HARRISON, N.J. (January 5, 2017) – Three New York Red Bulls, midfielders Sacha Kljestan and Dax McCarty, as well as goalkeeper Luis Robles, have been called into January camp with the U.S. Men’s National Team by head coach Bruce Arena.
The camp will begin on January 10 at the National Training Center in Carson, California, and include matches against Serbia in San Diego on January 29, and against Jamaica in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on February 3.
Kljestan reclaimed a regular spot with the National Team in 2016, breaking into camp in September and posting two solid performances in World Cup Qualifiers against St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago. Kljestan was also with the team for an October camp, as well as the first matches in the hexagonal phase of World Cup Qualifying in November.
Kljestan also had a career-year with the Red Bulls, becoming just the second player in league history to reach the 20-assist plateau, and setting a new franchise record for single-season assists in the process.
Robles earns his second-consecutive January camp invitation after leading MLS with 16 wins and 11 shutouts in 2016. The Red Bulls ironman played all 34 regular season games for the fourth season, bringing his consecutive games (and starts) mark to 140 in the regular season. He also reached 100 saves for the third time in his MLS career.
McCarty is coming off of his fifth full season with the club, and recorded three goals and five assists in 2016. He also finished fourth amongst MLS midfielders with 225 defensive recoveries, per Opta. McCarty has captained the Red Bulls to two consecutive top-of-the-east finishes.
McCarty received his first senior cap as a sub on November 14, 2009 in an international friendly with Slovakia. He has five appearances for the USMNT. McCarty also participated in January camp in 2011 under Bob Bradley.
The New York Red Bulls begin the 2017 campaign with the club’s first appearance in the quarterfinals of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League with a home-and-home series against the Vancouver Whitecaps, starting with a home match at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, February 22 at 8 p.m. The return leg will be played in Vancouver on Thursday, March 2.
The Red Bulls begin the MLS season at Atlanta United FC on March 5, and open the eighth season of soccer at Red Bull Arena on March 11, hosting the Colorado Rapids at 4 p.m.
