U.S. men’s soccer team hires security for training camp

Russell Steves, who is acting as a liaison between the University and the United States Soccer Federation in anticipation of the May 17–23 training camp, explained in an e-mail that the USSF has contracted a “private security company to have people in place to provide security throughout their visit.”

Steves, the University’s coordinator of physical therapy and an athletic trainer for four varsity teams, added that both the security company and the USSF requested that the company’s identity not be disclosed. The team will also bring along its security personnel, which it always travels with.

In addition to closing Roberts Stadium, the team will seek to prevent spectators from watching from nearby. “Our security detail will try to keep the people on Poe Field or any other area where the field can be viewed cleared,” Steves explained. “Mostly that will mean keeping people moving in those areas rather than standing around. We will not try to create confrontations or difficult situations with people in the areas but do want to make it sure that everyone knows that all practices will be closed and that policy will be strictly enforced. We’ll have whatever manpower is necessary to make sure that gets accomplished.”

“We’re going to place security personnel wherever we need around Roberts Stadium to make sure people are kept out,” he added, noting that the Department of Athletics and the security company had been in contact with the Department of Public Safety “to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Steves said he does not know how many security personnel will be brought in altogether. “It could be a few, or it could be a lot,” he said. “We’re going to use however many we need to ensure the proper security at practice. That number hasn’t even been set yet. We’ll consult with U.S. Soccer all the way up to their arrival and throughout that week to get the job done right.”

Public Safety will likely have very little active role in securing the team or stadium. Steves explained that Public Safety officers would only help in the case of an emergency, as the school’s regular “Emergency Action Plan” for campus events will be in place.

Further information about the security procedures were not disclosed. “As a general rule, specific details of security protocols aren’t public for security reasons,” University spokeswoman Emily Aronson explained in an e-mail.

The team, currently ranked No. 14 in the world by FIFA, will train in Princeton for its two warmup matches before the World Cup begins in June. The team will play against the Czech Republic on May 25 in East Hartford, Conn., and against Turkey four days later in Philadelphia.