Jurgen Klinsmann has announced the 23-man roster for the United States’ upcoming friendlies against Peru and Brazil.
Tim Howard makes his return to the USMNT after his hiatus from the national team, but Klinsmann has already said he will have to earn his starting role back from Brad Guzan.
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Stoke City defender Geoff Cameron is also back in the side after being given some rest over the summer during the Gold Cup. Overall, 15 players from the Gold Cup roster will be returning for the September friendly matches.
For now, two of the USMNT’s most important players, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley, are not present on the 23-man roster for the match against Peru. However, both will be added after that match to face Brazil.
Klinsmann said these friendlies will mainly serve as warm-up matches to the one that everyone has circled on the calendar, October 10 against Mexico. The winner of that match will get to represent CONCACAF in the 2017 Confederations Cup.
The bigger picture is to get some answers for how we put things together for the Mexico game a month from now.
Obviously we want to continue to have a good flow of guys from the Gold Cup, but also to bring back guys who are in position to compete for a spot on the roster for Oct. 10. Our message to these guys is simple: prove a point that you want to be at the Rose Bowl.”
While most of the players are familiar faces around the U.S. camp, there is one new addition as Andrew Wooten received his first call-up. The German-born striker has scored five goals in the opening five matches of the season for SV Sandhausen, who play in the second division of German football.
COMPLETE ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Greg Garza (Atlas), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham)
Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Joe Corona (Veracruz), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Alfredo Morales (FC Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Andrew Wooten (SV Sandhausen), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
