Coming off a breakthrough performance at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden has been named to the United States roster for the highly anticipated World Cup qualifier against archrival Mexico at Estadio Azteca next Wednesday afternoon.
Holden, who scored on his international debut against Grenada on July 4 at Seattle's Qwest Field, is one of seven Major League Soccer players on Bob Bradley's 20-man roster.
Also making his first appearance on a World Cup qualifying roster is Chad Marshall, the Columbus Crew defender helped lead the U.S. to the Gold Cup final where the Red, White and Blue were thrashed by Mexico 5-0 at a sold-out Giants Stadium on July 26.
Returning from the Gold Cup roster is Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching, who is tied with Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan with four goals each in the current qualifying campaign.
Donovan, the Los Angeles Galaxy forward, has been a particular nemesis to El Tri, having scored four times in his career against Mexico, highlighted by the second goal in a 2-0 win in the Round of 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Holden is joined in the midfield by Dynamo teammate Ricardo Clark, while Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey, who has eight goals in 13 league matches, is also on Bradley's squad, which will meet in Miami on Aug. 9.
The U.S. has never won in Mexico, and has only earned one draw, when the 10-man squad played to 0-0 draw on Nov. 2, 1997, in World Cup qualifying at Estadio Azteca. It has been a much different story on U.S. soil, with Mexico finally putting the brakes on the USA's decade of dominance at home with their victory in the Gold Cup final. Prior to that match, the U.S. had posted an unbeaten 9-0-2 home record against El Tri dating back to 1999, including a 2-0 win at Crew Stadium on Feb. 11.
The U.S. is currently in second in the final hexagonal stage, two points behind Costa Rica. Mexico has six points from five matches and is in fourth, one point behind third-place Honduras.
"We are excited about the challenge and the opportunity," Bradley said. "Mexico is a very good team, and we are all aware of their great success playing in Mexico City. Every game in qualifying is important, and this is a chance to gain further ground in the group. Our team continually tries to raise the bar, and certainly the chance to win for the first time in Mexico is a welcome opportunity."
Featured in Mexico's team will be Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who after retiring from international soccer made his return to El Tri for the last round of World Cup qualifiers for coach Javier Aguirre.
U.S. NATIONAL TEAM (vs. Mexico, Aug. 12)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/ENG: 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC/ENG: 11/7 SO)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes/FRA: 21/3), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA, 2/0), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover/GER: 18/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford/ENG: 2/0), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew: 0/0), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan/ITA: 16/1), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United/ENG: 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER: 10/4), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo: 5/0), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC/ENG: 17/4), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus/DEN: 1/0), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo: 0/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca/MEX: 5/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal/ESP: 8/5), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids: 5/0), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 15/6), Charlie Davies (FC Sochaux/FRA: 2/1), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 30/11)
* numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals (shutouts)
MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM (vs. USA, Aug. 12)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Guillermo Ochoa (América), José de Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul)
DEFENDERS (8): José Antonio Castro (Tigres), Aarón Galindo (Guadalajara), Efraín Juárez (UNAM), Jonny Magallón (Guadalajara), Rafael Márquez (Barcelona), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven), Oscar Rojas (América)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Israel Castro (UNAM), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)
FORWARDS(6): Nery Castillo (Shakhtar), Guillermo Franco (out of contract), Alberto Medina (Guadalajara), Giovani dos Santos (Tottenham), Miguel Sabah (Monarcas), Carlos Vela (Arsenal)
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
