Klinsmann completes U.S. Men’s National Team training camp roster with 11 additional players
U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has added 11 additional players to the initial squad of 16 that is training at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. The newest players began reporting on Sunday, and will continue throughout the week as their club schedules are completed.
The team will train in Orlando until May 25, when Klinsmann will select a final 23-man roster for the upcoming five matches. The group then departs for Jacksonville and the match on May 26 against Scotland (8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Galavision).
“We are excited now to get towards full numbers with the MLS guys and also the players from Europe who are coming in with great form,” said Klinsmann. “We want them to pick up the rhythm as fast as possible and make them understand that we are taking the next couple weeks very seriously. We will continue with our rhythm of two trainings a day and see where the players are really at before we make our final decisions on the 23-man roster for the upcoming games.”
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The nearly month-long series of training and games has been designed to mimic the circumstances the team will face in a tournament format, with meticulous planning dedicated to technical aspects, travel, nutrition, logistics and the rhythm of team movement to create a performance driven environment.
ROSTER ADDITIONS BY POSITION
DEFENDERS (4): Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
MIDFIELDERS (1): Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (6): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
REPORTING DATES
May 20: Agudelo, Boyd, Cameron, Donovan, Wondolowski, Zusi
May 21: Onyewu
May 23: Gomez
May 24: Goodson
May 28: Altidore
*Michael Parkhurst will arrive either May 21 or May 24, depending on the results of his team’s match tonight
UPDATED U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (7): Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
ADDITIONAL ROSTER NOTES
- Jozy Altidore finished his first season at AZ Alkmaar with 19 goals in all competitions, including 15 in league play and four in the Europa League.
- Landon Donovan returns to the National Team for the first time since September of 2011. The USA’s all-time leading scorer also has the most appearances for any U.S. player in World Cup qualifying (35).
- Chris Wondolowski is atop the MLS goalscoring chart, having tallied 11 goals in 12 matches for San Jose.
- Oguchi Onyewu and Sporting Lisbon are playing in the Portuguese Cup final against Académica, seeking their 20th cup title.
- With 19 goals in all competitions in the last year, Herculez Gomez could become the first U.S. player to win both an MLS Cup title and Mexican League title. Santos plays at home tonight against Monterrey in the second leg of the Liguilla final, having tied 1-1 in the first match.
- Terrence Boyd finished with 20 goals for Borussia Dortmund’s second team, scoring a goal in the final that helped the team gain promotion to the Third Division.
- Clarence Goodson captains Brondby today against Michael Parkhurst and Nordsjaelland. The visitors sit in second place in the league with two matches remaining, one point behind Copenhagen. If Nordsjaelland remain in the championship, Parkhurst will play the final match. If they are eliminated from winning the title, he reports tomorrow.
- Juan Agudelo comes to camp just days after being traded to Chivas USA from the New York Red Bulls. Agudelo started in their 1-0 victory against the LA Galaxy last night.
- Geoff Cameron and Graham Zusi both started the USA’s first two matches of 2012, consecutive 1-0 victories against Venezuela and Panama. Zusi scored the game-winner against Panama in only his second appearance for the United States.
The U.S. has collected four consecutive victories, including three straight shutout wins highlighted by the 1-0 triumph against four-time World Cup champion Italy. A total of 42 players have earned at least one cap since Klinsmann took the helm last July, and he and the coaching staff have now refined the player pool in advance of this summer’s crucial activities.
The team has lined up a series of friendlies for this summer in preparation for the start of World Cup qualifying.
Following the match against Scotland, the U.S. continues its competition against the world’s top teams when they host five-time World Cup champions Brazil on Wednesday, May 30 in Landover, Md. Kickoff for the USA’s first ever match at FedExField is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and TeleFutura.
For the last game before the start of World Cup qualifying, the United States will make a rare visit to Canada when it renews the rivalry June 3 at BMO Field in Toronto. Kickoff for the USA’s first match on Canadian soil since 1997 is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network and Univision Deportes Network.
The United States will kick off the effort to qualify for its seventh-consecutive FIFA World Cup when they host Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 at Raymond James Stadium. The semifinal round opener begins at 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN, ESPN3 and Galavision. Four days later, the U.S. plays its first road match in group play this cycle when they visit Guatemala.
