COLUMBUS – In conjunction with U.S. Soccer, Columbus Crew SC today announced that midfielder Wil Trapp has been named by head coach Andi Herzog to the United States Under-23 National Team’s final 20-player roster ahead of the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship.
The tournament, which determines berths in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro from the CONCACAF region, is set to take place from October 1-13 in the United States. The U.S. was drawn into Group A of the qualification tournament and is set to play its first two matches at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas: versus Canada (October 1, 9:00 p.m. ET) and against Cuba (October 3, 5:00 p.m. ET). The U-23s then head to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado to close-out the Group Stage against Panama (October 6, 9:30 p.m. ET).
The top two teams from each group advance to the tournament Semifinals, with the winners advancing to the Final and clinching a spot in the Olympics. The winner of the third-place game earns the opportunity to face Colombia in a one-game playoff, with an additional spot in the Olympics on the line.
Trapp was one of eight Major League Soccer players named by Herzog to the final roster. Previously, the Gahanna native and Homegrown Player joined the U.S. U-23s for a training camp in Manchester, where he made an appearance in a friendly match against England on September 3. He made his first senior National Team appearance earlier in 2015, coming on as a second-half substitute against Chile on January 28.
Trapp is among a contingent of players from Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter’s squad to earn an international call-up in 2015, joining Harrison Afful (Ghana), Sergio Campbell (Jamaica), Waylon Francis (Costa Rica), Kevan George (Trinidad and Tobago), Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone), Cedrick Mabwati (DR Congo), Justin Meram (Iraq), Kristinn Steindorsson (Iceland), Romain Gall (United States U-20) and Ben Swanson (United States U-18, U20). Crew SC’s roster also features Jack McInerney and Michael Parkhurst (both United States) as well as Emanuel Pogatetz (Austria) with senior National Team call-ups.
Crew SC travels to the Nation’s Capital this weekend to take on D.C. United in a match between Eastern Conference foes currently separated by just one point in the standings. The match is set to kick-off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 19.
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