COLUMBUS - Columbus Crew today announced that five players have received international call-ups ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers during the October international window: Luis Diaz (Costa Rica), Liam Fraser (Canada), Jonathan Mensah (Ghana), Gyasi Zardes (United States) and Lucas Zelarayan (Armenia).
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Diaz will meet up with Costa Rica for three matches in the Third Round of Concacaf qualifiers. Costa Rica first travels to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to battle Honduras at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano on October 7 before returning to San Jose, Costa Rica, on October 10 to host El Salvador at Estadio Nacional. The Ticos then face the United States at the Crew’s new, modern home Lower.com Field in downtown Columbus on Wednesday, October 13. Diaz has been capped seven times by Costa Rica, last appearing in the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinal Round match against Canada on July 25, 2021.
Fraser is set to join Canada for three matches, first traveling to Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to face Mexico on October 7, followed by a trip to Kingston, Jamaica, to battle Jamaica at Independence Park on October 10. The Canucks then return to Toronto to play against Panama at BMO Field on October 13.Fraser has been capped eight times by Canada, last appearing in a Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinal Round match against Costa Rica on July 25, 2021.
Mensah is slated to represent Ghana in CAF group-stage action. The Black Stars battle Zimbabwe twice, hosting the first leg on October 9 at Cape Coast Sports Stadium in Cape Coast, Ghana, before traveling to Harare, Zimbabwe, for the second match on October 12 at National Sports Stadium. Mensah has earned 61 caps for Ghana, last appearing in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa on September 6, 2021.
Zardes and the U.S. will face Jamaica at Q2 Stadium in Austin for a third-round match on Thursday, October 7. The USMNT will then travel to Panama City to face Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez on Sunday, October 10 before closing out the window against Costa Rica at Lower.com Field in Columbus on Wednesday, October. Zardes has earned 62 caps for the United States and last appeared in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Final against Mexico on August 1.
Zelarayan will join up with Armenia for two UEFA group-stage matches. In Group J play, Armenia first travels to Reykjavik, Iceland, to face Iceland at Laugardalsvollur on October 8 before flying to Bucharest, Romania, to battle Romania on October 11 at Stadionul Steaua. This is the first time that Zelarayan has received a call-up from Armenia.
Columbus Crew’s current roster features 12 players that have received a senior National Team call-up: Harrison Afful, Luis Diaz, Derrick Etienne, Jr., Waylon Francis, Liam Fraser, Perry Kitchen, Jonathan Mensah, Kevin Molino, Darlington Nagbe, Eloy Room, Gyasi Zardes and Lucas Zelarayan.
Next up, the Crew travels to face the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park on Sunday, October 3 ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)].
