Meet the 2023 USMNT January Camp Newbies​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‍​​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‌​​​​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌‍‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‍​​​‌​​‍​‌‌​‌‍​‌‍​‌‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‍​​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‌​​​​​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌‍‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‍​​​‌​​‍​‌‌​‌‍​‌‍​‌‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌

Paxten Aaronson experienced a whirlwind 2022. He was a vital member of the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team that captured the Concacaf U-20 Championship, qualifying for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup as well as the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. During the qualifying tournament in Honduras, Aaronson tallied seven goals to claim the tournament’s Golden Boot and was also awarded the Golden Ball as best player. After recording a brace in the 2-0 semifinal win over Costa Rica, the 19-year-old midfielder scored the first goal in a 3-0 win against the hosting Catrachos in the final. On Nov. 5, the attacking midfielder later played 36 minutes for runner-up Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup final.  The Medford N.J. product has shown similar promise to his older brother and 2022 FIFA World Cup veteran Brenden Aaronson of late, earning a transfer to Europe when he joined Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in November and now has gained his first senior team call-up. Born on Aug. 26, 2003, Aaronson played for the Union in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy before he was promoted to Union II. He joined the MLS side in 2021, recording four goals in 37 appearances over two seasons. Should he play in either match, the Aaronsons would become the eighth set of brothers to both earn caps for the USMNT and the first pair to do it so Pedro and John DeBrito, who earned their debuts in 1983 and 1991, respectively.

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German-born Julian Gressel became eligible to play for the USMNT when he earned U.S. citizenship in November. He brings plenty of experience to the squad, having made 184 MLS regular season appearances since 2017 – for Atlanta United, D.C. United and most recently Vancouver Whitecaps. He has accrued 21 goals and 60 assists while playing as a right back, wing back and forward. Born in Neustadt, Germany on Dec. 16, 1993, Gressel is the oldest of the newcomers on the January camp roster at 29. He started his soccer career in the youth academy of Greuther Fürth and Quelle Fürth before competing in the fifth tier of German regional soccer. As a senior at Providence College, he connected for 15 goals and six assists while earning All-American honors. He scored a career-high six goals with Atlanta in 2019 and handed out a personal-best 14 assists in 2018, helping Atlanta win the MLS Cup. After being taken eighth overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, Gressel earned league rookie of the year honors.

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An LA Galaxy Homegrown signing, 19-year-old Jalen Neal has been involved with the club since 2016. He started with the LA Galaxy Academy, competing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy before moving up to LA Galaxy II in 2020. Neal signed with the first team in January 2021, making his debut in a 3-2 win over the California United Strikers in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 last May. Born in Lakewood, Calif., Neal was one of seven U.S. players who earned Best XI honors at the 2022 Concacaf Under-20 Championship, at which the Americans qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Neal, who scored a goal in the tournament, helped the USA record five shutouts in as many starts at center back. As good as he is on the field, Neal is involved in community projects, helping the LA Galaxy Foundation and volunteering at a Carson, Calif. school.

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Born to Ghanaian parents in Schio, Italy, Emmanuel Sabbi grew up in the U.S and plays his professional soccer for Danish SuperLiga side Odense where the winger has tallied eight goals in 60 games since joining the side in 2020. After his parents settled in Ohio, Sabbi helped Ohio Premier reach the 2014 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships as he won Golden Boot honors and was named his age group's MVP. He played with Chicago Magic PSG from 2014-16 before joining Las Palmas (Spain) in 2017. He eventually moved to the Danish club Hobro IK (13 goals in 69 appearances) later that year, playing there until 2020. He signed with Odense on a free transfer that year. Sabbi was teammates with 2022 FIFA World Cup players Tyler Adams, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Luca de la Torre and Josh Sargent at the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, where he appeared in two matches during the team’s run to the quarterfinals.  He is also eligible to represent Italy and Ghana.

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Just 20-years-old, John Tolkin already has established himself as the New York Red Bulls' first choice at left back, making 51 appearances in his first two MLS seasons. Since his 2021 debut, he has made great strides on both sides of the ball. The New Jersey-based club was so impressed with Tolkin's performance and progress, it signed him to a five-year contract extension last season with an option for 2028. Watching the MLS team while growing up in the Chatham, N.J., Tolkin joined the Red Bulls Academy in 2015 and played 79 matches for the squad in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, scoring 15 times. Tolkin eventually graduated to Red Bulls II (USL Championship) and also played eight times for the U.S. Under-17 National Team between 2018 and 2019.

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Alejandro Zendejas was born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, but grew up in the U.S. after his family moved to El Paso. Zendejas, who is considered an excellent passer, made his pro debut with FC Dallas in 2015 after a successful run in the MLS club's youth system and was the first Homegrown player that FC Dallas signed from one of its youth affiliates. Zendejas was a roommate of Christian Pulisic at U.S. Under-17 residency in Bradenton, Fla. for three years and joined Pulisic as well as future 2022 FIFA World Cup players Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre and Haji Wright at the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile. Since 2016, the 24-year-old midfielder-forward has played in Liga MX with Chivas, Zacatepec, Necaxa and most recently with Club America where he’s tallied 11 goals and two assists in 41 matches.

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