March 23, 2015
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Tyler Miller, the 2014 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, is one of 18 players invited to Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina, for the United States U-23 Men's National Team's first training camp of 2015. The camp is the beginning of the team's qualifying preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Miller is one of just two goalkeepers invited to camp by U-23 head coach Andi Herzog, along with Cardiff City netminder Charlie Horton. The team will train from March 23-26 and then face Bosnia's U-23 National Team on Friday, March 27, in Tuzla, before travelling to face Denmark on Tuesday, March 31.
"We are about six months away from the Olympic qualifying tournament, and I think, for every single player, it's a great chance and for every one of us on the staff a great opportunity," Herzog told USSoccer.com. "It starts right now with the first game in Bosnia. Every player has to show me that he wants to be part of this group, and that they understand how special it is to represent your country. We have an opportunity to build something special, and I hope everyone is as excited as I am."
In the last four Olympic cycles, nearly half of the players that appeared in qualifying or in the final tournament went on to appear for the Senior Men's National Team. The breakdown by cycle: 2000 (14), 2004 (13), 2008 (13), 2012 (9).
Currently playing for SVN Zweibrucken in Germany, Miller's senior season for the Wildcats was one for the record books. The Woodbury, NJ, native capped one of the most decorated careers in Wildcats history by leading the Big Ten in goals against average (0.56) save percentage (.853) and shutouts (9) in 2014. He was a unanimous choice as Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team, and named to both the NSCAA All-Midwest Region First Team and All-America Second Team. He was also named to the 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-America First Team, becoming the only player in the nation to earn both All-America and Scholar All-America honors, and be invited to the MLS Combine this year.
Miller was selected by the Seattle Sounders in the second round of the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, but opted to pursue his professional career overseas. He was the fifth Wildcats student-athlete to be drafted by an MLS franchise, all of whom have been recruited and developed by head coach Tim Lenahan since 2006.
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