US national team names roster for upcoming friendlies vs. Brazil, Mexico

UPDATE (Monday, 9 am ET): Toronto FC midfielder Marky Delgado was added to the roster on Monday morning. The roster now stands at 25 players.

The US national team has revealed its roster for a pair of high-profile friendlies against Brazil and Mexico, with head coach Dave Sarachan opting for a young squad as the US gear up for a return to competitive play in 2019.

The 24-man squad, which boasts an average age of 23.66 years as of Sunday, will first take on Brazil on Sept. 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (7:30 pm ET | FS1, UniMás, UDN) before heading to Nashville to face Mexico at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 11 (8:30 pm ET | ESPN, UniMás, UDN).

New York Red Bulls midfielder Tyler Adams (front) and Columbus Crew SC forward Gyasi Zardes training with the USMNT in January | Robert Mora - LA Galaxy

“For these matches against Brazil and Mexico, the theme remains the same in that we are using the opportunity against these high-powered opponents to continue building on the foundation that we’ve laid,” Sarachan said in a team statement. “We felt it was right to continue allowing this group to get valuable experience for the big picture that includes competitive matches in the future with the Gold Cup, Olympic qualifying and World Cup qualifying.” 

There are 11 MLS players in the squad, with Columbus Crew SC and the New York Red Bulls both sending three players and five other teams each sending a player.

Red Bulls defender Aaron Long has earned his first national team call-up at any level, another step on a journey that saw him spend three years playing for a variety of USL teams before breaking through with New York in 2017. The 25-year-old Long will join club backline partner Tim Parker, as well as Tyler Adams.

Crew SC will send goalkeeper Zack Steffen and midfielder Wil Trapp, who have been regular fixtures with the USMNT in 2018, and forward Gyasi Zardes, who leads all US-eligible MLS players with 15 goals this season and will make his first camp appearance since January.

Among the notable returnees to the squad is Colorado Rapids midfielder Kellyn Acosta, who will make his first appearance in USMNT camp this year, following a midseason trade from FC Dallas. LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget will also be making his return to the squad for the first time since his injury in a March 2017 World Cup qualifier, while Wolfsburg defender John Brooks will also make his first camp of 2018 after missing much of the 2017-18 club season with injury.

USMNT roster vs. Brazil and Mexico