Jurgen Klinsmann has chosen his 25 players to take on Jamaica in a pair of crucial World Cup qualifiers for the United States. The roster is as expected, with Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu all making the team despite just moving to new clubs on Friday and Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley missing out with injuries.
Jurgen Klinsmann Names USA Roster For World Cup Qualifiers Vs. Jamaica
Clint Dempsey is on the United States team that will play Jamaica in two World Cup qualifiers, but the injured Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley are not.
The U.S. is coming off of a historic friendly win over Mexico at the famed Estadio Azteca, which marked the American's first ever win over their rivals El Tri on Mexican soil. That win pushed the Americans' record to 6-1-2 in 2012.
Getting results in friendlies and doing so in qualifiers are two very different things and Jamaica is unquestionably the next best team in the United States’ group. Knowing that, Klinsmann called in the very best team of players available to him, even the ones who might have been asked to stay with their new clubs after just joining them.
Josh Gatt is the only real surprise on the team as he aims to earn his first cap, but he has been playing very well for Molde and is one of the bright young stars in the U.S. program. Also of note is the inclusion of Jose Francisco Torres, who has had a string of rough matches at the international level, while the defense is made up almost entirely of Klinsmann’s first choice players, Timothy Chandler excepted, in a rare bit of health and fortune for the U.S.
The U.S. will travel to Jamaica to take on the Reggaeboyz in Kingston on September 7, then will host Jamaica on September 11 in Columbus, Ohio. The two teams are tied atop Group A on four points, three clear of Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda. The top two teams in the group advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, which will be played in 2013.
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: 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: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna)
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