Klinsmann Calls in 23 Players to Prepare for Friendly Against 13th-Ranked Bosnia-Herzegovina
U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann called in 23 players for a three-day training camp in advance of the friendly against 13th-ranked Bosnia-Herzegovina on Aug. 14 in Sarajevo.
Aug. 12, 2013
GOALKEEPERS - 3: Cody Cropper (Southampton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS - 7: John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Michael Orozco Fiscal (Puebla), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers)
MIDFIELDERS - 8: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Danny Williams (Reading)
FORWARDS - 5: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich)
Only Match Before FIFA World Cup Qualifying Resumes to be Broadcast Live on ESPN2, WatchESPN and UniMas at 2:30 p.m. ET
CHICAGO (Aug. 12, 2013) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called in 23 players for a three-day training camp in advance of the friendly against 13th-ranked Bosnia-Herzegovina on Aug. 14 in Sarajevo. Kickoff at Asim Ferhatovic Hase Stadium on Wednesday is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, WatchESPN and UniMas, and on ESPN Deportes Radio. Fans can also follow along live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer.
The first ever meeting against the host is the only match before 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying resumes with matches against Costa Rica on Sept. 6 in San Jose and Mexico four days later at a sold-out Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
The roster is comprised largely of European-based players who are coming off the summer break and beginning the new league campaigns.
“This is another opportunity to give ourselves a benchmark against a great opponent and one of the top teams in Europe,” said Klinsmann.
“Our European-based players are just getting started with their seasons and this gives them a chance to get going a couple weeks before our big World Cup Qualifiers. We’re also excited to bring some new faces into the Senior Team and have them start to become part of the group.”
The U.S. is currently riding a record-setting 11-match winning streak that began June 2 with a 4-3 victory against then second-ranked Germany in the Centennial Celebration Match. The streak includes three wins in World Cup Qualifying and six straight victories en route to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup championship.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is ranked No. 13 in the world, its best-ever ranking in its history, which is due to its impressive performance in European qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. After six matches, Bosnia-Herzegovina leads Group G with five wins and a draw, and holds a three-point lead over Greece. Overall, the Dragons are on an undefeated run of nine matches.
Klinsmann just passed the two-year anniversary of his tenure with the U.S. Men’s National Team and has compiled some impressive results, including a record-tying winning percentage in 2012 (.750) and a record-setting winning streak that utilized 35 different players.
ROSTER NOTES
Tim Howard is the leading cap-winner on the roster with 90 appearances.
Jozy Altidore has scored in his last four matches for the United States and is one of only six U.S. players to accomplish this feat, joining William Looby, Eric Wynalda, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan (twice). He would become the first player in history to score in five straight matches if he were to find the back of the net against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Six players on the roster appeared in all three of the USA’s wins in World Cup Qualifying in June: Altidore, Michael Bradley, Brad Evans, Howard, Eddie Johnson and Fabian Johnson.
A total of seven players were part of the Gold Cup-winning squad: Alejandro Bedoya, Edgar Castillo, Joe Corona, Mix Diskerud, Eddie Johnson, Michael Orozco Fiscal and Michael Parkhurst.
Leagues from 10 different countries are represented on the roster. Seven players come from playing in England, and five from Germany.
Five players on the roster are based in North America, with the Seattle Sounders sending the duo of Evans and Eddie Johnson and Club Tijuana contributing Castillo and Corona. Puebla defender Orozco Fiscal rounds out the group.
Evans scored the game-winning goal in the 2-1 win against Jamaica on June 7 in Kingston, the first ever road victory in qualifying against The Reggae Boyz.
Corona scored his first and second career goals for the National Team during the Gold Cup.
Having joined the squad after the group phase, Eddie Johnson scored 15 seconds after he entered the game in the 60th minute of the USA’s 5-1 win against El Salvador in the quarterfinal.
Johnson is tied for the most appearances this year for the MNT with DaMarcus Beasley, each having played in 12 matches.
Bedoya, who recently transferred to Nantes in Ligue 1 in France, also got on the scoresheet for the first time in his international career when he tallied in the 6-0 win against Guatemala on July 5 in San Diego.
Four players are in camp with the senior team for the first time: John Anthony Brooks, Cody Cropper, Aron Johannsson and Bobby Wood.
Cropper started all three matches for the U.S. at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
A native of Hawaii, Wood played in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The 20-year-old 1860 Munich forward could become the second player from Hawaii ever to play for the full National Team, following Brian Ching.
Brooks has been a part of the U.S. Youth National Team program at the U-20 level. He made his debut appearance in the Bundesliga this past weekend and did so in style, scoring the game-winner in the 6-1 win for Hertha Berlin against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Johannsson has applied to FIFA for a change of association after having represented Iceland at the U-21 level. He has scored twice in as many games for AZ Alkmaar, including a penalty in the 3-2 win against Ajax on Sunday. Born in Mobile, Ala., he makes his debut in the U.S. set up and awaits the completion of the process in order to be eligible to participate in matches.
Terrence Boyd finished his first season at Rapid Vienna with 15 goals in all competitions.
With two straight clean sheets in March, Brad Guzan now has five shutouts in seven matches played in qualifying in his career, posting a 4-1-2 record.
Guzan was voted the 2013 Aston Villa Player of the Year by both players and supporters.
Danny Williams moved in the summer from Hoffenheim to Reading of the English League Championship.
Tim Ream returns to the fold for the first time since October of 2011.
Six players participated in the combined U-20/U-23 MNT camp in November of 2011 in Duisburg: Boyd, Brooks, Corona, Cropper, Diskerud and Wood.