Photo: Paul Rudderow
It’s official: Jack McInerney will represent the United States of America in the 2013 Gold Cup.
McInerney said of receiving his first call-up to the senior national team, “It means a lot for me. This is something that I’ve always wanted. I always grew up watching the Men’s National Team play and wanted to be there one day. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I think it will once I get there, but right now in the moment, it feels good.”
US Soccer released the 23-player roster on Thursday morning.
Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl first tweeted word of McInerney’s selection on Tuesday. Philly.com’s Jonathan Tannenwald reported confirmation of the call-up shortly after.
The 20-year old forward will be available for the Union when they host FC Dallas on Saturday.
US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said, “We are curious to see Jack McInerney coming in for the first time and to help him become a part of the senior team program.”
It’s a partnership that we always have to build with the club coach. John Hackworth has known Jack for a long time already and really gave us great input on his personality and his game.
Jack seems to have his feet on the ground and is strong enough to come and experience things on the senior level. There is no pressure on Jack at all, just the wish that he gets integrated and adjusted and gives it his best. He seems to be a player who is pretty hungry and has a great instinct for the goal, which is why he has 10 goals already this year. Off the field, we want him to take it one day at a time and become part of the group. It will certainly be important that we keep his feet on the ground and don’t make things bigger than they are.
I think he is in good hands in Philadelphia, and that’s the case with many players in MLS. I think that proves more and more that we don’t differentiate a player’s background; whether it is MLS, Mexico or Europe, we look at each case individually and try to build on that.
Players are to report to the US camp in California on July 1 with a warmup game against Guatemala in San Diego scheduled for July 5 (NBCSN, time to be announced). The US begins play in Group C against Belize in Portland on Tuesday, July 9. If the US advances to the Gold Cup final, McInerney will be away from the Union through at least July 28, missing a minimum of five league games.
McInerney has extensive national team experience for the US at the youth level, beginning with the US U-15 residency program in 2006. With the US U-17 team, he was the leading goalscorer at the 2009 CONCACAF U-17 championship, going on to score two goals at the 2009 U-17 World Cup. He has also appeared for the US U-20 and U-23 teams.
Gold Cup Group C schedule
Tuesday, July 9 (Portland, Ore.)
11pm – Belize vs USA – Fox Soccer, UniMas
Saturday, July 13 (Sandy, Utah)
3:30pm – USA vs Cuba – Fox, Univision
Tuesday, July 16 (East Hartford, Conn.)
8pm – USA vs Costa Rica – Fox Soccer, UniMas
US roster by position
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)DEFENDERS (8) : Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Oguchi Onyewu (Malaga), Michael Orozco Fiscal (Puebla), Michael Parkhurst (FC Augsburg)
MIDFIELDERS (7) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Helsinborg), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Joshua Gatt (Molde FK), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Torres (Tigres)
FORWARDS (5) : Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Club Tijuana), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Orozco Fiscal too!
A little worrysome that most of the team already has significant MNT experience. Hope Jack gets some playing time, even if it is just in the friendly.
I think he’ll get a look. This is a warmup for the world cup so I think in someways winning the cup is gonna take a backseat to making sure Jurgen has a good look at all the players.
So happy for Jack, and proud that he is a part of the Union. JK’s comments certainly make it seem that we won’t see Jack take the field most likely, but I’ll be watching every game, hoping to see him out there!
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Preferred Lineup: 4-4-2
Johnson
Parkhurst, Goodson, Onyewu, Beasley
Donovan, Beckerman, Torres, Gatt
Gomez, Macinerney
.
Predicted Lineup: 4-2-3-1
Hamid
Parkhurst, Goodson, Onyewu, Beasley
Beckerman, Holden
Donovan, Torres, Diskerud
Gomez
I don’t know where I heard it but the best description I have ever heard of Jurgen Linsmann is that is he is like a Die Hard villain complete with accent and propensity towards monologue.
I like seeing that there are important players for teams we’ll be playing also on the roster. Players like Rinaldo, Beckerman, and Davis being out when we play them helps lessen the loss of Jack a bit.
True, but Chivas isn’t missing any of their stars!
Gotta take the good with the bad…
Well played, Andy.
Looking on the brighter side…
A deserving young guy gets a shot at the big time.
He comes back an even better player.
Other deserving players here get needed minutes.
Success without him builds team confidence.
If he shows well, it may take DP money to keep him a while, but his transfer value ease the pain of losing him.
If this is the start of a huge career, we will have watched him grow up and we can brag about him forever.