Houston Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark has been called up to the United States national team for the May 28 match against England at Wembley Stadium in London, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday.
Clark has started all three games in 2008 for the United States and could make his eighth international appearance if he plays against England. The midfielder has played every minute of 10 games in all competitions for Houston this season when eligible and notched his first assist on Saturday when his shot deflected off of Dwayne De Rosario for Houston's opening goal.
"It's awesome; it's like a dream come true," Clark said after practice Tuesday. Clark is among 22 players called up for the match, but he is one of only three players from Major League Soccer to make the trip.
Due to the call-up, Clark will miss the Dynamo's May 28 match against FC Dallas. Clark and Dynamo forward Brian Ching remain in the player pool for upcoming United States friendlies against Spain (June 4) and Argentina (June 8).
Kickoff for the England match, the first of the USA's three summer friendlies, is set for 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and via tape delay on Galavision at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
The U.S. team will begin gathering on May 22, with MLS players joining the group following their weekend matches. More than 1,300 fans purchased tickets in the U.S. supporters section for the USA's second-ever trip to London.
"We're excited about the challenge of playing England in Wembley Stadium," said United States head coach bob Bradley, who leads a U.S. team that is undefeated in 2008 and is currently riding a five-match unbeaten run dating back to Oct. 17, 2007. "We expect that this is going to be a fantastic experience. Overall, we look forward to a good week of training and continuing the process of preparing for the task of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa."
The Houston Dynamo will face the San Jose Earthquakes in front of a national TV audience on May 22 at 9:30 p.m. CT. The Dynamo's next home game is May 31 against the New York Red Bulls. For more information, call (713) 276-2500 or log on to www.houstondynamo.com.
