U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named 26 players to the roster that will train in advance of the opening matches of Final Round Qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Final Round, also known as the “Hex”,begins with USA-Mexico, presented by AT&T, on Nov. 11 in Columbus, Ohio.
For the third time in five World Cup qualifying cycles dating back to 2001, the MNT begins the Final Round with a home match against Mexico. The biggest game on U.S. soil every four years requires the team’s best, and Klinsmann has responded by bringing the strongest squad available. There are 15 players on the roster with World Cup experience, and a total of 17 who have seen action against Mexico, including 11 who have faced them in World Cup Qualifying.
“Obviously the Mexico clash is a six-pointer to start the Hexagonal right away,” said Klinsmann. “We badly want to continue the tradition of beating them in Columbus. Having 26 players coming in gives us many different options for both games. It allows us to evaluate certain players, like a Jermaine Jones, to see how far he has come along fitness wise. Bringing in the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Lynden Gooch and Caleb Stanko proves that the younger players are pushing through.”
Columbus has served as the spiritual home of U.S. Soccer and the host of USA-Mexico for the past four cycles. In each, the United States has collected 2-0 shutout victories, establishing the rally cry of “Dos a Cero” for U.S. supporters. On two occasions – in 2005 and 2013 – the victories secured the USA’s advancement to the World Cup.
It’s not just against Mexico that the U.S. has had success in Columbus. The MNT is unbeaten in 11 matches at MAPFRE Stadium, holding an 8-0-3 lifetime record with a remarkable 10 shutouts. Even more importantly, nine of the matches have been World Cup Qualifiers. The USA is 7-0-2 in those contests, most recently running out 4-0 winners against Guatemala on March 29 earlier this year on Matchday 4 of the Semifinal Round of qualifying.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (4): Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
Defenders (9): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)
Midfielders (9): Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Aron Johannsson (Werder Bremen), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bobby Wood (Hamburg)
