NYCFC started 2017 preseason training camp
NYCFC’s has announced that travelling squad for the preseason training camp in Jacksonville has been revealed. With 28 players have been called up by Head Coach Patrick Vieira, including a number of new players to join the team.
New signings Miguel Camargo, Sean Johnson and Sean Okoli will all meet up to training with the entire squad for the very first time. U.S youth international and NYCFC academy prospect James Sands will also join the travelling party for this fortnight-long training camp.
SuperDraft picks Jonathan Lewis, Kwame Awuah, Jalen Brown, Chris Wingate and Michael Degraffenreidt will all join the squad too, as well as five trialists, including Connor Brandt. While Lewis has signed a contract with the club, his fellow draft picks Degraffenreidt, Wingate, Awuah and Brown will all compete for a contract over the course of preseason.
The other trialists joining the camp are former Columbus Crew defender Ben Sweat, ex-Seattle midfielder Michael Farfan, midfielder John Stertzer who used to play for Real Salt Lake and Haitian U20 international forward, Roberto Louima. Mikey Lopez is on the roster but is currently injured and therefore won’t join his teammates on the training field at this stage.
Vieira told NYCFC.com: “I’m very excited to be returning to the field after the offseason break. “As a coaching staff, we’re all feeling ready to begin our preparations for our second season together.
“It’s a really young, dynamic and exciting group of players to be working with and I’m especially
looking forward to welcoming in the new players who I know will bring a lot to this group.” Sporting Director Claudio Reyna revealed that there are still transactions to get over the line before the big MLS kickoff in March but is pleased with the deals done so far. Reyna said: “We were really happy with the recruitment we’ve undertaken so far in the offseason and we’re working to try to find solutions for the players who are not joining us in Jacksonville.
“While there are still some additions for us to make, we feel as though we’ve got the foundations of a competitive, exciting, hungry squad.
“Everyone will want to show what they can do, so it should be a really fulfilling, hardworking couple of weeks in Florida before we go to Ecuador for the game against Emelec.
“We have a lot of hard work ahead of us in the next 40 days before we travel to Orlando for that first game of the 2017 season.”
NYCFC face Jacksonville University in a scrimmage game on February 2 before the team flies
to Ecuador for the first official friendly on February 8.
Goalkeepers
Sean Johnson
Eirik Johansen
Andre Rawls
Defenders
RJ Allen
Michael Degraffenreidt**
Shannon Gomez
Maxime Chanot
Frederic Brillant
Ethan White
James Sands
Ronald Matarrita
Kwame Awuah**
Connor Brandt*
Ben Sweat*
Midfielders
Chris Wingate**
Miguel Camargo
Michael Farfan*
Andrea Pirlo
John Stertzer*
Mikey Lopez
Jack Harrison
Khiry Shelton
Jonathan Lewis
Tommy McNamara
Jalen Brown**
Forwards
Roberto Louima*
David Villa
Sean Okoli
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