Oct 14, 2014; Boca Raton, FL, USA; USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks on prior to the match against Honduras at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
It is official: USA Men’s National Team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has called up 25 players into camp for the final two matches of the 2014 campaign. The USA will first face off against Colombia on Nov. 14 at Craven Cottage in London. And on Nov. 18, they will take on the Republic on Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
“We want to finish 2014 on a high note and continue to try to meet the top teams eye to eye,” said Klinsmann to reporters. “In these last two games we want our veterans to really become mentors both on and off the field, and we want to see our youngsters take advantage of the opportunity to make their case and grow from the experience. These performances will set the tone for 2015.”
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A blend of youth and experience is on the cards for the USA, with 12 players on the roster being 24 years old or younger.
“I think if you look at these veterans – Kyle Beckerman, DaMarcus Beasley, Nick Rimando, Jermaine Jones – I think those are all players that have to help get the younger players to another level,” Klinsmann added. “It’s literally their jobs; it’s what we’re asking. I know everybody is busy with themselves and wants to play and show what they have, but in a transition phase after a World Cup, having a year until you play that Gold Cup in July, we need these older players. Beasley is a very important player in this going forward, and Beckerman and Rimando. They have to show what it takes to become consistent and a real professional.
“We want to have these guys telling them these things, to have an education off the field We have 10 days now together in London, and then we go to Dublin. This is what we coaches will watch very carefully – how the experienced players play that role and not their own role. They’ve played enough caps, they know what to do. For me, it’s really important to see how much they pass on, and can these younger players become more alert, more urgent and understand that they have to break through and not miss the train.
“We want our younger players to grow, mature and step it up, but we also want to send signals to our CONCACAF region that we are ready to rock it in 2015. We want to win the Gold Cup because that qualifies us automatically for the Confederations Cup in 2017. We want the No. 1 spot in our region and to show the European countries that it is not that easy to play against us. We want to continue our growth and we want to see the players understand that moment in time.”
U.S. MNT ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (4): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Hamburg), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)