U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named a squad of 22 players to prepare for the upcoming friendlies against France and Slovenia. The U.S. will first face France on Nov. 11 in Paris. Kickoff at the famed Stade de France is set for 3 p.m. ET (9 p.m. local time), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3, Univision and Univision.com.
Four days later, the U.S. plays Slovenia for the first time since the 2-2 draw in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Coverage from Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana begins at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Galavision. Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.
The team will begin gathering Nov. 7 in Paris for the final matches for the U.S. Men’s National Team this year. There is only one further international fixture date between now and the training camp in May of 2012, which begins final preparations for the start of World Cup qualifying. Should any MLS-based players on the roster be involved in the 2011 MLS Cup that takes place Nov. 20 in Carson, Calif., they will be released following the match against France.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2):Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton)
DEFENDERS (7):Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)
FORWARDS (4):Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Edson Buddle (Ingolstadt), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
“These games are valuable opportunities for us as we continue to explore and evaluate everyone in the national team program,” said Klinsmann. “We have started to build a foundation on our playing style, and every time we are together the team gets a more precise picture of how I want to see things done on the field. We want to continue to progress so we are able to challenge teams like France, who have earned their place as one of the top 15 teams in the world.” [More from Klinsmann]
Roster notes:
- U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra has accumulated 98 caps and is now two appearances away from becoming the 12th player in U.S. Men’s National Team history to reach 100 games played.
- Nine players on the roster appeared in the 2-2 draw against Slovenia in the teams’ second group game at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including goalscorers Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan.
- Fabian Johnson returns to the roster for the first time since receiving approval from FIFA for a change of association. Jermaine Jones is back in the squad for the second time under Klinsmann.
- Six players on the roster are age-eligible for the U-23 MNT[MK1] : Jozy Altidore, Timmy Chandler, Bill Hamid, Alfredo Morales, Brek Shea and Danny Williams.
- Hamid and Morales are the only two players on the roster in search of their first cap. Morales, who plays for Hertha Berlin, makes his debut in a full national team camp, having previously been involved with the U.S. U-20 MNT.
U.S. fans traveling to the matches have the opportunity to purchase tickets in the visiting supporters section. For information on tickets for the match against France, click here. Fans who wish to get tickets in the U.S. supporters section in Slovenia must purchase them through ussoccer.com no later than Friday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. ET. To purchase tickets for USA-Slovenia, click here.
