Former Five Stripes Brandon Vazquez, Julian Gressel earn first USMNT call ups

Two inaugural members of the Atlanta United squad and familiar names to Atlanta United fans have gotten the call from interim coach Anthony Hudson to join senior USMNT camp for the first time for two upcoming matches in late January.

Brandon Vazquez and Julian Gressel both got the jumpstart to their professional careers with the Five Stripes. Vasquez joined Atlanta in December 2016 at just 18 years old, a product of youth national teams with only one previous professional appearance with Club Tijuana. Vazquez logged 39 total appearances for Atlanta, scoring nine goals while assisting four, including a goal on his debut against Real Salt Lake. After three seasons, he was picked up by Nashville SC in the Expansion Draft and now leads the attack for FC Cincinnati, putting away 18 goals this past season while making an argument for his 2022 World Cup inclusion.

Julian Gressel quickly became a mainstay in the Atlanta United squad after being selected eighth in the 2017 Superdraft, making 118 appearances in his three seasons while racking up 20 goals and a club record 36 assists in all competitions. The versatile defender/midfielder was traded to D.C. United in January 2020 for $750,000 in TAM and now plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps after a midseason trade this past July. Gressel, born in Germany, became a U.S. citizen in November, making him eligible to play for the United States.

The USMNT will face Serbia on Wednesday, January 25th at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles before facing Colombia on Saturday, January 28th across town at Dignity Health Sports Park. Kickoff times are 10:00 PM and 7:30 PM, respectively.

Here’s to seeing more of this in red, white, and blue: