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VIDEO: Players are gathering and teams are preparing. The buildup for the resumption of World Cup qualifying in CONCACAF next month has begun in earnest.
The United States players summoned by manager Juergen Klinsmann started arriving in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, mostly foreign-based, with the rest of the ex-patriot contingent due by Friday, and as-yet unannounced additional domestic choices to join next week.
Teams for El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama started gathering last week or over the weekend and Mexico will start their camp on Monday at its training center in Mexico City.
The activity comes with more than a dozen friendly matches involving CONCACAF sides scheduled over the next two-and-a-half weeks, starting with Jamaica hosting Guyana in Montego Bay on Friday.
With league play finishing across Europe and Latin America, players are shifting focus to national team duty with the start of the semifinal round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying set to begin with games on June 8 and June 12.
The United States announced an initial list of 16 players, all but two foreign-based, a roster that did not include Nuremberg defender Timothy Chandler, who declined the invitation.
Mexico's roster announced Tuesday by Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre includes five players Monterrey - which won a second consecutive CONCACAF Champions League title three weeks ago, and Oribe Peralta of Santos, which lost to Monterrey in the Champions League finals.
Both will face off again in the finals of the Mexican Clausura championship this week.
Defender Eduardo Dasent, midfeidlers Juan De Dios and Marcos Sanchez and forwards Edwin Aguilar and Luis Renteria of Tauro will join other Panamanian hopefuls following the club's league final against Chepo on Friday - in time for "Los Canaleros'" closed-door friendly against Guyana on Sunday in Panama City.
El Salvador, which has been in camp since May 6, will announce its roster on Friday for games next week in Houston - against New Zealand, and Dallas -- against Moldova. Honduras will play in a doubleheader against New Zealand on the same bill as Salvador-Moldova in Dallas on May 26.
Guatemala manager Ever Almeida added players from Comunicaciones and Marquense - eliminated in the Clausura semifinals on Sunday - to his roster on Tuesday in preparation for a pair of games against Costa Rica, May 25 in San Jose and in Guatemala City on June 1.
Juan José Paredes, Elías Enoc Vásquez, Rafael Morales, Jose del Águila, Carlos Figueroa, Jairo Arriola of Comunicaciones, as well as Ricardo Jerez, Gustavo Cabrera, Carlos Gallardo, Jonathan López of Marquense joined players from eight clubs already in camp. Players from league playoff finalists Xelaju and Municipal could be added after they face off Wednesday and Sunday in the league finals.
Similarly, four more players joined Costa Rica's camp, two from Perez Zeledon and one from Saprissa, after they were eliminated from league title contention this past weekend as well as Randal Azofeifa from Turkey's Genclerbirligi.
Canada, which has only one preparation match before qualifying resumes - June 3 against the United States in Toronto as part of its centennary celebration - has said it will announce its preliminary roster on Thursday.
The flurry of friendlies includes three games each for Mexico and the United States, both of whom will face Brazil. The Americans host the South Americans on May 30 in Landover, Maryland, outside Washington, while Mexico Will conclude its qualifying prep against the five-time World Cup champion on June 3 in the Dallas suburb of Arlington.
Friendlies
Friday, May 18
At Montego Bay, Jamaica
Jamaica vs. Guyana
Wednesday, May 23
At Houston
El Salvador vs. New Zealand
Friday, May 25
At San Jose, Costa Rica
Costa Rica vs. Guatemala
Saturday, May 26
At Jacksonville, Florida
United States vs. Scotland
At Dallas
El Salvador vs. Moldova
Honduras vs. New Zealand
Sunday, May 27
At East Rutherford, New Jersey
Mexico vs. Wales
At Kingston, Jamaica
Jamaica vs. Panama
Wednesday, May 30
At Landover, Maryland
United States vs. Brazil
Thursday, May 31
At Chicago
Mexico vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
Friday, June 1
At Guatemala City
Guatemala vs. Costa Rica
At Panama City
Panama vs. Jamaica
Saturday, June 2
At Washington
El Salvador vs. Honduras
Sunday, June 3
At Toronto
Canada vs. United States
At Arlington, Texas
Mexico vs. Brazil
