U.S. Men’s National Team chases history against Jamaica in tonight’s World Cup qualifier

The U.S. Men’s National Team resumes 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying when it takes on Jamaica at 8 p.m. ET tonight, in Kingston, Jamaica in the third match of group play in the semifinal round. Following historic results against Italy and Mexico, the U.S. is seeking to capture a victory in World Cup qualifying on Jamaican soil for the first time.

The match will be broadcast on the new beIN SPORT network, which is currently only available on the following service providers:

• DIRECTV Channel 620 in HD
• DISH Channel 408
• Comcast Xfinity TV providers on a market-by-market basis

The match will also be shown at Official U.S. Soccer Bars throughout the nation. For the Official Bar nearest you, visit here: http://www.ussoccer.com/Community/Official-Bar-Program-2.aspx

Fans can also follow on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

The USA and Jamaica have identical 1-0-1 records in Group A play, with the U.S. holding the advantage in goal differential. Following the match in Kingston, the two teams square off again at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 11, in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. That match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Galavision. The U.S. will host a public training session at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 9, at Crew Stadium. Admission and parking are free.

U.S. MNT 2012 SCHEDULE

*2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (4) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9) : Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MIDFIELDERS (7) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4) : Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos)

ROSTER NOTES

• Eighteen players on the roster were part of the group that earned four points from the first two World Cup Qualifiers this past June, including all three goal scorers: Clint Dempsey (2), Carlos Bocanegra and Herculez Gomez.
• A total of 20 players ply their trade abroad; the Premier League in England contributes five to the camp while Liga MX and MLS send four apiece. Leagues from nine different countries are represented.
• Bocanegra is one of four players who have changed squads since the USA’s last match, a 1-0 win against Mexico in Mexico City: Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur) and Maurice Edu (Stoke City).
• Michael Orozco Fiscal, who tallied the game-winner at Estadio Azteca during the program’s first victory in Mexico, joins the group for the second time in 2012. Also that day, Fabian Johnson lined up at right back for the first time while Maurice Edu stood in central defense for the first time in the Klinsmann era. The lineup vs. Mexico: Howard (capt.); Johnson, Cameron, Edu, Castillo (Orozco Fiscal, 77); Jones (Corona, 89), Beckerman, Williams (Zusi, 60), Torres (Boyd, 45); Donovan (Beasley, 45), Gomez (Shea, 78)
• Jones leads all U.S. players in games played (8) and minutes (697) in 2012.
• Hannover captain Cherundolo is taking part in his fourth qualifying cycle; Bocanegra, Dempsey and Howard are participating in their third.
• Two other U.S. players are wearing the captain’s armband for their clubs: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake) and Goodson (Brondby).
• Howard sits in second place all-time for victories among U.S. goalkeepers (32) and third in shutouts (28). He has eight clean sheets in 18 World Cup qualifying appearances.
• Brad Guzan brings an additional three shutouts in five matches played.
• The U.S. strike force has started out sizzling in their club campaigns. Altidore has four goals in four league matches with AZ Alkmaar. Terrence Boyd has deposited six goals in all competitions for Rapid Vienna. Herculez Gomez has scored twice in five appearances this season for Mexican side Santos Laguna.
• Michael Parkhurst has scored two goals this season for Nordsjaelland of Denmark. Parkhurst helped lead the club to its first Danish Superliga championship last season.
• Dempsey now has seven career goals in World Cup qualifying, good for fifth all-time on the U.S. list. Altidore is tied for sixth place with six goals.
• Bocanegra is the leading cap winner in World Cup qualifying on the roster with 28 appearances.
• Sporting Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi is tied for second place in assists (12) in MLS this season.
• Chicago Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson joins the camp through the trip to Jamaica, and will then return to Chicago while Nick Rimando meets the group in Columbus for the Sept. 11 match at Crew Stadium. Johnson’s parents are both of Jamaican dissent.
• Johnson, Brek Shea, Danny Williams and Zusi are looking to play in a World Cup qualifier for the first time. Orozco Fiscal and Parkhurst have one appearance each, both getting a sniff in 2008.

MNT PLAYERS VS. JAMAICA

• Bocanegra, the U.S. captain, is also the only member of the squad who played in the USA’s last visit to Kingston, a 1-1 draw in qualifying on Aug. 18, 2004. Brian Ching tallied in the 89^th minute to rescue the point that day.
• Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo and Tim Howard started in the USA’s 2-1 win on Feb. 12, 2003 in Jamaica, with Bocanegra recording a goal and an assist.
• The USA and Jamaica last met in the quarterfinal of the 2011 Gold Cup, a 2-0 win for the United States. Jermaine Jones scored the game-winner, his first goal for the United States. The U.S. lineup: Howard; Cherundolo, Goodson, Bocanegra (capt.), Lichaj; Bradley, Jones (Edu, 75); Bedoya (Donovan, 66), Kljestan, Dempsey; Altidore (Agudelo, 12)
• Three players on the U.S. roster earned their first cap against Jamaica, including two in the same game. Cherundolo started in the USA’s 2-2 draw on Sept. 8, 1999, in Kingston, while both Dempsey and Jonathan Spector appeared as subs in the 1-1 draw on Nov. 17, 2004, in Columbus.

USA-JAMAICA

• The United States holds a lifetime record of 10-0-8 against Jamaica, with 31 goals scored and 10 surrendered. They have held the Reggae Boyz scoreless in precisely half of their meetings.
• On Jamaican soil, the United States is 2-0-5 overall and 0-0-4 in World Cup qualifying.
• The United States and Jamaica squared off in the final round of qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup on Oct. 7, 2001, in Foxborough, Mass. Meeting on the second to last fixture date of the round, the U.S. needed a victory and an improbable series of results to qualify for Korea/Japan. Becoming the first U.S. team to compete in international competition since 9/11, and playing on the day that hostilities began in Afghanistan, the U.S. collected a 2-1 victory and secured a place in the World Cup.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

• Clint Dempsey is just three caps away from tying John Harkes for 16^th place on the all-time list of U.S. MNT appearances. Dempsey currently has 87 caps for the U.S. from 2004-present.
• Dempsey also is within striking distance of a top three spot in all-time leading goal scorers. Dempsey’s 27 goals scored for the U.S. MNT ranks him fourth on the list, three goals behind Brian McBride (30) and seven short of Eric Wynalda (34). Landon Donovan tops the list with 49 goals.
• With his goal against Antigua & Barbuda, Bocanegra moved into a first-place tie with Marcelo Balboa for most career goals by a U.S. defender (13).
• Should he appear against Jamaica, Jozy Altidore would earn his 50^th career cap for the senior team.
• The USA enters the match against Jamaica with an overall record of 6-1-2 this year, which is equal to a .777 winning percentage. Following the match on Sept. 7, the U.S. will have reached the minimum of 10 games to be in contention for top all-time season winning percentage. The U.S. registered a season-best winning percentage of .750 (13-3-4 overall record) in 2005. An 8-1-6 record in 2004 saw the U.S. MNT earn a .733 winning percentage, followed by .706 in 2000 (9-2-6), .704 in 2008 (9-3-2) and .694 in 2007 (12-5-1).

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 0: World Cup qualifying wins for the U.S. in Jamaica (0-0-4 overall since 1988)
• 2: U.S. players who have played Jamaica in World Cup qualifying in Kingston (Bocanegra, Cherundolo)
• 2: Wins by the USA all-time at National Stadium (2-0-5 in all matches)
• 3: Career appearances against Jamaica for Clint Dempsey
• 5: U.S. players on the roster who play in the English Premier League
• 9: Jamaica players representing clubs from Major League Soccer
• 18: All-time meetings between the U.S. and Jamaica since 1988
• 33: USA’s current FIFA ranking
• 60: Jamaica’s current FIFA ranking

FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING – CONCACAF SEMIFINAL ROUND

The Semifinal Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying for CONCACAF consists of three groups of four teams each, comprised of the top six seeds (USA, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Cuba) being split into three groups and joined by six previous group winners from the second round (Panama, Canada, El Salvador, Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana, Guatemala). The top two teams from each group advance to the Final Round, with that stage to be played from February through October 2013. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth-place team would then play a two-game playoff against the champion of the Oceania region to determine the other World Cup-bound team.

The U.S. currently leads Group A with four points and holds the goal differential edge over Jamaica following a group-opening 3-1 victory against Antigua & Barbuda and a 1-1 draw against Guatemala.

GROUP A STANDINGS

Group A Schedule
June 8
USA 3, Antigua & Barbuda 1
Jamaica 2, Guatemala 1

June 12
USA 1, Guatemala 1
Antigua & Barbuda 0, Jamaica 0

Sept. 7
USA at Jamaica
Antigua & Barbuda at Guatemala

Sept. 11
Jamaica at USA
Guatemala at Antigua & Barbuda

Oct. 12
USA at Antigua & Barbuda
Jamaica at Guatemala

Oct. 16
Guatemala at USA
Antigua & Barbuda at Jamaica

GROUP B STANDINGS

Group B Schedule
June 8
Mexico 3, Guyana 1
Costa Rica 2, El Salvador 2

June 12
Costa Rica 4, Guyana 0
Mexico 2, El Salvador 1

Sept. 7
Mexico at Costa Rica
Guyana at El Salvador

Sept. 11
El Salvador at Guyana
Costa Rica at Mexico

Oct. 12
Costa Rica at El Salvador
Mexico at Guyana

Oct. 16
Guyana at Costa Rica
El Salvador at Mexico

JURGEN KLINSMANN FACT FILE: Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is in the midst of his second year and first full calendar year in charge of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Below are some of his past accomplishments as a player and coach.

• Klinsmann was named the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach on July 29, 2011, making him the 35th coach in the history of the program.
• Klinsmann’s record as head coach of the Men’s National Team is 8-5-3, and he led the team on a five-game winning streak that started with a 3-2 victory on Nov. 15, 2001, against Slovenia and was capped off by a 5-1 win against Scotland on May 26, 2012.
• Klinsmann’s U.S. coaching debut was a 1-1 draw against Mexico on Aug. 10, 2011, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. During Klinsmann’s abbreviated 2011 tenure, opponents outscored the USA by a 7-5 margin. The USA’s two victories during the Klinsmann era in 2011 include a 1-0 win against Honduras (Oct. 8) and a 3-2 victory against Slovenia (Nov. 15).
• Klinsmann was named the Germany National Team manager in 2004 and guided Germany to a 20-6-8 record and a third-place finish in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He earned Coach of the Year honors in Germany, and two years later, he took over the head coaching position at Bayern Munich.
• As a player, Klinsmann played 17 club seasons from 1981 to 1998 with the following teams: Stuttgarter Kickers (1981-84), VfB Stuttgart (1984-89), Internazionale (1989-92), Monaco (1992-94), Tottenham Hotspur (1994-95, 97-98), Bayern Munich (1995-97) and Sampdoria (1997-98). During that time, he scored 226 goals in 506 appearances. He was named German Player of the Year in 1988 and 1994 and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1995.
• Klinsmann earned 108 caps with the German National Team, scoring 47 goals. He participated in three World Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998) and won the 1990 World Cup.
• Klinsmann was born on July 30, 1964, in Goppingen, Germany.

IN FOCUS: JAMAICA

• Jamaica Football Federation
• Founded: 1910 (Joined FIFA in 1962)
• Head Coach: Theodore Whitmore
• FIFA Ranking: 60
• Highest FIFA Ranking: 27 (1998)
• Lowest FIFA Ranking: 116 (2008)
• Best World Cup Finish: Group Stage (1998)

JAMAICA UPDATE

• Jamaica’s roster for World Cup Qualifiers against the United States features nine players from Major League Soccer, including five from Canadian-based clubs.
• Forward Luton Shelton scored a brace for the Reggae Boyz on Aug. 15, 2012, in a 2-0 international friendly win against El Salvador at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
• Shelton has 31 goals in 64 international appearances, nearly a goal in every two matches.
• In his rookie season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, forward Darren Mattocks has tallied seven goals and one assist in just 16 matches for the Canadian side.
• In the first two Group A matches of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying for Jamaica, Demar Phillips and Ryan Johnson helped give the Reggae Boyz a 2-1 win against Guatemala on June 8, 2012, at National Stadium in Kingston. In the second match, Jamaica was stymied on the road at Antigua & Barbuda and settled for a 0-0 draw on June 12, 2012, at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.

JAMAICA ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Dwayne Miller (Syrianska), Jacomeno Barrett (Montego Bay United), Duwayne Kerr (Strommen)
DEFENDERS (8) : Shavar Thomas (Montreal Impact), Dicoy Williams (Toronto FC), Adrian Mariappa (Reading), O’Brian Woodbine (Vaasan Palloseura), Jermaine Taylor (Houston Dynamo), Andrae Campbell (Nottodden), Nyron Nosworthy (Watford), Lovel Palmer (Portland Timbers)
MIDFIELDERS (7) : Dane Richards (Vancouver Whitecaps), JeVaughn Watson (Houston Dynamo), Errol Stevens (Arnett Gardens FC), Rodolph Austin (Leeds United), Jason Morrison (Aaelsund), Ewan Grandison (Portmore United), Joel Senior (Harbour View)
FORWARDS (6) : Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps), Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids), Kavin Bryan (Vicem Hai Phong), Ryan Johnson (Toronto FC), Luton Shelton (Karabukspor), Tramaine Stewart (Aaelsund)

LAST TIME
On the field for USA:
Aug. 15, 2012 – Estadio Azteca – Mexico City, Mexico – International Friendly
USA        1   Orozco Fiscal 80
Mexico   0

LINEUPS:
USA : 1-Tim Howard (capt.); 23-Fabian Johnson, 20-Geoff Cameron, 7-Maurice Edu, 15-Edgar Castillo (4-Michael Orozco Fiscal, 77); 13-Jermaine Jones (14-Joe Corona, 89), 5-Kyle Beckerman, 6-Danny Williams (8-Graham Zusi, 60), 16-Jose Torres (18-Terrence Boyd, 45); 10-Landon Donovan (17-Damarcus Beasley, 45), 9-Herculez Gomez (11-Brek Shea, 78)
Subs not used: 3-Matt Besler, 19-Chris Wondolowski, 22-Nick Rimando
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann 

MEX : 1- Guillermo Ochoa; 5- Severo Meza (3-Enrique Perez, 88), 2-Francisco Rodriguez (capt.), 15-Hector Moreno, 20-Jorge Torres Nilo; 17-Jesus Zavala, 6- Manuel Viniegra (23-Edgar Lugo, 45), 18-Andres Guardado, 7-Pablo Barrera (11-Elias Hernandez, 45); 10-Angel Reyna (9-Aldo de Nigris, 73), 14-Javier Hernandez
Subs not used: 4-Hugo Ayala, 8-Adrian Adrete, 12-Alfredo Talavera
Head coach: Jose Manuel de la Torre

Vs. Jamaica
June 19, 2011 – RFK Stadium – Washington, D.C. – 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
USA         2   Jones 49, Dempsey 80
Jamaica   0

LINEUPS:
USA : 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 21-Clarence Goodson, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 14-Eric Lichaj; 4-Michael Bradley, 13-Jermaine Jones (7-Maurice Edu, 75); 22-Alejandro Bedoya (10-Landon Donovan, 66), 16-Sacha Kljestan, 8-Clint Dempsey; 17-Jozy Altidore (9-Juan Agudelo, 12)
Subs not used: 12-Jonathan Bornstein, 15-Tim Ream, 20-Freddy Adu, 23-Marcus Hahnemann
Head Coach: Bob Bradley 

JAM :1-Donovan Ricketts; 8-Eric Vernan (15-Jevaughn Watson, 64), 4-Shavar Thomas, 19-Adrian Reid, 6-Jermaine Taylor; 17-Rodolph Austin, 7-Jason Morrison (18-Keammar Daley, 69), 12-Demar Phillips; 11-Dane Richards, 9-Ryan Johnson, 21-Luton Shelton (16-Omar Daley, 74)
Subs not used: 2- Richard Edwards, 13-Dwayne Miller, 20-Navion Boyd, 22-Damian Williams
Head coach: Theodore Whitmore