U.S. roster announced for qualifier
Kljestan leads half-dozen MLS stars on Bradley's squad
By Dylan Butler / MLSnet.com Staff
Fresh off scoring two goals in the Beijing Olympics, Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan has been named to Bob Bradley's U.S. national team roster for the upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.
Kljestan is one of six Major League Soccer players on Bradley's 17-man roster for the match Wednesday in Guatemala City, the opener for both teams in CONCACAF's Group 1.
All 17 players were part of the roster that handed Barbados an 8-0 defeat in the first leg of second round qualifying on June 15 at The Home Depot Center. The team will gather in Miami beginning on Sunday, Aug. 17, and will depart for Guatemala City the following day. An 18th player will be added to the roster prior to the team's gathering in Miami.
"We are excited to begin the next phase of qualifying," Bradley said. "There are no easy games, and we know that Guatemala is a very difficult team to play against at home. It's important that we start off the semifinal round in a positive way, and we are confident the work from the last 18 months has prepared us for the task."
Kljestan's former Chivas teammate, goalkeeper Brad Guzan, one of four Olympians on the roster, was also selected. Guzan, who has yet to join his new teammates at Aston Villa, joins fellow English Premier League goalkeeper Tim Howard from Everton as the two 'keepers.
The defense is comprised mostly of experienced European-based players, including Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC) and Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock). Veteran Frankie Hejduk of the Columbus Crew is the lone MLS-based defender.
Bradley mixes in veterans like Pablo Mastroeni of the Columbus Crew and Eddie Lewis from Derby County, along with youth in Maurice Edu from Toronto FC, Kljestan and Michael Bradley (Heerenveen) in the midfield.
Up front, Bradley is going with Brian Ching of the Houston Dynamo, the Fulham FC duo of Clint Dempsey and Eddie Johnson as well as Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who is tied with Kenny Cooper of FC Dallas for the Golden Boot lead in MLS with 13 goals in 16 games.
The USA are the favorite in CONCACAF's Group 1, featuring Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba and Guatemala, which is led by Los Angeles Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz.
"We're in really good shape, we're ready and our minds are totally focused on the start of qualifying, especially after what happened four years ago," Ruiz told FIFA.com. "We were just one game away from finishing in fourth place [in the North, Central America and Caribbean Zone] and that would have earned us a playoff place."
The U.S. is 10-4-5 lifetime against Guatemala and is currently riding a six-match shutout streak against the Central American country. The teams have met eight times overall in World Cup qualifying play, with the U.S. holding an unbeaten 4-0-4 mark in the series.
During the final round hexagonal in 2005, the U.S. won the home meeting 2-0 in Birmingham, Ala., on goals by Steve Ralston and Eddie Johnson. The teams then played to a 0-0 draw in Guatemala City on Sept. 7, 2005, four days after the U.S. had clinched their place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win against Mexico. In their most recent meeting, a Clint Dempsey goal sparked the U.S. to a 1-0 victory in their opening match of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, paving the way for the United States to successfully defend their Gold Cup crown.
U.S. national team roster
vs. Guatemala Aug. 20, 2008 - FIFA World Cup qualifier)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/ENG: 2/2 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC/ENG: 3/2 SO)
DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes/FRA: 13/1), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96/GER: 15/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC/ENG: 1/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 11/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege/BEL: 8/0), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock/GER: 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen/NED: 2/1), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC: 1/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 1/0), Eddie Lewis (Derby County/ENG: 19/3), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids: 10/0)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 7/4), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 21/8), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC/ENG: 8/2), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC/ENG: 8/8)
