CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – The only player currently missing from the New England Revolution’s preseason training camp in Casa Grande, Arizona, is Juan Agudelo, but last year’s Golden Boot winner has a fairly good reason for being absent.
Agudelo has spent the past two-and-a-half weeks in Carson, California, training with the U.S. National Team in Bruce Arena’s first camp in charge since returning as head coach. Now the 24-year-old forward has his sights set on a 22nd international appearance.
Agudelo is one of 23 players named to the roster for Sunday’s friendly against Serbia, which will be broadcast live in English on ESPN2 and in Spanish on UniMas at 4 p.m. ET. It’s the first of two critical friendlies to close the current camp before the USMNT returns to World Cup qualifying in late March.
“I’m thrilled for Juan,” Revs head coach Jay Heaps said from Arizona. “I think Juan had a really good end of last year and he’s carried that over into this year. In communicating with him and the national team staff, he’s doing extremely well.”
Sunday’s friendly against Serbia – along with another against Jamaica on Friday, February 3 – is a potentially massive opportunity for Agudelo, who closed out the 2016 MLS season by registering six goals and three assists in his last eight appearances in all competitions.
Now he’s looking to re-establish himself on the international stage, having earned a call-up for a USMNT friendly against New Zealand this past October only to see a mere 12 minutes on the field.
“It’s just a matter of him finding a place in that team, or pushing someone out, or continuing to do what he does every day, which is play free and play strong, but at the same time, play hard,” said Heaps.
“Juan, when he’s at his best, is working extremely hard both ways. That’s what we need to get from him and the national team is getting from him.”
