FC Cincinnati left back Greg Garza could be part of the U.S. Men’s National Team plans at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, according to USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter.
“What we’ve seen is, when he’s on the field, he performs well,” Berhalter said of Garza in a conference call Thursday afternoon. “Last week was a good example of him performing in a wingback position really well.”
Garza started and played 90 minutes in FC Cincinnati’s 2-1 win against the Montreal Impact this past Saturday at Nippert Stadium. It was Garza’s first match since April 7 against Sporting Kansas City. Following that 1-1 draw, he picked up a calf injury that saw him miss five matches.
Overall, Garza has made six appearances for the Orange and Blue this season. In those matches, FCC have won three games and drawn two.
“He’s a guy that’s on our radar,” Berhalter said. “We’ll continue to monitor him. We hope he gets back to full fitness. We know he’s an important player for FC Cincinnati and it’s just managing all those constraints to be able to forward in the right way that helps both the country and the club.”
Garza has 10 caps with the USMNT and was with the team during January camp before Cincinnati’s preseason started. During camp, he picked up an injury and he and Berhalter decided the best decision was for the defender to join his new club in time for MLS preseason.
If Garza makes the national team, there’s a chance he could play in the U.S. international friendly match against Venezuela on June 9 at Nippert Stadium.
That match marks the first time the national team has played in Cincinnati.
