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Jones, Lichaj among 20 called up for USMNT friendlies

 Jermaine Jones 1 (Reuters)

Schalke 04 midfielder Jermaine Jones, Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj and FC Dallas winger Brek Shea were among 20 players called by U.S. men's national team head coach Bob Bradley for upcoming friendlies against Poland (Oct. 9th in Chicago) and Colombia (Oct. 12 in Chester, Pa.).

Shea and Heath Pearce were the only MLS players to be called in, with the league playing a full schedule around the time of the friendlies. Shea and Pearce will join the national team after playing in Dallas' match against Colorado on Oct. 9th. National team star Landon Donovan appears set to miss both friendlies.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to gather many of our players based in Europe and continue to build on the foundation we established during the last four years," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "We believe we have a strong nucleus of talented players, many of whom we are going to challenge to assume greater leadership roles during the next four-year cycle.

"We certainly have ideas on how we want to move forward, and these games will be the start of that process."

Some old familiar faces are back in the mix, with Eddie Johnson and Michael Parkhurst earning call-ups.

Here is the full roster:

USMNT Roster for Poland/Colombia friendlies

GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS-Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS– Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers), Jermaine Jones (FC Schalke), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)

FORWARDS-Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

What do you think of the group? Excited to finally see Jermaine Jones play for the USA? Hoping Jozy Altidore can find his goal-scoring touch? Who else would you like to have seen called in?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “What has Eric Lichaj done? Until this season he wasn’t even making the bench for Villa. ”

    I don’t think Lichaj should be called up either but they’ve had him in camp before and he is on the cusp of possibly breaking thru at Villa, so I’ll assume they have a good reason for doing this.

    “But Gale was on a Champions League club.”

    That’s stretching the truth a little. He never played a senior game for them and his brief association with them in terms of how it relates to the national team is about as relevant as the fact that Kenny Cooper once was under contract to Man U.

    Lichaj has a far greater chance of being a regular for Villa than Boss has of ever playing a game for Braga.

    This isn’t a fantasy football league. The US actually has real games to play and needs players who can play right now. National team coaches don’t have a lot of time to be coaching up 18 year olds. They have to get that at their clubs and show up at a USMNT camp ready to go.

    Boss needs to prove that he deserves an invitation to a senior US camp. Had he gone to Braga and impressed and made the team and got placed on the Champions league roster ( other teenagers have done things like that) then maybe you’ve got a case. But the kid did not do enough to earn a spot and he got cut, farmed out, whatever. So you want to reward him for failing? What do you think the USMNT, is a baby sitting service?

    He seems like a tough kid. Let Boss got out and fight his way onto a roster, beat someone out of a job and drive them into joblessness and poverty. Then he will deserve a call up to the USMNT. It makes for tougher competitors that way.

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  2. Dont understand why everyone is commenting on the negatives?
    When obviously BB listened and called in Brek and Eric…2 players everyone wanted they got.

    Seriously just support the team!

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  3. No problem. It’s something that’s puzzling me too. Makes you wonder why Schellas said “Yeah sure you can have ’em” and why Backe and Bruce said “No” (if Bob did in fact want to call up Gonzalez and/or Ream)

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  4. Well B.B. Finally is getting the Idea to start calling new people in to the USNMT but he need to stop calling the Veteran and used this friendly to make a new national team so he can used that in the GOLDCUP with a mix of U17 & U20 players and players that in Europe that hasn’t been call to the USNMT before. He need to start a new foundation with new players, we know what Bocanegra, oguchi, Cherendulo, eddie johnson and others. Please we more young guys with better technical, creativity and speed, I like that he has Altidore, Lichaj, M. Bradley, Shea, Feilhaber,Holden, Edu, Spector wich he has call Castillo, Torres, and other player from the U20 or U17 Jones is great cause is his first time playing for USA his experience coming from the Youth of Germany National can help a lot. WOW Bradley you are heading in the right direction but need to work more in selection your players and your tacticals, I hope his experience in the world cup has teach Bob Bradley to be more careful setting up his team.

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  5. I never said he would be a starter. If he was called up he would be at the bottom of the totem pole. I was just wondering why he wasn’t getting any love for a call-up. What has Eric Lichaj done? Until this season he wasn’t even making the bench for Villa. The EPL is a much tougher league to play in and train consistently. But Gale was on a Champions League club. I think Gale and Eric Lichaj have the same amount of talent in their respective positions. Maybe because we are weaker at fullback than center back.

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  6. Isn’t Diskerud a mid fielder? It’s a serious question b/c believe it or not I’ve never seen a Norwegian league match. If he is a MF, then I wouldn’t expect to see him getting playing time over the other MFs called in. Then consider Dempsey is listed as a forward and Donovan, Torres and Clark weren’t called in. Where does Diskerud find playing time?

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  7. Can I just point out that this midfield:

    Dempsey….Holden……..Donovan
    …….Jones…………Bradley

    is absolutely disgustingly awesome?

    That is a legit top-10 midfield. I’m getting all giddy waiting to see how MB and JJ team up, and how Holden will make Jozy start scoring goals. Sooooooooo good.

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  8. We need to realize that anyone up to 24 years old is a “youngster” in national team terms. That would mean he could be 28 by the next world cup and even a longshot for the one after that. There’s no need to go looking for 18 year olds when there’s guys in their early 20’s who deserve a shot.

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  9. “Michael Parkhurst is decent, but I don’t see him becoming a starter in the future. ”

    Maybe, but then you don’t evaluate players professionally (right?).

    Boss is a kid. He is a talented prospect of a kid but he’s still a kid. He’s not even on a club roster at the moment. He may never even play another professional game. You all fall in love with these Youth guys because the grass is always greener but you forget about the Szetelas, the Zizzos and yes, the Adus of the world.

    Parkhurst is a 26 year old , 5 year pro, who as hard as this may be to believe, might actually get better. He doesn’t have Boss’ raw potential and athleticism but he has passed many tests that Boss still has to face.

    Why don’t you let Boss prove some things first before you give him the starting CB role for the USMNT in the 2014 Cup?

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