USMNT Roster Announced for Upcoming Friendlies
Jul 1, 2014; Salvador, BRAZIL; United States head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on the bench against Belgium during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Arena Fonte Nova. Belgium defeated USA 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The USMNT’s roster for its upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Ireland was announced earlier today. Per US Soccer’s official site, this is the roster.
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Hamburg), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
These two matches will be the last for US Soccer in this calendar year as they continue to prepare for the Gold Cup next July. There are a few things to take away from this roster so I will run them down by position.
For the goalkeepers, there is really no surprise here. Nick Rimando and Brad Guzan are expected to continue to battle for the number one spot in Tim Howard’s absence. Hamid and Johnson are there more for the experience and preparing for the future when they most likely take over the reins.
More from USA Soccer
- Latest El Tri-related transfer rumors include ‘Chucky’ to LAFC
- Is it time for Jesús Ferreira to test himself in Europe?
- Arsenal legend Thierry Henry hints at interest in USMNT job
- Proposed Víctor Guzmán-Jesús Angulo swap riles Chivas Nation
- World Cup Promo Code: Bet $5, Win $150 if Argentina OR France Win Semifinal Match
For defense, Geoff Cameron is back as he missed the past couple of friendlies with an injury. Beasely, the most capped player on this roster, is also back with the team. Look for Jermaine Jones to get another chance to impress as a central defender. Also look to see how Jurgen Klinsmann places Garza, Johnson and Yedlin.
Garza impressed against Honduras and Ecuador in the absence of both Fabian Johnson and DeMarcus Beasley. Yedlin also was deployed as a midfielder the last set of friendlies so it’ll be interesting if Klinsmann continues with that train of thought.
In the midfield, look for Lee Nguyen to impress. Fans have been waiting for Klinsmann to call Nguyen’s number and now he did. Now it is up to Nguyen to prove his case and show why he should become a regular in the USMNT.
It’ll be interesting to see where Julian Green fits into the midfield now that he seems to be healthy again. Diskerud and Bedoya have each played well together these past few matches and look for more of the same here. If Klinsmann opts for the three man midfield again, I see Green playing as one of the wingers up front.
Green is still new to the USMNT so it is hard to assess how he has done so far, but he has definitely shown some progress to warrant his selection. Rounding out the midfield, I expect Beckerman and Morales to share halves of the games or one play the full 90 against the Colombia and the other against Ireland.
Live Feed
MLS Multiplex
Rounding out the roster are the forwards with two surprise selections: Miguel Ibarra and Jordan Morris. Both have been selected for the team before, but they are still minor surprises, Morris more so than Ibarra.
I see Ibarra getting more of a chance this round than he did the last match (came in during 2nd half stoppage time). Also on the roster are Rubio Rubin and Bobby Wood. Rubin has continued to improve and impress with his club side, Utrecht. He will be hungry for his chance to prove his worth to the USMNT.
Wood on the other hand is in a frustrating situation with his club team. He has been demoted of sorts. With the USMNT in the last two matches, he did show promise, but he looked a bit uncomfortable, which is understandable. These next two matches though, look for Wood to grow in confidence and hopefully show his club side that he deserves to be with the first team.
Live Feed
MLS Multiplex
Rounding out the roster are Altidore and Wondolowski, two proven players up front. Two noticeable omissions from the front line are Terrance Boyd and Aron Johannsson. Both have recently returned from injury so I suspect that Klinsmann left them off for now to continue to improve their fitness and focus on their clubs.
All in all, this roster should be exciting to watch as the youngsters look to make their case for a selection each international window. Colombia is a very good team so it will be very exciting to see how this USMNT, albeit without some of their stars, compares to one of the world’s best. Let us know what you think of the roster in the comments selection below!