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Real Salt Lake announced Sunday that four first-teamers have been called into respective national-team camps during the opening of the FIFA international schedule this week, including goalkeeper Nick Rimando, midfielder Luis Gil, Costa Rican forward Alvaro Saborio and Guatemalan defender Elias Vasquez. All four will miss RSL's nationally-televised Sunday-night matchup with Toronto FC on March 29, but are expected back and to be available for the April 5 match at San Jose. TFC's Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley were also called in and will miss the match against RSL.
Rimando has been summoned by U.S. men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann for upcoming friendlies in Denmark on March 25 and in Switzerland on March 31. The 35-year-old goalkeeper has 18 career caps with the USMNT and has a 11-1-2 record with four shutouts. Rimando's first-ever loss between the posts came in a 3-2 loss to Chile on Jan. 28. He is one of six Major League Soccer players to be part of Klinsmann's 23-man roster for this camp.
Here's Rimando in a release from RSL:
On how it feels to get the call-up:
"It's always a great feeling and honor to get the call from your national team and to have friendlies in two countries I've never been to or played against is exciting. I take a lot of passion in representing the U.S. especially after the World Cup, we're in this transitional period with lots of new players coming in and young players being developed and to be a part of this stage is exciting."
On his expectations for the two-week camp:
"Whenever you go to camp the focus is always to improve from the last time we were together, if that's defensively, offensively, jelling more as team or just seeing more personalities come out. Obviously the goal is to put a lot of hard work in and reward ourselves with a result against our opponent. We have two very tough games against Switzerland and Denmark so I expect the next two weeks to be challenging that we all will take in for the opportunity to move this team in the right direction."
On how matches against European teams differ from matches against the CONCACAF opponents that the U.S. meets regularly:
"You always want to play the best teams out there to see where you're at or where you need to be. If you look at our schedule this year it's very challenging and I know the team takes this as a great opportunity. In Europe there's just a different feel to soccer, the weather, the culture, the fans, but for me I see the difference being how physical the game is in Europe and the surface you play on is very slick and at a high tempo, I expect these games to be a great test for our team. It's always good to step outside your region and play different brands of soccer if it's in Europe, South America, Asia, or Africa, it's another opportunity to gain experience."
Gil has been called into the U.S. U-23 national team camp as it prepare for Olympic qualifying tournament later in 2015. The 21-year-old midfielder is one of 19 players called into the European-based camp in Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina. The U-23s will face Bosnia's U-23 team on March 27 and then take on Denmark on March 31.
Here's Gil in a release from RSL:
On what he has picked up from the full national team that he can bring to the U-23s:
"I learn a lot when I go with the men's national team. With Real Salt Lake I learn, too. Going with the U-23s, I'm going to try and take a lot of intensity to the team. Every time I do go with the Men's National Team, everything is faster-paced and more intense and it brings the level up a little bit. I feel like that's what I have to bring to the U-23s."
On facing teams in Europe:
"We've got to adapt to where they're from. It'll be a big task. European teams are very talented and it will be some tough competition."
On what he hopes to get out of the camp:
"This will be a camp to adjust to our style. We have a new coach and we'll have players coming from different playing styles. It's something we'll have to adapt to and get used to and understand how each other plays."
What he looks forward to most:
"It's going to be fun. Putting that jersey on is a great feeling. To be with old teammates that you've played with throughout the years will be good."
On how players with RSL help him on the international level:
"With Kyle and Sabo and Rimando going to their national teams consistently, that's a big thing for me. Those are guys that I look at a lot during training and I try and pick their brains and learn from their leadership. They do bring that back to Salt Lake, so I try and take their mindset and bring it in to the U-23s."
Saborio joins Los Ticos for upcoming friendlies against Paraguay on March 26 and Panama in Panama on March 31. The 32-year-old striker, who is RSL's all-time leading scorer, has 96 career caps and 34 goals for his national team.
Vasquez, a new center back acquired by RSL this preseason, has 25 career caps with the Guatemalan national team and will face Canada on March 27 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and El Salvador on March 31 in Carson, Calif.
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Here is the USMNT roster for this European-based camp for upcoming friendlies against Denmark and Switzerland:
• Goalkeepers: Cody Cropper (Southampton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
• Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
• Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Hamburg), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
• Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht)
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-Chris Kamrani
Twitter: @chriskamrani