The Copa America Centenario is 32 days away and U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will have to trim down his 40-player preliminary
The Copa America Centenario is 32 days away and U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann will have to trim down his 40-player preliminary roster he submitted on Sunday to just 23 names before the May 20 deadline.
Included in the 40-player roster are the usual names like Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, the up-and-coming players like Christian Pulisic, Matt Miazga, and Kellyn Acosta, and a handful of California natives and players with ties to California.
The natives named to the roster include David Bingham (Castro Valley), Nick Rimando (Montclair), Michael Orozco (Orange), Steve Birnbaum (Newport), Chris Wondolowski (Danville), and Gyasi Zardes (Hawthorne). Players who were named with California ties are Jordan Morris (Stanford), Brad Evans (UC Irvine), Bobby Wood (Irvine Strikers), and Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy).
The biggest question isn’t going to be where the players are from, but who will be named to the 23-player roster and who will be in starting XI. Does Jurgen go with a younger and less experienced roster or does he go with the veterans?
Sound off below. What would you do as the USMNT coach?
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (5): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Ethan Horvath (Molde), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (15): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (FC Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Danny Williams (Reading FC), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (8): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
