CARY, N.C. -- For Wil Trapp, a spot on the U.S. men's national team has long seemed just beyond his reach. Central midfield has long been the deepest position in the player pool, making it difficult for the Columbus Crew SC captain to break through.
Further, on the rare occasions when he was called in, Trapp seemed an odd fit. Jurgen Klinsmann memorably tried him at outside midfield during one January camp, with subpar results.
But over the last three months, Trapp has won the trust of interim coach Dave Sarachan and has seen his stature grow within the national team program.