PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that defenders Futty Danso (The Gambia) and Steve Purdy (El Salvador) and goalkeeper Jake Gleeson (New Zealand) have been called up by their respective national teams for various international competitions.
Danso, 28, has been recalled by The Gambia National Team for a friendly at Gabon on Tuesday, June 7, in preparation for upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Danso earned his first senior cap with The Gambia earlier this year in a friendly against Equatorial Guinea on March 29. He is scheduled to join the Scorpions for a week-long training camp in Banjul, The Gambia, on Tuesday, May 31, and will return to Portland on June 10. While on national team duty, Danso will miss the Timbers’ June 4 match at Chivas USA.
Gleeson, 20, will participate in his first senior camp with the New Zealand National Team. He was one of 23 players named to the squad for upcoming friendlies against Mexico and Australia. The All-Whites face Mexico on Wednesday, June 1, at INVESCO Field in Denver, Colo., before facing Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, on Sunday, June 5. Gleeson will join the team in Denver following the Timbers’ match against D.C. United on May 29, and will miss Portland’s road match against Chivas USA.
Gleeson was a member of New Zealand National Team at the U-17 and U-20 levels and led the Young All-Whites (U-17s) to the Oceania Football Confederation championship and an appearance in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2007.
With family ties to El Salvador, Purdy, 26, joins his first camp with the El Salvador National Team and will participate in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup during the month of June. El Salvador will compete in the Group Stage against Mexico (June 5, at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas), Costa Rica (June 9, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.) and Cuba (June 12, at Soldier Field in Chicago). Purdy, who was a member of the U.S. National Team youth system at the U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels, will meet up with the El Salvador National Team on Sunday. He will be available for selection for Saturday’s match against the Columbus Crew.
