Jurgen Klinsmann Names 23 Players for First Two Matches
Soccer News: U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named the 23-player roster for the USA’s first match of the 2018 World Cup Qualifying campaign. Game one of the semifinal round is set for Nov. 13 against St. Vincent & the Grenadines and kicks off at Busch Stadium in St. Louis at 5:30 p.m CT.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, WatchESPN, UniMas and the Univision Deportes Network. Fans can also follow the action on Twitter.
A total of 13 players from the group have earned caps in previous World Cup Qualifying runs with Jozy Altidore (26), Michael Bradley (24) and Tim Howard (29) leading the way. Ten players will look to make their debut in World Cup Qualifying competition. U-20 World Cup veteran Matt Miazga and Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe have received their first call up to the senior National Team.
U.S. Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham FC), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Club Leon), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Alan Gordon (LA Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
A capacity crowd of 45,000 is expected for the USA’s match in St. Louis, the first of the campaign to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The game marks the MNT’s first in the United States’ one-time soccer capital in nearly 20 years, with the side last playing to a 0-0 draw with Paraguay at Busch Conference & Sports Center (now World Wide Technology Soccer Park) on June 4, 1997. It will be the first World Cup qualifier played in the St. Louis area since the USA’s draw with El Salvador on Nov. 5 1989, which was also played at Busch Conference & Sports Center.
The MNT is 5-1-2 all time in the city of St. Louis (4-1-1 in World Cup Qualifiers) and is 7-1-2 in the state of Missouri.
The MNT was drawn into Group C for the Semifinal Round of Qualifying along with St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and Guatemala. Following the match in St. Louis, the USA will travel to Port of Spain for the away leg with Trinidad, which will be played Nov. 17 and broadcast on beIN Sports and NBC Universo at 6:30 p.m. ET.
