NEW YORK – FC Dallas players Brek Shea and Heath Pearce were the only MLS players included on Thursday in the 20-man roster named by Bob Bradley for matches against Poland and Colombia in October.
Shea will be seeking his first cap after last joining the senior team for World Cup qualifying against Barbados in 2008. Pearce has 32 caps for the US team and was a member of the team's preliminary 30-man roster before the World Cup in South Africa.
It was expected that few MLS players would be called upon, given MLS clubs are in the stretch run of the 2010 regular season. With FC Dallas still very much in the thick of the Supporters' Shield race, Shea and Pearce will not miss their MLS weekend match on Oct. 9.
“We understand this is a critical point in the season for teams in MLS,” Bradley said in a statement. “Given the circumstances, we felt it was important that the MLS players be given as much opportunity as possible to remain with their clubs and continue to make important contributions as the playoffs approach.”
The other noteworthy highlight of the roster is the call-up of Schalke 04 midfielder Jermaine Jones, who backed out of a call-up for the USA vs. Brazil match in August. Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj was also named to the US roster for the first time.
The US takes on Poland at Soldier Field on Oct. 9 and then hosts Colombia at PPL Park on Oct. 12 in the USMNT’s first ever match at the Philadelphia Union’s stadium.
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), Jermaine Jones (FC Schalke), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS (3): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)
