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It’s about damn time!
Earlier today, the USMNT announced they had called up New York City FC’s own James Sands and Sean Johnson to the nation team for the Gold Cup.
The Boys in ⚪️ &
— New York City FC (@NYCFC) July 1, 2021
Congratulations to James Sands and Sean Johnson on being selected to Gregg Berhalter's @USMNT roster for this summer's big tournament
READ ➡️ https://t.co/sE9Xso3hFw #NYCFC pic.twitter.com/DR63WzsLSh
The call-up is the first time James Sands has been brought to the senior national team. Fans have clamored for the Sandsman to get his much-deserved call from the USMNT, especially after the US’s cardiac-inducing 3-2 win over Mexico several weeks ago.
According to Brian Scrarleta, USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter has been wanting to get Sands involved in the international setup for a bit, but that concerns over his fitness following injuries he’s sustained in recent seasons.
Berhalter said that he wanted to have Sands last December and in January but there were questions with his fitness due to his injury last season. The same reason he wasn't in Olympic qualifying. https://t.co/357aJLkh1y
— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) July 1, 2021
For SeanJohn, it’s another chance to stay involved with the national team as players such as Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath continue to rise in stature. To date, Johnson has only had 9 caps with the USMNT since his first call-up in 2011. The NYCFC goalkeeper hasn’t had his best season thus far, but is coming off of a huge game against D.C. United, and momentum is everything.
Good luck, boys! Make us proud!