse (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; Lancaster, Pa.), Marco Delgado (Toronto FC; Glendora,Calif.), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland AFC; Santa Cruz, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham; Dallas, Tex.), Ethan Sonis(SC Freiburg; Coral Springs, Fla.), Joel Sonora (CA Boca Juniors; Buenos Aires, Argentina).


FORWARDS (6): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana; Chula Vista, Calif.), Bradford Jamieson IV (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles,Calif.), Andrija Novakovich (Reading FC; Muskego, Wis.), Maki Tall (Red Star; Washington, D.C.), Tommy Thompson (San Jose Earthquakes; Loomis, Calif.), Dembakwi Yomba (Atlético Madrid; Lithonia, Ga.).