FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas defender Drew Moor today was selected by U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley to the 22-man roster that will compete in the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela. For Moor, a Dallas-native, this is his first-ever full men's national team call-up. He is currently with his FC Dallas teammates in Colorado ahead of Saturday's contest versus the Colorado Rapids (8 pm CT, live on FSN-SW), and will join the U.S. team in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. The U.S. team will depart on Monday, June 25 for Maracaibo, Venezuela.
"It's not only a great honor, but also one of my lifetime goals and dreams coming true," said the 23-year old Moor. "To play at the full men's national team level, which will be my first time, is something I've always wanted to do - and to be able to do so at such a great tournament is going to be a great experience."
The U.S. will open the tournament against Argentina on Thursday, June 28, in Maracaibo, which will also be the venue for the final. The U.S. will then face Colombia on July 2 in Barinas, before finishing group play against Paraguay on July 5 in Barquisimeto. All of the USA's g will be broadcast live on GolTV and Telefutura.
"We're absolutely delighted for Drew," said FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow. "It's a great honor for him and its great for FC Dallas to have someone else involved in the national team, and in such a big tournament as well. Obviously we'll be disappointed to lose Drew, but I think he's excited. It's a great opportunity for him and I hope he goes there and does very well."
In his third year with FC Dallas, Moor is the only FCD player to start and play every minute of all 14 games so far this season. He scored his second-career goal on June 9 in a 3-1 win over the LA Galaxy at Pizza Hut Park.
Moor is one of four FCD players currently on a U.S. National Team roster, and becomes the tenth different FCD player to receive a call-up to a national team in 2007. Earlier this week, second-year midfielder Dax McCarty and rookie midfielder/defender Anthony Wallace joined the U.S. U-20 team that will participate in the 2007 FIFA Youth World Cup starting next week in Canada; and, rookie forward Abdusalam Ibrahim recently completed a three-game tour with the U.S. U-17 team in South Korea and is awaiting the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in August.
The other FCD players to receive national team call-ups this year are: Kenny Cooper (U.S. National Team), Adrian Serioux (Canada), Blake Wagner (U.S. U-20), Chris Gbandi (Liberia), Dominic Oduro (Ghana U-23), and Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala).
NOTES ON THE U.S. ROSTER:
• Moor's last national team game was on Dec. 12, 2003, when he was part of the U.S. U-20 team that lost to Argentina 2-1 (overtime) in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Youth Championships in the United Arab Emirates. Also on the starting XI for the U.S. team that night were Ricardo Clark, Justin Mapp, and Eddie Johnson - who are all on this Copa America roster.
• Kasey Keller, who earned his 100th cap in the 2-1 win against Canada in the semifinals of the 2007 Gold Cup, is the only player on the roster to have played in a Copa America, making the all-tournament team in 1995 when the U.S. advanced to the semifinals.
• A veteran of four World Cups, Keller is joined by three other players from the 2006 FIFA World Cup roster; Kansas City Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad and forward Eddie Johnson, and D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen.
• At the other end of the spectrum, there are 16 players on the roster who have 10 caps or less.
• Fourteen players are under the age of 25, with Eddie Gaven serving as the team's youngest at 20 years old.
• Along, with Moor, Colorado Rapids forward Herculez Gomez and Toronto FC defender Marvell Wynne will be entering their first-ever camp with the MNT and will be in search of their first cap.
• Altogether, 13 players on the roster have been a part of a youth FIFA World Championship roster, whether it be at the U-23, U-20 or U-17 level. A total of nine players were members of the USA's roster for either the 2003 or 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
• Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, Lee Nguyen, Wynne and Gaven were all members of the U-20 side that advanced to the knockout phase of the 2005 World Youth Championship in Holland after defeating Argentina in their opening game.
• MLS players dominate the roster, with 15 of the 22 players plying their trade in the United States.
• Overall, 10 of the 13 teams in MLS will be represented in Venezuela.
• Along with Keller and Feilhaber, the U.S. will have four other European-based players in Venezuela. Watford FC's Jay DeMerit will stay with the team after contributing during the Gold Cup, and he'll be joined by Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF) and Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland).
The last time the U.S. competed in the tournament in 1995, the United States upset defending champion Argentina, 3-0, to advance to the quarterfinals where they defeated Mexico and eventually finished in fourth place. Overall, the U.S. has played Argentina seven times in their history, holding a lifetime record of 2-5-0 against the South American juggernaut. The only other victory came in 1999 when a Joe-Max Moore goal was the difference in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Men's National Team 2007 Copa America Roster By Position
(A Detailed Roster is Available at ussoccer.com)
GOALKEEPERS (2) - Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
DEFENDERS (8) - Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Bobby Boswell (D.C. United), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8) - Kyle Beckerman (Colorado Rapids), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburger SV), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Lee Nguyen (PSV Eindhoven), Ben Olsen (D.C.United)
FORWARDS (4) - Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Herculez Gomez (Colorado Rapids), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
