This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando and midfielder Kyle Beckerman will join the U.S. Men's National Team camp in Orlando, Fla., to begin training for a slate of five games, including a FIFA World Cup qualifying match on June 8.
Beckerman and Rimando join a group that could grow to as many as 29 before manager Jurgen Klinsmann announces his roster of 23 for the slate of five matches, the first of which is against Scotland in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 26.
The duo could miss as many as three Real Salt Lake matches: May 26 against FC Dallas, the U.S. Open Cup opener on May 29 and a potential U.S. Open Cup second-round match on June 5. "All the players coming now for this very special four-week period represent our core," said Klinsmann on http://www.USsoccer.com. "It's a clear signal to other players that right now it's down to business. We're playing World Cup qualifiers. It's not about experimenting or seeing different players, it's about who we think are the best. We are excited to start with this first group of players, and then welcome more at the beginning of next week. It's the first time we will have our best players together for a longer stretch of time, so we have a chance to work very hard and go out and get results." [More Quotes] —