The US men’s national team roster for upcoming friendlies at Denmark and Switzerland was announced on Sunday, with six MLS players making the cut for Jurgen Klinsmann’s 23-man squad.
The US will face Denmark on Wednesday in Aarhus (3 pm ET on ESPN2 and UniMas) before heading to Switzerland for a friendly in Zurich on March 31 (12 pm ET on Fox Sports 1 and UniMas).
Seattle Sounders Designated Player Clint Dempsey, Toronto FC DPs Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, LA Galaxy midfielder/forward Gyasi Zardes, Orlando City SC defender/midfielder Brek Shea and Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando were the six MLS players called to the senior roster.
Of the remaining 17 players called in by Klinsmann, 16 come from Europe and Mexico, with Minnesota United midfielder Miguel Ibarra hailing from the NASL.
Two of the most intriguing inclusions come from clubs south of the border, with Mexican-American dual national goalkeeper William Yarbrough and defender Ventura Alvarado both earning their first USMNT calls-ups.
Born in Mexico to two American parents, the 26-year-old Yarbrough has been solid this season in net for Leon, helping the club to a recent pair of Liga MX titles.
A Phoenix native, the 22-year-old Alvarado signed with Club America in 2008 as a teenager, working his way through the academy – and a loan to fellow Mexican club Necaxa – before breaking through to the first team and helping America to the 2014 Liga MX Apertura crown late last year.
Some notable MLS players not on the roster include Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler and LA Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez, both of whom played for Klinsmann at the World Cup and figure to be good bets to make the manager’s roster for this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Klinsmann addressed their exclusion from the roster – and the relative lack of MLS players on the squad – in comments made to USSoccer.com.
“You’ve got to look at it also calendar-wise. Mexican players right now are in a full run. European players are in a full run. MLS players step-by-step get into the season and now just have two games in their legs, so that all plays a role when you leave players out of the roster for a second and bring other ones in.”
Additionally, two former MLS players made the roster, with ex-Sounders defender DeAndre Yedlin earning a call from Tottenham and former New York Red Bulls defender Tim Ream earning a spot from English Championship side Bolton.
The USMNT roster announcement was made in conjunction with roster announcements for the U-23 and U-20 squads, both of which will also travel to Europe this week for friendly matches. Seven MLS players were called into the U-23 team and five were named to the U-20 roster.
Full USMNT roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Cody Cropper (Southampton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Leon)
DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Hamburg), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Aron Johannson (AZ Alkmaar), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht)
