Jurgen Klinsmann called in 26 players, including 14 from MLS, for World Cup qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago on Sept. 2 and 6 as the United States national team looks to seal a place in the Hexagonal round.
The squad began gathering in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday ahead of Friday’s match in St. Vincent (3:30 pm ET, beIN SPORT) before a return trip to Jacksonville to host the Soca Warriors at EverBank Field (8 pm ET; FS1 and UniMas) as the Semifinal Round of CONCACAF qualifying comes to a close.
Klinsmann made two changes to the roster on Monday, calling in New York Red Bulls playmaker Sacha Kljestan and saying that Hertha Berlin defender John Brooks would not join the camp due to back problems.
With two matches remaining, US sit second in their four-team group, trailing Trinidad & Tobago by three points and holding a one-point lead on Guatemala. Wins in both of their final games would guarantee Hexagonal qualification, as would a win against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a Guatemala loss on Matchday 5. Any other combination of results, and the US’s spot in the Hex would come down to the final matchday.
The squad called by Klinsmann includes 18 of the 23 players called up for this summer’s Copa America Centenario, in which the US finished fourth. Former LA Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez is back after watching that tournament from home, as is Seattle Sounders rookie Jordan Morris.
“We definitely think that the group that got fourth in the Copa America deserves a certain priority going on to the next World Cup qualifiers … “ Klinsmann said in a statement. “The whole group learned a lot, playing teams like Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina. This is a big stage, and they deserve to come back and confirm what they did in the tournament in these upcoming, very important World Cup qualifiers.”
Notable absences include Sounders forward Clint Dempsey, who missed Sunday’s match against the Portland Timbers while undergoing evaluation for an irregular heartbeat, and LA Galaxy striker Gyasi Zardes, ruled out with an undisclosed injury suffered on Saturday against Vancouver.
Colorado Rapids midfielder Jermaine Jones, meanwhile, is in camp despite missing his club’s last eight games with a quad injury. He will be evaluated as camp progresses in the hope he could play a role if needed.
Bradley (yellow-card accumulation) and Michael Orozco (red card vs. Colombia in the Copa America third-place game) are suspended for the first match. Both will join the team in Jacksonville following the St. Vincent game.
ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde FC),Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)
DEFENDERS (8):
Kellyn Acosta
(FC Dallas),
Matt Besler
(Sporting Kansas City),
Steve Birnbaum
(D.C. United),
John Brooks
(Hertha BSC), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls) Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)
