D.C. United's Chris Pontius could be in line for his first cap with the US national team.
US Soccer announced on Monday that Pontius and Birmingham City's Jonathan Spector — a longtime member of the US set-up — were added to Jurgen Klinsmann's roster ahead of a pair of US friendlies against Costa Rica on Sept. 2 and in Belgium on Sept. 6. Klinsmann tabbed Pontius and Spector to replace Chivas USA's Heath Pearce and FC Dallas' Zach Loyd, both of whom are nursing hamstring strains and won't be fit for the games.
Pontius, who is in his third year in the league, is having his best season with seven goals and two assists through 24 games. The 24-year-old attacker plays primarily at left midfield, but can also be used on the opposite flank or as a second striker. This will be his second US national-team camp, his first coming back in January of 2010.
Spector, meanwhile, has extensive international experience — he played a key role in the 2009 Confederations Cup squad that finished second and was on the 2010 World Cup team.
Brought through the ranks at Manchester United and West Ham primarily as a defender, Spector has, over the past year, undergone position change and become more of a box-to-box midfielder. Where he'll be deployed by Klinsmann, however, remains to be seen. He's listed as a defender on the roster released by US Soccer.
Meanwhile, Fulham attacker Clint Dempsey will stay in London to undergo treatment for back spasms and only join the Yanks for the Belgium leg of the trip. Reports surfaced on Monday that Fulham are entertaining offers from Sevilla of La Liga and Paris-St. Germain of France's Ligue 1 for their all-time Premiership leading scorer.
Klinsmann opens his first camp as US national team manager this week at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., the site of Friday's friendly against Costa Rica (11 pm ET, ESPN2, ESPN3.com, Galavisión).
