USMNT Newbies: Get to Know the 10 First-Time Players at December Camp​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‍​​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​​‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​‍‍‌​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‍​​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍‌​​‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​‍‍‌​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌​‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌

Ayo Akinola is coming off a career year, tying MLS Best XI selection Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto FC for the club’s goal scoring lead with nine goals in only 1,063 minutes, 11 starts and 15 matches. Akinola, 20, received an extended opportunity when USMNT striker Jozy Altidore was injured for the MLS is Back Tournament. Combining pace and power, the 5-foot-10, 180-lb. forward scored twice in a 2-2 draw with D.C. United and added a hat trick in a 4-3 win against the Montreal Impact three days later, finishing as the competition's second-leading scorer. He scored four more times down the stretch to help Toronto FC clinch a postseason berth.

A member of the U.S. Under-15, U-17 and U-20 Men’s National Teams, Akinola has tallied 38 goals in 51 youth international matches. His most memorable came in a 1-0 win against Ghana in the second match of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India. He was originally part of the USA squad for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but injury forced him to withdraw before the tournament.

Akinola, who was born in Detroit, grew up in Brampton, Ontario. He is eligible to play for the U.S., Canada or Nigeria.

One of three players from Orlando City SC called into the USMNT’s December training camp, midfielder Andrés Perera was another key factor in the Lions’ run to their first-ever postseason appearance.

Born in Tampa, Fla., the 20-year-old is a dual citizen of the United States and Colombia and joined Orlando this season on a one-year loan from Colombia’s Atlético Nacional, historically one of the country’s top clubs. He contributed two assists in 28 matches this season for Orlando, including six during the team’s run to the MLS is Back Tournament Final.

Perea represented Colombia at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting all five matches during Los Cafeteros’ run to the quarterfinals, where they fell to eventual champion Ukraine. He also played for Colombia at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Because he has represented Colombia in official competition, Perea would have to file a one-time switch with FIFA in order to represent the U.S. and is currently ineligible to play in the USMNT’s Dec. 9 friendly vs. El Salvador.

At 6-2, 220 pounds, forward Daryl Dike provides an imposing presence at striker. The No. 5 pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft broke out in a big way for Orlando City SC this season, netting eight goals and four assists in 17 matches.

After Orlando’s impressive run at June’s MLS is Back Tournament, injuries opened the door for Dike to earn even more playing time. With the opportunity, the young striker came further into form in August, scoring three goals and adding two assists in three games to earn Player of the Month honors.

A finalist for the MLS Young Player of the Year award, Dike played two collegiate seasons at ACC powerhouse Virginia, where he helped lead the Cavaliers to the NCAA title game his sophomore year. Hailing from Oklahoma, Dike is the son of Nigerian parents and comes from a strong soccer family. His older brother Bright played five MLS seasons and appeared twice for the Nigerian National Team, while sister Courtney represented the Super Falcons at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.  

A member of the Portland Timbers organization since age 13, Marco Farfan has climbed the ladder from the club’s academy to the first team. Born to parents of Mexican descent, Farfan played three seasons with the Timbers’ U-16 and U-18 teams before beginning to play with Timbers 2 in 2016, a step that led him to sign as a Homegrown player that fall.

At 18 years, 120 days, the rising left back became the youngest player to appear for Timbers first team when he played in a 1-0 win against the LA Galaxy on March 12, 2017. As he’s continued to gain experience, Farfan has split time between Timbers 2 and the first team over the last four seasons. The full back turned a corner this year, playing in a career-high 14 MLS regular season matches and helping the club qualify for the postseason.

Having previously represented the U.S. U-19s in 2016 and 2017, Farfan most recently made two appearances with the U-23 MNT in 2019.

Regarded as one of the top goalkeeping prospects in the USYNT player pool, David Ochoa has represented the U.S. at the U-16, U-18 and U-20 age levels. He backstopped the USA during two key matches at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland – a 1-0 group stage win against Qatar and a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat to Ecuador.

After spending four seasons with Real Salt Lake in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Ochoa signed as a Homegrown player on Nov. 28, 2018. The 19-year-old has featured for the club’s USL side Real Monarchs SLC the past two seasons, helping lead the team to the 2019 USL Championship. He made his first-team debut in RSL’s season finale, a 2-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Nov. 8, 2020.

Ochoa was named to the U.S. U-23 roster for the 2020 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Championship before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the event’s postponement.

The 6-foot-2, 175-lb. goalkeeper is eligible to play for the USA or Mexico.