CHICAGO (May 31, 2015) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will bring 22 players to Europe for two of the toughest tests of his tenure, facing away friendlies against two of the top three finishers at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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The U.S. meets No. 6-ranked Netherlands on June 5 in Amsterdam (2:30 p.m. ET - ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas, UDN). The United States is seeking its first result in the series, having suffered four losses while scoring only a single goal.
Five days later, the USA faces 2014 FIFA World Cup champion Germany on June 10 in Cologne (Fox Sports 1, UniMas, UDN). The teams played in their final group game in Brazil last summer, with the Germans earning a 1-0 win. It’s been nine years since the last meeting on German soil, when the hosts then led by former coach Jurgen Klinsmann, cruised to a 4-1 win in Dortmund.
With the matches against Netherlands and Germany, the U.S. will have faced five teams in 2015 ranked in the top 20 in the world (Chile, Mexico, Switzerland are the other three), with four of those contests on away soil.
“Our time since the World Cup has been a transition period which now winds down before the Gold Cup,” said Klinsmann. “Playing against top teams like Germany and the Netherlands provides valuable experience, especially for the younger players here. More and more they must understand we come to meet these opponents eye to eye. Obviously it’s a bit tricky when we are without some of our core players, but that creates a huge opportunity for the guys here to benchmark themselves against some of the best players in the world. ”
The blend of youth and experience is evident. Eight players on the roster have 10 caps or less, while nine have made 20 appearances or more.
The United States will be without the services of three key players, as Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore recovers from a hamstring injury and midfielder Alejandro Bedoya from a knee issue, and team captain Clint Dempsey remains in Seattle awaiting the birth of his fourth child.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION: Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
DEFENDERS (7): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS (
: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
