Frei, Manneh, hoping for citizenship, on US training roster
CHICAGO — Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei and Vancouver midfielder Kekuta Manneh, both in the process of completing U.S. citizenship requirements, are among 32 players who will report to the first U.S. training camp since Bruce Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann as coach.
Frei, 30, relocated from Switzerland with his family in the 1990s and played college soccer for California. He would give Arena another veteran option in addition to Colorado’s Tim Howard, projected to be sidelined for four months following November surgery on his right leg, and Brad Guzan, who on Monday made his first appearance since August for Middlesbrough.
“In my view we have about eight goalkeepers we’re going to be looking at throughout the year,” Arena said Thursday during a Facebook Live session, mentioning the five invited to camp along with Ethan Horvath and William Yarbrough. “Certainly Tim Howard and Brad Guzan would have the edge at this point in time.”
Manneh, a 22-year-old Gambian, moved to Texas in 2010.