made almost exclusively of Major League Soccer players -- have returned to training with the Stars & Stripes, as D.C. United's Freddy Adu and the New England Revolution's Steve Ralston were released and will rejoin their respective clubs for their preseason camps.
Adu, 16, earned his first full cap for the U.S. in January when he came on as a second-half substitute in the team's 0-0 draw with Canada in the first friendly for the Red, White and Blue in 2006. Ralston did not see action in that game or in the team's 5-0 thumping of Norway on Jan. 29. The veteran winger has been working to overcome a strained right quadriceps suffered during the training camp.
U.S. national team manager Bruce Arena will continue working with his team at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., until Wednesday, at which time they will relocate to San Francisco in anticipation of their battle with World Cup finalists Japan at SBC Park. Over 25,000 tickets have already been sold for the encounter, with plenty of good seats still available.
The U.S. will then take on Guatemala in their first appearance at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 19. Tickets for that match are available for purchase at FCDallas.net.
Arena is using the U.S. training camp and international friendly matches as a way to evaluate his players before picking the final 23-man roster for this summer's FIFA World Cup in Germany. The USA has been drawn into Group E for the tournament, where they will face the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana in the opening round.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League soccer or its clubs.
