CHICAGO (Nov. 10, 2014) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called 25 players into camp for the final matches of the 2014 campaign. The U.S. will first meet No. 3-ranked Colombia on Friday, Nov. 14, in London. Kickoff is set for 2:45 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN and UniMas.
Four days later, the United States will play on the Republic of Ireland’s soil for the first since 2002 when it faces the home side at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. ESPN2 and Univision begin coverage at 2:45 p.m. ET. Fans can follow both matches on Twitter @ussoccer.
U.S. MNT ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (4): 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)
“We want to finish 2014 on a high note and continue to try to meet the top teams eye to eye,” said Klinsmann. “In these last two games we want our veterans to really become mentors both on and off the field, and we want to see our youngsters take advantage of the opportunity to make their case and grow from the experience. These performances will set the tone for 2015.”
Klinsmann has once again chosen to blend youth and experience. A total of 16 players were part the squad that reached the Round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, led by four-time tournament veteran DaMarcus Beasley. At the other end of the spectrum, there are 12 players with 10 caps or less and an equal number that is 24 years old or younger.
U.S. MNT ROSTER NOTES
- DaMarcus Beasley is the leading capwinner on the roster with 120 appearances. Jozy Altidore is second with 74 caps.
- Altidore has worn the captain’s armband twice in the past three matches, beginning with the 1-0 win on Sept. 3 against the Czech Republic.
- Colombian-American midfielder Alejandro Bedoya has played in 10 of 13 matches for the MNT in 2014 and is on pace to tie a career best for most in a single year (12). Both his father and grandfather played professionally in Colombia.
- World Cup goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Nick Rimando are headed to London, each sporting impressive records in a National Team uniform. Guzan has recorded nine shutouts in 19 career starts, with six of those clean sheets earned in World Cup qualifiers. Rimando has never lost a game for the National Team, posting a near-perfect 10-0-2 record.
- Jermaine Jones, who scored a mesmerizing goal against Portugal in the World Cup in June, is again listed as a defender after having made a debut appearance at center back for the MNT in the 1-1 draw on Oct. 14 against Honduras.
- Ingolstadt midfielder Alfredo Morales has helped his side to the top of the 2. Bundesliga table, appearing in all 13 matches and scoring the opening goal of the campaign. Born in Germany to Peruvian parents, Morales has been deployed as a holding midfielder and also in defense by his club.
- Greg Garza earned his first start against Ecuador in his third consecutive appearance for the MNT, having made his debut in the 1-0 win against Czech Republic. The Club Tijuana left back has now competed for the United States at every age level, beginning with the U.S. Under-14 Boys’ National Team.
- Mix Diskerud has reached double-digit starts for the National Team. After scoring his fourth-career goal against Ecuador, the U.S. team holds a remarkable 17-1-5 record when Diskerud steps on the field.
- A total of eight players join from MLS squads: Beasley, Kyle Beckerman, Matt Besler, Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson, Jones, Lee Nguyen, Rimando, Chris Wondolowski and DeAndre Yedlin. New England Revolution teammates Jones and Nguyen advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time since 2007, and Yedlin’s Seattle Sounders FC faces FC Dallas in the second leg of its series Monday night with the hope of advancing to the Western Conference Championship.
- Nguyen can earn his first cap for the U.S. MNT since 2007, when he made three international appearances. After entering as a substitute for Beasley in the 80th minute of the 4-1 win against China PR on June 2 in San Jose, he played two matches at Copa America in Venezuela. Nguyen (pronounced WIN) has 18 goals and five assists this season, making him a contender for the 2014 MLS MVP award.
- Yedlin signed a contract to join north-London club Tottenham Hotspur, and could join the club as early as January.
- Wondolowski spent the past week training at Fulham in advance of this camp.
- Johnson earned both the MVP award and the Defender of the Year award for the Chicago Fire this season. He is coming off a training spell at Hull City.
- Hamid backstopped D.C. United to a historic turnaround as the club was the first in the Eastern Conference to clinch an MLS playoff berth this season. A year ago, United finished the campaign with the worst record in MLS.
- Minnesota United FC forward Miguel Ibarra and Stanford University striker Jordan Morris both return to the fold after debut appearances on an MNT roster this year. Ibarra became the first player from the modern NASL to be called into the National Team. The 24-year-old NASL Player of the Month for September got his first cap when entered as a 90th-minute sub in the 1-1 draw against Honduras.
- Morris, who scored the game-winner for the U.S. U-23 MNT against the Bahamas in August, was named the 2012-13 Development Academy Player of the Year for the U-18 age group while playing for the Seattle Sounders FC Academy. He is the first active college player to be included on a roster under Jurgen Klinsmann.
- Rubio Rubin also returns to the fold. He signed with Utrecht in July. The U.S. U-17 Residency alum was voted the 2012 U.S. Soccer Youth Male Athlete of the Year.
