VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC centre back Christian Dean and striker Omar Salgado have been called up to the United States U-23 men’s national team for a five-day camp from August 3 to 7 in Nassau, Bahamas.
The camp, which is part of the USA’s continuing efforts to focus on the qualification process for the 2016 Summer Olympics, will feature a match against the Bahamas senior national team on August 6 at the Thompson A. Robinson National Stadium.
Dean, 21, joined Whitecaps FC as the third overall selection in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft after playing a total of three seasons with California Golden Bears. The 6-foot-3 centre back has appeared in three MLS matches as a substitute thus far, in addition to starting both of Vancouver’s matches as part of the 2014 Amway Canadian Championship.
This is the third call-up by the United States Soccer Federation for the East Palo Alto, California resident, as Dean took part in a training camp with the U-20 team in early 2012 as well a U-21 camp earlier this year that included a 2-1 win over Club Tijuana.
Salgado, 20, joined Whitecaps FC in advance of the club’s inaugural MLS campaign after being selected first overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. After appearing in 14 MLS regular season matches in his rookie campaign, a fractured foot limited Salgado to just seven appearances over the past two seasons. This season, after a bring stint with USL PRO side Charleston Battery, Salgado has appeared in six matches with Whitecaps FC in regular season competition.
At the international level, Salgado has represented the United States at the U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels. As a 16-year-old, the El Paso, Texas native appeared in all three matches to help the U-20s claim The Elite Group Championship title at the 2010 Milk Cup, before returning to the Milk Cup the following year with the U-18s. At the U-23 level, Salgado attended a two-week training camp with the U.S. Olympic squad in November 2011 and started in a scoreless draw with the Azerbaijan U-21s.
U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team
Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Cody Cropper (Southampton; Maple Grove, Minn.), Zack Steffen (Maryland; Downington, Pa.)
DEFENDERS (6): AJ Cochran (Houston Dynamo; St. Louis, Mo.), Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; East Palo Alto, Calif.), Ramon Martin del Campo (San Jose Earthquakes; Chula Vista, Calif.), Bryan Gallego (Arizona United; Kinnelon, N.J.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Alebrijes de Oaxaca; Riverside, Calif.), William Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Dennis Flores (León; Pasadena, Calif.), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Marlon Hairston (Colorado Rapids; Jackson, Miss.), Benji Joya (Chicago Fire; San Jose, Calif.)
FORWARDS (5): Daniel Cuevas (CF Lobos BUAP; Sacramento, Calif.), Alfred Koroma Shams (Internacional; Southlake, Texas), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.), Victor Pineda (Indy Eleven; Bolingbrook, Ill.), Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; El Paso, Texas)
