CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann selected 10 players from this year’s World Cup team to play against the Czech Republic next Wednesday.
Such stars as Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley were not on the roster as Klinsmann chose a mixture of youngsters and veterans to Prague. Howard is taking a one-year-sabbatical from the national team.
It’s the first game for the U.S. since losing 2-1 to Belgium in the second round of the World Cup.
Players who represented the United States in Brazil and were chosen Thursday by Klinsmann are goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Nick Rimando; defenders John Brooks, Geoff Cameron, Tim Chandler and Fabian Johnson; midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Mix Diskerud and Julian Green; and forward Jozy Altidore.
“We look at this as the start of our project towards Russia in 2018,” Klinsmann said of the next World Cup, “and in this first step we get to look at many of our talented young players based in Europe. We have some great youngsters coming through the ranks that are starting to break through with their clubs teams and are ready to challenge for spots on the senior team. And even most of our World Cup veterans from Brazil on this roster will be coming into the prime of their careers in the next four years, so this is an exciting opportunity.”
Altidore is the leading cap winner on the roster with 71 appearances. Five players have never played for the senior national team: goalkeeper Cody Cropper, defender Greg Garza, midfielder Emerson Hyndman, forwards Joe Gyau and Rubio Rubin.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Cody Cropper (Southampton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake);
Defenders : John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton)
Midfielders : Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Brek Shea (Stoke City)
Forwards : Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Joe Gyau (Borussia Dortmund II), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich).
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