Sports
LAFC's Timothy Tillman among call-ups for U.S. men's national team's January camp
LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman is among 25 MLS players called up Friday for the U.S. national team’s first training camp of the new year, which will begin Monday in Orlando and end Jan. 20 with a friendly against Slovenia in San Antonio, Texas.
Tillman, who turned 25 on Friday, is one of 17 players who will be looking to make their first appearance for the U.S. Born in Germany to a U.S. serviceman father and a German mother, Tillman played in 20 games for Germany as a youth international before applying to FIFA for permission to represent the U.S. on the senior level. That one-time switch was granted last May. Tillman appeared in 25 regular-season games for LAFC last season, second-most among midfielders.
Tillman’s younger brother Malik has already made eight senior appearances for the U.S. If Timothy plays against Slovenia, he and Malik would become the 10th pair of brothers to play for the USMNT.
“This is an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of players who have the potential to make an impact on our program,” coach Gregg Berhalter said of the young, inexperienced roster, which averages less than 24 years of age. “Our priority is on getting as many players as possible experience in important competitions and this camp and the match against Slovenia will be extremely valuable in the evaluation process.”
The annual January camp falls outside a FIFA international window, limiting the players the U.S. can summon from overseas. But it has proven useful in auditioning domestic-based players with 30 men, since 1999, earning their first or second caps as part of the January camp going on to make a World Cup roster. Nine players from the U.S. team in Qatar, including captain Tyler Adams and defender Walker Zimmerman, earned their first or second cap in a January camp.
Defender Shaq Moore is the only player on the January roster who also played in the 2022 World Cup, having made his last international appearance in the final group-stage match with Iran. Miles Robinson likely would have been in Qatar as well, but he torn his left Achilles tendon six months before the tournament. He will be back with the team this month and with 27 international caps is the most experienced player on the roster.
This winter’s camp kicks off a particularly busy and important year for the U.S. as it begins preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will hosted jointly by the U.S., Mexico and Canada. In March, Berhalter’s team will defend its title in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League, in June it will play in Copa América, a 16-team tournament featuring reigning world champion Argentina, and in mid-summer the U.S. will send a men’s team to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008.
Thirteen players called into next week’s camp are age-eligible for the Olympics, which is limited to U-23 players.
The U.S. will be playing Slovenia for the third time, but for the first time in the U.S. The USMNT played Slovenia to a draw in the 2010 World Cup, then beat the Europeans a year later in Ljubljana. The game will also mark the national team’s third visit to San Antonio and its first since a 2-0 win over Mexico at the Alamodome in 2015.
The roster
Goalkeepers: Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew)
Defenders: Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Ian Murphy (FC Cincinnati), Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), James Sands (New York City FC), Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United)
Midfielders: Joshua Atencio (Seattle Sounders), Aziel Jackson (St. Louis City), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew), Timothy Tillman (LAFC), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps)
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Folarin Balogun’s teammates came to his defense after the USA World Cup star was given a red card during the team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun received the red card after he stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s right ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus only gave Balogun the card after a VAR review. The red card meant Balogun will not be able to play in the team’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
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United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, stands by after being issued a red card by Referee Raphael Claus, of Brazil, as United States’ Weston McKennie (8) looks on during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
A FIFA official told The Athletic a team cannot appeal against the red card or the suspension. The official pointed the outlet to a portion of the organization’s rules and regulations, which states, “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”
Balogun’s teammate, Weston McKennie, called the lack of an appeal process “bogus” and disagreed with the referee’s decision to issue the red card.
Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States’ Folarin Balogun after Balogun was sent off, as Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)
“Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” McKennie said. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun’s act “was never intentional.”
“It’s never a red card. Never. … If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land,” he said.
Balogun is the third player to score in a World Cup knockout match and be sent off. He follows Brazil’s Ronaldinho in 2002’s quarterfinal match against England and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.
Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
It’s the fifth red card handed to an American in the squad’s World Cup history.
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Eric Wynalda received one against Czechoslovakia in 1990, Fernando Clavijo got one against Brazil in 1994 and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope each received one against Italy in 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
While veterans jockey for new contracts during free agency, young players are getting their tryout opportunities with NBA summer league games beginning this week.
First-round draft pick Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero highlight the Lakers summer league roster that was announced Wednesday. The 16-man team will be coached by Lakers assistant coach Ty Abbott and begin summer league play Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
The Lakers also face the Miami Heat (July 5, 1:30 p.m.) and San Antonio Spurs (July 6, 4:30 p.m.) in the California Classic before playing in the Las Vegas summer league from July 9-19. The Lakers play Oklahoma City (July 10), Dallas (July 11), the Clippers (July 14) and Chicago (July 16) in Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.
The Lakers traded up in the draft to get Carr, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Baylor, with the 24th overall pick. He will make his unofficial NBA debut, along with former Indiana State and Saint Louis star Robbie Avila. The 6-10 center became a bespectacled college basketball cult hero known affectionately as “Cream Abdul Jabbar” while leading Indiana State to the NIT championship game in 2024. He transferred to Saint Louis, where he was named Atlantic-10 player of the year as a senior when the Billikens won a school-record 29 wins.
Although he is entering his second season with the Lakers, Thiero will be playing his first summer league games. Persistent knee injuries hampered his rookie season. The athletic 6-7 forward averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 25 appearances last season. He said after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs that he wanted to improve on his three-point shooting during his second year. He attempted only five three-pointers during his rookie season, regular season and playoffs, making one.
Lakers summer league roster
Robbie Avila, C, 6-10, 240
Cameron Carr, G, 6-5, 190
Jon Elmore, G, 6-3, 190
Luke Goode, F, 6-7, 210
William Hickey, G, 6-4, 203
Arthur Kaluma, F, 6-7, 225
William Kyle III, C, 6-9, 230
Chris Mañon, G, 6-4, 212
Robert McCray V, G, 6-4, 188
AK Okereke, F, 6-7, 245
Chase Ross, G, 6-5, 210
Zhaire Smith, G, 6-4, 205
Peter Suder, G, 6-5, 215
Adou Thiero, F, 6-7, 234
Anton Watson, F, 6-8, 225
Jacari White, G, 6-3, 180
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U.S. men’s national team star Folarin Balogun received a red card in the second half of their Round of 32 World Cup matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun was making a challenge on a ball when he stepped on an opposing player’s leg.
The U.S. men’s national team is down to 10 players for the rest of the match. If the U.S. holds their 1-0 lead, Balogun will have to miss the Round of 16 game.
Balogun scored for the U.S. in the first half.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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