USMNT roster announced for Gold Cup clash with Mexico, Confederations Cup berth
CHICAGO (via U.S. Soccer) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named the 23-player roster for the winner-take-all CONCACAF Cup against Mexico, which grants the victor a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
The match will kick off Saturday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. PT at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports GO, Univision and the Univision Deportes Network.
“This roster is obviously full of experience,” said Klinsmann. “This is about having a group of players who understand exactly now what this is all about. This is about momentum. This is about high energy. This is about representing my country. This is about belief and a high-level of aggressiveness in a one-off game to beat Mexico and to get to the Confederations Cup. It’s a unique opportunity, and you have to embrace it and give everything you have.”
The U.S. roster is loaded with experience, including seven players with 50 or more caps and four – DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard – that have surpassed 100 appearances for the United States. A total of 16 players in this group were a part of the USA’s 2014 World Cup roster.
The match is a face-off between the region’s fiercest rivals. In a series dating back to 1934, the U.S. has taken the momentum in recent years. The MNT has dominated at home, amassing a 10-2-4 record on U.S. soil against El Tri since 2000. Additionally, the United States is unbeaten in the last four years with a 3-0-3 record, including the team’s first victory against Mexico on Mexican soil.
The teams most recently met in April in San Antonio, where the U.S. triumphed 2-0, a score line that has highlighted nine MNT victories against Mexico since 2000. MNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will look to extend his lifetime unbeaten streak as a player and coach against Mexico to 11 games (5-0-5 all-time).
The USA’s place in the playoff was secured when it won the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Mexico won the 2015 edition of the tournament and in so doing qualified for the playoff.
U.S. Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9) : Ventura Alvarado (Club America), DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MIDFIELDERS (7) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Danny Williams (Reading), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC)
FORWARDS (4) : Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
U.S. Roster Notes
- Jozy Altidore has appeared in nine games for the MNT this year. The forward scored a pair in the team’s 2-1 win against Peru in September, which was the fourth multi-goal game of his international career. With four goals in 2015, he is now just one goal behind Brain McBride (30) for fourth on the MNT’s all-time goal-scoring list.
- Clint Dempsey led the way for the U.S. at this summer’s Gold Cup where he won the Golden Boot; his seven goals are the most scored by an American player in a single Gold Cup in the 13 editions of the tournament. The Seattle Sounders FC forward has nine goals in nine games this year, and holds second place on the USA’s all-time scoring list with 48 total.
- DaMarcus Beasley is the leading capwinner on the roster with 122 international appearances. He has scored 17 goals, including the clincher in the USA’s 2-0 win in the World Cup qualifier against Mexico in 2005 that secured the team’s place in the 2006 World Cup.
- Michael [MK1] Bradley moved over the 100-cap mark this year. The midfielder has punched in three goals while recording five assists in 2015. Bradley has the most goals against Mexico (3) of any U.S. player on the roster, including both in the USA’s 2-0 win against El Tri in February of 2009 that opened the final round of 2010 World Cup Qualifying.
- Brad Guzan earned Golden Glove honors as the top goalkeeper at this summer’s Gold Cup and has posted a 9-3-3 record since September of last year. Guzan shut down Mexico and helped the U.S. earn a 0-0 draw in its away World Cup Qualifier with El Tri in 2013 at Estadio Azteca.
- Alejandro Bedoya has seven matches under his belt for the United States this year. The French Ligue 1 midfielder tallied an assist in the USA’s 1-1 draw against Panama in the Group Stage of the Gold Cup.
- Fabian Johnson is only the player on the U.S. roster currently competing in the UEFA Champions League. He has started four straight matches for Borussia Monchengladbach after being out five weeks due to injury, and scored a goal in his first match back.
- Jermaine Jones has also been on the road to recovery, making his return from injury for the USA in September in starts against Peru and Brazil.
Gyasi Zardes was called in for his first MNT camp last January and has appeared in 15 games, starting in 13. The LA Galaxy forward has scored twice and assisted on four goals. - Kyle Beckerman has appeared in eight matches with the MNT this season and has recorded six starts. Beckerman started and contributed to the USA’s 2-0 win against Mexico in April.
- Danny Williams closed the Brazil game off on a high note, scoring a stunning long-range goal to put the USA on the scoreboard. Williams also scored a clutch goal that helped the U.S. knock off then sixth-ranked Netherlands in Amsterdam earlier in the year.
- Matt Besler returned to the MNT fold last month, making his first appearance since February in the match against Peru. In just his second appearance for the United States, Besler earned a start in the MNT’s 2013 road World Cup qualifier against Mexico at Estadio Azteca, where the U.S. earned a point for only the second time in team history.
- Michael Orozco started against Peru and Brazil in September, taking up both the right back spot and then centerback. Orozco – who moved to Club Tijuana this summer – owns a piece of history as the scorer of the game-winning goal in 2012 that led to the USA’s first victory at the Azteca.
- Ventura Alvarado has appeared in 12 matches this year. The Club America defender made his debut in a U.S. uniform on March 25 against Denmark, and he became cap-tied to the U.S. after starting in the first match of the Gold Cup against Honduras on July 7.
- Geoff Cameron has started and played 90 minutes in all of Stoke City’s 2015 Premier League matches. Cameron returned to action for the U.S. after last appearing in 2014 in its last camp and made appearances against both Peru and Brazil.
- Brad Evans has played in six games this year, coming on as a late sub in the MNT’s 2-0 win against Mexico in April.
- Tim Ream, who recently completed a transfer to Fulham, earned honors as the Player of the Year for his former club Bolton in each of the last two seasons. Ream has started in the last three MNT matches.
- Nick Rimando is back in the mix after missing the September matches. The MLS All-Star has started five games in goal for the MNT this year.
- Jonathan Spector returns to the squad after being a late add to the roster for the Peru and Brazil friendlies.
- Chris Wondolowski is one of the top five scorers in MLS this year with 15 goals. He has scored double-digit goals in six straight MLS seasons.
- DeAndre Yedlin has appeared in 15 of the 16 MNT matches in 2015 and tallied three
assists, which puts him third on the team behind Michael Bradley (five) and Gyasi Zardes (four).
