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Rumor: Inter Miami Players Earn Provisional USMNT Roster Call-Ups

I, for one, think it is about time for at least one Inter Miami player to get some love from the U.S. Men’s National Team as two Herons earn provisional call-ups for September friendlies.

ByMatthew Clark|
Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender celebrates after stopping a penalty shot from Nashville's Elliot Panicco in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.
Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender celebrates after stopping a penalty shot from Nashville's Elliot Panicco in the 2023 Leagues Cup final. | Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages

If it’s true… and I’m not saying it is… there is good news for Inter Miami fans related to the U.S. Men’s National Team.

While the official provisional roster hasn’t been released by U.S. Soccer, reports suggest a few Inter Miami players have made the cut.

Let’s get into it.

It’s Not Official, But Inter Miami May Get Love

According to Fox Sports, three Inter Miami players are being named to the 50-man provisional roster for the U.S. Men’s National Team for upcoming friendlies in September.

The report suggests both goalkeeper Drake Callender and midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi are joining defender DeAndre Yedlin on the roster.

Let me reiterate, the provisional roster has not been officially announced and the Fox Sports report cites “sources” for their information.

Another point to make here is that even if all three were named to the provisional roster, it doesn’t mean they will either, a) make the final roster for two friendlies or, b) actually play in either of the matches if they do make the roster.

Regardless, for players like Callender and Cremaschi to get that kind of recognition speaks volumes about how much Inter Miami has improved over the last month.

If it were to be true, it would be the first call-up to the USMNT for both players. Yedlin has been a part of two World Cup squads for the U.S.

For Inter Miami’s Drake Callender, It’s About Time

While Cremaschi has an interesting storyline to joining the USMNT (I’ll get to that in a bit), I’ll start with Callender.

The California graduate has been with Inter Miami from the beginning after being drafted by the Herons in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft.

He’s seen the ups of winning the 2023 Leagues Cup and the addition of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba… and the downs — namely the start of the 2023 season under former manager Phil Neville.

Despite having a lackluster defense in front of him, he’s managed to save 70% of his shots in Major League Soccer play.

In the Leagues Cup, he was masterful — saving the last penalty shot of the match to clinch the cup at Nashville.

That save won Inter Miami its first piece of hardware in team history. He’s also in a position to help the Herons win another as the squad aims for the U.S. Open Cup — starting at FC Cincinnati.

In addition, Callender racked up a pair of clean sheets in the tournament.

While Callender was on the initial roster for the Nations League semifinals, he didn’t make an appearance.

It’s not likely he unseats USMNT starter Matt Turner for the starting gig, I think getting some time on the field against either Uzbekistan or Oman is in the cards.

He would make a great backup to Turner with Sean Johnson out injured and Ethan Horvath and Zach Steffen getting no time on their club rosters.

Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi Has An Interesting Storyline

Let me say that in the first match after signing Messi, the player I was least impressed with was Cremaschi.

Against Cruz Azul he seemed lost and without purpose.

Granted, that got much better as the tournament progressed, him earning a spot on the provisional roster is surprising for a couple of reasons.

First, he’s only played professional soccer for about nine months.

According to the report, he did play with the U.S. under-20 squad for a bit and (this is where it gets interesting) after that, he trained with Argentina’s U-20 side a month later.

The reason for that is because Cremaschi holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Argentina, meaning he could play for either side, but not both, on the senior level.

In the Fox Sports report, it was noted that Cremaschi has spoken with Messi about which national team to suit up for, but I would think he has a better shot getting time on the pitch with the USMNT over Argentina — although that may not be a factor in his mind.

On the other hand, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter does have experience with dual nationals after convincing both Sergino Dest and Yunus Musah to play for the U.S. over the Netherlands and England, respectively, according to the report.

Either way, it is certainly a feather in Inter Miami’s cap to have not one, not two, but three potential players for the USMNT for upcoming friendlies.

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