SAN JOSE, CA - Earthquakes forwards Landon Donovan and Brian Ching and midfielder Brian Mullan have all been called up to the United States National Team for a friendly match against Poland on Sunday, July 11. The match kicks off at 4:00 p.m. PT from Soldier Field and will be televised live on ESPN2. Donovan, Ching and Mullan will join the National Team after the Quakes July 7 match-up against Dallas at Spartan Stadium. The trio will miss the Quakes July 10 game vs. the MetroStars.
Donovan, 22, recently appeared in both World Cup Qualifying matches for the U.S. against Grenada, helping lead the country to a 6-2 aggregate goal victory to move the U.S. into the semifinal stage of qualifying. On June 13, Donovan notched an assist in a 3-0 United States win over Grenada and then scored a goal and registered another assist on June 20. He earned Man of the Match honors for his play in the second leg of the series. Donovan has started seven of eight games for the U.S. in 2004 and scored two goals while dishing out two assists. The Ontario, Calif. native was the leading scorer for the full U.S. National Team in 2003 with seven goals and five assists and was named the U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year and the Honda Player of the Year.
Ching, 26, will look to make his second appearance with the U.S. National Team against Poland. In 2003, Ching came on as a sub on May 26 against Wales at Spartan Stadium to earn his first cap. Before he could get another opportunity with the national team, Ching ruptured his Achilles tendon on August 16 and was lost for the season. The Hawaii native has come back strong in 2004, scoring seven goals and notching one assist to lead MLS in scoring through June. The match against Poland in Chicago could be Mullan's chance to debut with the national team. The fourth-year midfielder earned call-ups to national team training camps in December and January in Los Angeles, but has not appeared in a match. After a strong 2003 season in which he scored six goals and recorded nine assists as a right midfielder, Mullan has continued his strong play this year with two goals and three assists, while starting every match.
