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This week, the All-American Men’s National Camp in Carson, Calif. has 13 players competing for their first cap.
The oldest rookie, by age three and a half, is also the team’s newest U.S. citizen.
“I fell in love with this country from the first time I set foot in America,” said the German-born man. Julian Gressel “And that’s why it’s really exciting to be able to represent the United States on the field in these next two games.
Gressel, 29, is 12 years after spending a year as an exchange student at Pine School in Florida, 9 years after returning to the United States to play soccer for Providence College, and 9 years after he returned to play soccer for Providence College. I became a US citizen last November, just five years after returning to the United States. He was named MLS Rookie of the Year with Atlanta United expansion.
Gressel met his wife Casey At Providence, he helped the Flyers reach the Men’s College Cup for the first time in 2014. He starred in one of his wildest matches in NCAA Division I Tournament history, where he scored two as Providence came back from his 4-0. In the second round of the 2016 tournament he went one down, beating undefeated Maryland 5-4.
The German star quickly stepped into the starting lineup after being recruited by expanded Atlanta United with the eighth pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.
“When I first met Julian in the draft, I thought he was a very good player,” said the Atlanta United coach. Tata Martino Early 2017 season. “He understands the concept of the game really well, he’s dynamic, he’s good with the ball, which is very important to us.”
Gressel scored five goals, added nine assists, played in multiple positions, and won the 2017 MLS Rookie of the Year Award. In 2018 he won the MLS Cup with Atlanta United and in 2019 he won two more trophies when Five His Stripes won his US Open Cup and Campeones Cup.
Gressel signed an early $93,750 contract in 2017 and was due for a big pay rise, so Atlanta United traded him to DC United.
United handed him over to Vancouver shortly after last summer. Wayne Rooney Hired as head coach. Gressel has been outspoken about the brutal nature of his MLS trading system. He thought he was getting a heads-up that the trade he could be on the block when he was called from his front office and received news of the move, but soon settled on the Whitecaps and the Vancouver club. In 2023 he qualified for Conca Cafe his Champions League in Canada where he won the championship.
“The two games that are currently scheduled are big for me,” he said of Wednesday’s game against Serbia and Saturday’s game against Colombia. “It will be fun to play at that level soon, to prepare and be ready for the Champions League.”
In 2021, Gressel is third in the MLS with 13 assists and led United with seven when he was traded last summer.He played various positions for the Vancouver coach Vanni Sartini — Wingbacks, wingers and attacking midfielders — and started the Whitecaps’ first preseason game against Hamburg, Spain on Wednesday as a midfield double pivot.
He expects to play at right-back for the USA, while Carson’s other three full-backs all regularly play at left-back. Jonathan Gomezright foot defan jones When John Tolkien.
The USA have signed four right-backs for the World Cup, two of which are MLS players who were not called up to camp in January. shack moore When Deandre Yedlin.
The 29-year-old Gressel’s first senior call came late in his career, but it’s been a long road from TSV Neustadt/Aisch in Germany’s regional five-tier Bayernliga to Providence College and three MLS clubs in six years. worth the walk.
“My family at home is all German, they are all from Germany, but I am very excited,” he said on Saturday. “I got a call and had a really cool conversation with my grandpa. For example, he was a huge soccer fan and obviously a huge fan of mine. Really how proud he was of his voice. “He was so excited to have this opportunity that I had worked so hard for and to be rewarded in this way. I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can.”
Above: Julian Gressel in training at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday.Credit: John Dorton/ISI Photography
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