by CHICAGO (Jan. 24, 2015) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named a 23-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Panama, including nine players from the 2014 FIFA World Cup roster.
The group will travel to Santiago on Saturday morning in advance of the USA’s opening match of 2015 when it takes on Chile on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in Rancagua. Kickoff at Estadio El Teniente is set for 6 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, UniMas and the Univision Deportes Network.
“These guys have put in a lot of work these past two weeks of training for what is essentially their preseason, and now it’s time to focus on getting a result against a difficult opponent in Chile,” said Klinsmann. “We know it’s going to be a challenging situation, but these are the types of opportunities we need to keep growing.”
The camp that began on Jan. 12 at the National Training Center in Carson, California, included 28 players. Jozy Altidore and Matt Hedges were brought into the group, while Brad Evans was forced to depart with tendinitis in his left knee. Tottenham Hotspur defender DeAndre Yedlin will meet the team in Chile.
Meanwhile, six players have been released back to their clubs: Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas), Alex Bono (Toronto FC), Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Dennis Flores (Club Leon) Julio Morales (Tepic) and Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy), and Liverpool midfielder Marc Pelosi will remain in the area and rejoin the group when it returns to Los Angeles.
“This was a really important experience for these U-23 players,” Klinsmann said. “They got a great introduction into the senior National Team program, and had the opportunity to work with Andi Herzog and our staff as we build toward Olympic qualifying in the fall. They put in a tremendous amount of work and we learned a lot about them. We appreciate the effort and will continue to monitor them in their club situations.”
The camp culminates with a friendly against the Panama on Sunday, Feb. 8, in Carson. Kickoff at StubHub Center is set for 1 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network. Fans can also follow U.S. MNT matches live on Twitter @ussoccer and @ussoccer_esp.
Fans can purchase tickets through ussoccer.com, by calling 1-888-929-7849, and at the StubHub Center ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT).
Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages that include a premium ticket, a custom-made official U.S. National Team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Jon Kempin (Sporting Kansas City), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (7): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Shane O’Neill (Colorado Rapids), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Dillon Serna (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (Orlando City), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
