U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named a 25- player roster to report to the team’s January camp beginning Monday, Jan. 7, at the National Training Center in Carson, Calif.
The team will train together until Jan. 27, when it departs for Houston in advance of the first match of the 2013 campaign against Canada on Jan. 29 at BBVA Compass Stadium (TICKETS). Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer.
The match is the only game prior to the start of the Final Round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off for the United States on Feb. 6 against Honduras in San Pedro Sula. In addition to the Hexagonal, U.S. Soccer is celebrating its 100-year Anniversary and will be hosting a number of events throughout the year.
As part of the event, the U.S. will hold a public training session at BBVA Compass Stadium on Jan. 28. Admission and parking for the event are free (REGISTER FOR A CHANCE TO MEET KLINSMANN).
“There is a tremendous amount of talent in the player pool. We follow these players very carefully, and the group coming in is the next line to challenge the players ahead of them in the National Team,” said Klinsmann. “This is absolutely a huge opportunity, and we’re looking forward to working with them. We are getting ready for the friendly against Canada, and also the big World Cup qualifier in Honduras, so these are going to be an important few weeks of preparation.”
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)
DEFENDERS (9): Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), A.J. DeLaGarza (LA Galaxy), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Connor Lade (New York Red Bulls), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes), Jeff Parke (Philadelphia Union)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (out of contract), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Edson Buddle (Colorado Rapids), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
ROSTER NOTES
- Of the 25 players called into camp, a total of 21 ply their trade in Major League Soccer and three play professionally overseas.
- Major League Soccer has 12 of 19 clubs represented among the players called into Carson. The Houston Dynamo (Will Bruin, Brad Davis and Tally Hall), San Jose Earthquakes (Steven Beitashour, Justin Morrow and Chris Wondolowski), and Sporting Kansas City (Matt Besler, Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi) lead the way with three representatives each. Brad Evans, Eddie Johnson and Jeff Parke played together in Seattle in 2012, before Parke was traded to Philadelphia in the offseason.
- Seattle Sounders forward Eddie Johnson leads the roster in both caps and international goals. The veteran has scored 14 goals in his 44 appearances for the MNT. Johnson scored a pair of goals and earned Budweiser Man of the Match honors in leading the U.S. to a 2-1 win against Antigua & Barbuda on Oct. 12, 2012, in the Semifinal Round of World Cup qualifying.
- San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski tied Roy Lassiter’s MLS single-season goals record in 2012 with 27 total. Wondolowski collected both the MLS Golden Boot and MVP award and was named MLS Player of the Month four times.
- Three players were MLS Best XI selections in 2012. Wondolowski received the honor for the third time in his career, while Sporting Kansas City teammates Matt Besler and Graham Zusi received the honor for the first time.
- Zusi used the January camp last year to catapult into a regular role with the Men’s National Team, scoring the game-winner in the 1-0 win on Jan. 25, 2011, in Panama. He went on to appear in six games, including three in World Cup qualifying.
- Will Bruin scored a career-high 12 goals in the MLS regular season in 2012 and has four goals in six postseason games. Houston reached the MLS Cup final for the second consecutive season.
- In his most recent appearance with the Men’s National Team, Mix Diskerud notched his first career international goal when he scored in second-half stoppage time to help the U.S to a 2-2 draw against ninth-ranked Russia on Nov. 14, 2012. Joshua Gatt collected his first cap and his first start that day.
- Omar Gonzalez scored a goal and earned MLS Cup MVP honors when the LA Galaxy won its second-consecutive league championship in a 3-1 win against Houston on Dec. 1, 2012.
- A total of eight players are looking to get their first cap with the senior team: Steven Beitashour, Tony Beltran, Matt Besler, Will Bruin, Tally Hall, Connor Lade, Alfredo Morales and Justin Morrow.
- Additionally, eight players on the roster are age 23 and under. Juan Agudelo, the first Development Academy alum to play for the senior team, is the youngest at 20 years old.
- Goalkeeper Bill Hamid recorded a shutout and a win in his first career start with the U.S. Men in the 1-0 victory against Venezuela on Jan. 21, 2012, in Phoenix. Sean Johnson earned a share of the spoils in the 1-0 win against Panama four days later, splitting time with Nick Rimando.
