United States national team recruit Brian Rowe not looking too far ahead

ByESPN staff ESPN logo
Monday, January 16, 2017

LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe refuses to look too far ahead after getting called up to the United States national team camp on Saturday by Bruce Arena.

This is the Galaxy stopper's first call-up to the USMNT and he replaces the Seattle Sounders' Stefan Frei and D.C. United's Bill Hamid who both had to pull out this month due to respective ankle and knee injuries.

Despite being new to the national team, Rowe has some familiar faces to rely on as club teammates Gyasi Zardes and Sebastian Lletget are in the squad, and he has also worked with Arena and his backroom staff for five years at the Galaxy.

"It's nice coming in and seeing some familiar faces," said Rowe on MLSsoccer.com.

"They've been helping me get the lay of the land so I know what to expect.

"Of course you have some pride, and it shows well in what the Galaxy have been doing.

"I'm just taking it one day at a time right now,

"Just trying to put in the same work that I have been doing and go from there."

Rowe, 28, had a superb season in 2016, appearing in 31 of the Galaxy's 34 regular season matches, keeping nine cleansheets and making 113 saves in the process.

He understands that the rest of the national team are ahead of him in terms of time spent training together but he has promised to put push himself and give it his best shot.

"It's the same," said Rowe. "It's a little bit of a surprise coming back, just kind of jumping back into it when these guys have had five or six trainings so far.

"I'm jumping in a little late, but just trying to come in and do what I've been trying to do."