Inter Miami’s Callender, Cremaschi invited to U.S. camp ahead of two Florida friendlies
Inter Miami teammates Drake Callender and Benjamin Cremaschi will have a chance to prove themselves to new U.S. national team coach Mauricio Pochettino over the next two weeks as they were invited to the annual January camp in advance of a pair of friendlies in Florida.
The camp roster will be announced Monday ahead of the Jan. 18 match against Venezuela at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and Jan. 22 match against Costa Rica in Orlando. Sources confirmed that Callender, Inter Miami’s starting goalkeeper, and midfielder Cremaschi, the 19-year-old Key Biscayne native, will be on the list.
Because the games fall outside FIFA’s international window, the USMNT’s Europe-based stars will not participate. The roster will be dominated by MLS players, who are scheduled to report on Tuesday. Callender and Cremaschi will feel at home, as the camp and first game are being held at Inter Miami’s facilities.
Both players were invited to U.S. camp in late-August 2023 for games against Uzbekistan in St. Louis and Oman in St. Paul, Minnesota. Callender was invited again to the January 2024 camp and Cremaschi played for Team USA in the Paris Olympics.
“The way I get called back in is just by being consistent and playing well with my team,” Callender said last spring. “That day-by-day approach of taking care of business, doing the best I can, that’s what I have to do. Anytime you can get a call to the national team, whether you’re playing in MLS or overseas, it’s a huge honor.”
The January camp has historically launched national team careers. Nine U.S. players from the 2022 Qatar World Cup team got their first or second cap during a January camp, including Walker Zimmerman, Tim Ream, Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, and Matt Turner.
“We are looking forward to the camp in January and the opportunity to get to know many of the MLS players and see all the potential talent we have here in the United States,” Pochettino said. “We are happy to bring the National Team back to South Florida and utilize the great facilities of Inter Miami for this important moment as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The U.S. has an all-time record of 3-1-2 against Venezuela’s La Vinotinto, with the lone defeat coming in the most recent meeting between the two teams, a 3-0 loss in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 9, 2019.
Venezuela sits in eighth place in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, one point behind Bolivia following 12 of 18 matches played, and having recorded draws against Argentina and Brazil.
The Jan. 18 match vs. Venezuela kicks off at 3 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Both matches will be broadcast live on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Max and Peacock. Live Spanish-language audio for the match will be available on Fútbol de Primera radio.
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 7:06 AM.