Jan. 31, 2005
CARLSBAD, Calif. Former Gonzaga University soccer star Brian Ching is one of 28 players currently in training camp for the U.S. National team. Monday morning marked the beginning of the second week of U.S. Men's National Team training camp in Carson, Calif., as Bruce Arena's men return from a Sunday sabbatical for a double session. Of the 28 players in camp, only Chicago Fire defender Tony Sanneh has suffered effects from the intense week, a minor hip strain sidelining the 'Big Cat' for last Saturday's session. The team will continue training in California through Feb. 5, then head to Miami before making the jump to Port of Spain, Trinidad. The U.S. opens play in the final round hexagonal of 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying on Feb. 9 against Trinidad & Tobago. Kickoff at the Queen's Park Oval is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
U.S. Training Camp Roster Goalkeepers (4) - Jon Busch (Columbus Crew), Joe Cannon (Colorado Rapids), Kevin Hartman (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nick Rimando (D.C. United) Defenders (8) - Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Nick Garcia (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Ritchie Kotschau (Colorado Rapids), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Eddie Pope (MetroStars), Tony Sanneh (Chicago Fire) Midfielders (9) - Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Diego Gutierrez (Kansas City Wizards), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Clint Mathis (Real Salt Lake), Brian Mullan (San Jose Earthquakes), Ben Olsen (D.C. United), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution), Clyde Simms (Richmond Kickers) Forwards (7) - Brian Ching (San Jose Earthquakes), Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United), Ed Johnson (Dallas Burn), Mike Magee (MetroStars), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
A DAY IN THE LIFE: The training schedule has been typical of a camp in the new year, albeit with a somewhat accelerated fitness regimen. Sessions last anywhere from 70 to 90 minutes, with extra fitness scheduled once a day. Of course, as Bruce Arena would say, there's no substitute for just playing soccer. To get a feel for a day in the life, here's Monday's team schedule:
6 a.m.-9:30 a.m. - Breakfast available 8:30 a.m. - Training room and equipment room open 9:30 a.m. - Depart for training 10-11:30 - Training and media interviews 12:30 - Lunch and team meeting 1-3 p.m. - Weight training (optional) 3:30 p.m. - Training room and equipment room open 4:30 p.m.- Depart for training 5-6:30 p.m. - Training and media interviews
