Clint Dempsey selection surprisingly headlines USMNT World Cup qualifying roster
Bruce Arena released his first full United States men’s national team roster on Wednesday ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Honduras on March 24 and in Panama on March 28.
Since taking over from the fired Jurgen Klinsmann in November, Arena has been single-minded about turning around the USA’s flagging World Cup qualifying campaign. Under Klinsmann, the Americans lost both a home game to Mexico – for the first time in decades – and an away game in Costa Rica – in an embarrassing 4-0 defeat – to begin the final round of qualifying.
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Eight of 10 games remain, and the top three of six teams will qualify for Russia in 2018 – with a fourth team facing Asia’s fifth-place finisher for a final berth – but the Americans currently languish in last place. The U.S. has not failed to reach a World Cup since 1986.
Arena has called in a veteran-heavy roster, albeit with a few fresh faces that might be of help down the line.
“We put together a roster that we think has balance and one that gives us an option in playing a number of different ways,” Arena said in a statement. “It’s a roster where the primary rationale is to help us be successful in these two games, but we’re also looking down the road and bringing in some young players that we think have an opportunity to be an important part of the national team program as well.”
“Our approach to these games is simple,” he added. “We want to win.”
Arena was buoyed by the return to health of defensive rock Geoff Cameron and longtime starting goalkeeper Tim Howard. The big surprise, however, was the inclusion of forward and second USMNT all-time leading scorer Clint Dempsey. The team’s onetime captain hasn’t appeared in a U.S. jersey since the Copa America Centenario on home soil in June because of an irregular heartbeat that also cost him the second half of his Major League Soccer season with the champion Seattle Sounders.
Previously, Arena had cast doubt on Dempsey’s return for the March camp. It would probably come too soon, the veteran manager figured. But the 34-year-old Dempsey has logged 90 minutes in both of the Sounders’ first games of the season and could be useful even off the bench.
“Clint has a history that is almost second to none,” Arena said. “We know there are some good days still ahead for Clint. He’s made great progress in preseason and his first two games with Seattle, and we think he’s a player that can still help us in these games – perhaps at a reduced role – but a player that still has a tremendous history of scoring goals and creating opportunities. To have that kind of player available, I think, is invaluable.”
Arena’s team omits some recent contributors like Sacha Kljestan, Steve Birnbaum, Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi, while English-based defenders Eric Lichaj and DeAndre Yedlin were scratched because of injury. Timmy Chandler was left out because he is suspended for the first game and it wasn’t deemed worthwhile for him to travel from Germany for just the second match. Jermaine Jones, also suspended for the Honduras game, did make the team, as he’s with the Los Angeles Galaxy and not required to travel so far.
Some veteran retreads like Michael Orozco, Tim Ream and Dax McCarty found their way onto Arena’s final list. But he also left room for Jorge Villafana – who owes his pro career to the Sueno MLS game show – and Walker Zimmerman among his defenders. Kellyn Acosta is expected to step into a larger role in midfield, following the 21-year-old’s meteoric rise with FC Dallas. As is Sebastien Lletget, who impressed Arena while the latter was the Galaxy head coach, and who made a solid debut in January.
The 18-year-old prodigy Christian Pulisic, who scored his first Champions League goal last week, was, of course, brought in from Borussia Dortmund as well.
All of those young hopefuls – save for Pulisic – cemented their place on this team during successful displays at the annual January Camp.
After the March games, the qualifying campaign continues in June with a home game against Trinidad and Tobago on June 8 and the dreaded away game versus Mexico on June 11.
U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).
Defenders: John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas).
Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Jermaine Jones (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund).
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bobby Wood (Hamburg).
Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.
