Rain won't wash away U.S. training camp in California

The mighty winter rains in not-so-sunny So Cal may wash away hills and strain civic budgets and generally create some mayhem along the left coast, but it won’t, apparently, interrupt the U.S. national team training camp.

If you haven’t followed the news lately, record rains have been on California like white on rice.  But I just spoke to U.S. soccer media maven Michael Kammarman, who told me it was “game on!” where the camp is concerned. It’s raining again today in Southern California, but forecasts call for clearing a relatively dry few days ahead.

There is an artificial turf field at the Home Depot Center, but it’s not something the national team wants to spend significant time on. (Nor would any professional club, for that matter.) But it’s there, and it’s an option, and options are always good in life. (At least, that’s what my girlfriend tells me whenever I get out of line, that options are always out there for her. Ahem.)

Players report tomorrow. Practices begin Tuesday morning.

The only real news development, player-wise, is that Juan Agudelo won’t be around to start the camp. Rather, he’s practicing with the under-20s in Florida for the first few days. The young Red Bulls striker is set to report to the Home Depot Center on Jan. 6.

Agudelo, you may remember, is the 18-year-old striker who scored in his international debut late last year, in a friendly against South Africa.

The camp goes through a Jan. 22 friendly against Chile at the Home Depot Center.