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Klinsmann releases roster for October friendlies

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photo by Thomas Eisenhuth/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Jurgen Klinsmann has released the roster for the U.S. men's national team's upcoming friendlies against Honduras and Ecuador, and there are plenty of familiar faces and one brand new face.

German-born midfielder/defender Danny Williams has been called in for his first U.S. national team camp. The son of an American serviceman, Williams currently plies his trade with TSG Hoffenheim.

The rest of the roster for matches against Honduras and Ecuador is comprised of mostly the same guys Klinsmann has called in for his previous two camps, including Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Kyle Beckerman and Michael Orozco Fiscal.

Oguchi Onyewu and Nick Rimando were summoned for the first time by Klinsmann, who is still looking for his first win as U.S. head coach.

Here's the rest of the 22-man roster:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Bill Hamid, Nick Rimando

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Timmy Chandler, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Tim Ream, Jonathan Spector

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Jeff Larentowicz, Brek Shea, Danny Williams

Forwards: Juan Agudelo, Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Teal Bunbury, Landon Donovan

Klinsmann is hoping that the continuity of the core group of players will pay off, and he's also looking for better finishing after the U.S. team scored just one goal through his first three games.

"We would like to continue seeing our players develop through these initial couple of months,” Klinsmann told USSoccer.com. “One important thing is to see continuity in the build-up of our national team and also in the way we work as coaches. We'd like to see new faces as well, but we also don't want to shake up the core structure of the team too much.

"The two results with Costa Rica and Belgium didn't work in our favor but we saw clearly that the team started to understand what we demand from them in terms of pace, playing style and how to play. We are definitely on the right path, and what we now need to focus on in this get together is the eagerness to finish things off up front."

The United States will take on Honduras at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida on Oct. 8. Three days later the Americans will host their first ever game at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey against Ecuador.

Just like his last camp, Klinsmann is opening a training session for public viewing before each game. The open session in Miami will take place at Sun Life Stadium on Friday, Oct. 7 from 5-6pm, and the one in New Jersey will be at Red Bull Arena on Oct. 10 from 5-6pm.

The United States has won eight of its last nine games against Honduras dating back to 2002, though the Catrachos won the last meeting back on January 23, 2010.

The Americans have not faced Ecuador since Donovan scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on March 25, 2007.

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What do you think of the roster? Who do you think should/shouldn't have been called in? Who is missing that you were hoping to see called up?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “what I am saying is that he isnt good RIGHT NOW and is quite frankly, OVER-RATED by major Bloggers and writers of major media outlets. There are other CB-s that are in form and playing better than him. I am all for giving some experience to future players however, their place needs to be earned. what has Ream done to earn a spot other than making a nice pass out of the back a handfull of times and coughs up the ball once per game? That one off the mark pass will have you paying for it internationally…give me a big defensive clearence over the halfway mark as opposed to a turnover outside my 18 any day of the week. That said, we all know that Reams getting playing time because its the first USMNT game at Red Bull arena. ”

    I guess it boils down to what JK is trying to do with the team right now.

    He is obviously not trying to field the most potent team he could possibly field to win a game right now, regardless of what he has told the media.

    I find it hard to believe he cares what you, the media or any blogger thinks. The USMNT already has Agudelo who is more likely to get on the field anyway and is probably more popular and more likely to be noticed when he gets on the field.

    So they don’t need Ream to appease NYRB fans or management and that leaves your conspiracy theory quite thin.

    I don’t think much of Ream but apparently a lot of people who are better qualfied than you or me seem to rate him so I defer to their judgement at this time.

    You ask what has he done? I don’t know ( I’m not there) but whatever it is it is enough to earn him a spot in practice but not enough to earn him PT. So perhaps they are trying him out with different partners and formations. I’m not a micro manager so I’m inclined to think JK should be allowed to do his job until there is credible evidence he is incompetent.

    Experimental line ups for non competitive exhibitions over his first five games or so does not meet the credible evidence standard.

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  2. Nothing. I’m just reasonably questioning whether or not your “reasonably questioning the questionable ones?” is actually unreasonable.

    What you might really be saying is you want to see how Benny looks in with this group.

    JK obviously doesn’t feel the need like you do. I assume he has his reasons and I’m okay with that. It’s not like he was freezing out Messi or Xavi. I love Benny but under Bradley, Benny proved himself best at being a 20-30 minute supersub. If Benny wants in, let him prove he is back in top shape and form.

    This is the fourth game in JK’s tenure. It appears JK will be trying a number of different ideas in these early games.

    Who says he will play a formation that has a “Torres role” per se? And if he does play that way, from this roster he can always try Donovan or Dempsey in that role.

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  3. JK wants it both ways;

    “We’d like to see new faces as well, we also don’t want to shake up the core structure of the team too much.”

    It’s called coach speak.

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  4. who do you think should get looks in the role Torres had in the last friendlies? for the USMNT pool, Benny is one player from the old guard I would think Coach would be interested in seeing under his direction. good touch, vision and final ball ability from our pool.

    obviously Klinsmann has his reasons. what’s wrong with reasonably questioning the questionable ones?

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  5. enjoyed all of it.

    one thing about overlapping backs and flank play is you need the players who can do it effectively and not simply lose possession or cough up weak service that only serves to ignite the counter right back up their alley

    but with Dolo out there, he’s a threat and helps keep opposing backs pinned because they are aware he can get forward with skills.

    it depends. my view would be we need to play the best tactics/formations/strategies to fit the strengths of our best available players

    just this idiot’s opinion 😉

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  6. everyone was on Tim Ream’s jock…i don’t care how well they do in the league games until the prove it on the intl stage…some players like Podolski aren’t lighting it up in league, but kill it in intl games…so before ppl start clamoring for John, Cameron and so on…remember the Coopers, Reams, Brad Davis, so on and so on…tearing it up in league doesn’t translate to intl competition…until they prove it at the intl level, i could care less about them…

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  7. hmmmmmmm

    if we’re talking about a hold up player, Sapong excels, a rugged #9. Bunbury seems better in space facing goal with his speed and cannon shot

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  8. you don’t know how they will play on the international level until we see them suit up…i hate it how all of u clamor for guys who you think would do well on the international level only to see them fail….anyone remember Kenny Cooper, Michael Parkhurst, Brad Davis, so on and so on…..just because they perform well at MLS level doesn’t translate to baller status at the Intl level…so stfu and support the guys they do call up….

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  9. I didn’t realize JK’s job was to make sure Davis and Dunivant got their just rewards.

    Are you advocating the US be built around Davis? Do you think he and Dunivant can show the kind of form they do in MLS against Germany, for example?

    Because if they can’t then there is no reason to start.

    I’ve seen both guys and I think they are fine but I also think that, by now, there is probably a reason they are where they are.

    When it comes to MLS players I think people forget JK was a consultant for TFC and presumably spent a lot of time very recently evaluating MLS players.

    As for John well if Greece wanted to cap him so bad they would had done so at the beginning of September when the Euro qualifiers would have tied him to them forever. They did not and that tells me something.

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  10. YOU: “JK has made it pretty clear he’s going to be doing a lot of experimenting.”
    “I don’t see him really settling on a core of regulars (other than the really obvious ones) for some time.”

    KLINSMANN: “One important thing is to see continuity in the build-up of our national team and also in the way we work as coaches. We’d like to see new faces as well, but we also don’t want to shake up the core structure of the team too much.”

    Reply
  11. What is there about Benny that you think everyone in the world, including JK, doesn’t already know?

    He’s not at his best now. Let him force his way onto the team.

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  12. “I’m getting worried that Klinsmann has no idea what he’s doing…”

    It would be more accurate to say you have no idea what he is doing.

    JK has made it pretty clear he’s going to be doing a lot of experimenting. It’s pretty clear the first three games and then the next bunch of games before the US gets to WC qualifying wil be about trying out certain ideas and concepts.

    I look at this batch of games as more like training sessions.

    JK already knows about the attacking skills of Mixx and Benny. I don’t see him really settling on a core of regulars (other than the really obvious ones)for some time.

    He is after all trying to change a culture and that takes time.

    The fact that you don’t have any idea of what he is doing is okay. Presumably the USSF believes he knows what he is doing and they pay the bills.

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  13. If your conspiracy theory is true, and I’m not saying it isn’t, then what do they need Ream for?

    JK always picks Agudelo and he is much more likely to see the field than Ream so why waste a spot on Ream to throw a bone to NYRB?

    I would think JA is more popular anyway and fulfills the supposed latin quota so you get two for one there.

    Reply
  14. Your money is safe, at least from me. However, Dolo can play left back since he just did it for Hannover in the Europa league in an emergency situation and I have no problem with him trying to do it for the US. I’m sure JK knows about that game so someone may take you up on your bet.

    Still, as long as he retains his form, I would prefer Dolo stay right where he is through the next World Cup. Gio Van Bronckhorst was Holland’s starting right back in the 2010 World Cup, scored an amazing goal and was 35 at the time.

    I realize most USMNT’s fans are into flavor of the day but Dolo’s skill and experience are actually an asset for the USMNT despite this massive movement by fans to dump him ASAP.

    Chandler is amazing but he can be shifted around.

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  15. really? Ok, he has been picked by two national team coaches…played by one who has been shown the door for failing miserably in the Gold Cup final where Ream featured a few times and was garbage. The 2nd national team coach hasnt even played him and didnt even make the bench in one of the games…whats your point again?

    I’m not saying he isnt good and I don’t mean to offend you by saying your guy is not what people hype him up to be…what I am saying is that he isnt good RIGHT NOW and is quite frankly, OVER-RATED by major Bloggers and writers of major media outlets. There are other CB-s that are in form and playing better than him. I am all for giving some experience to future players however, their place needs to be earned. what has Ream done to earn a spot other than making a nice pass out of the back a handfull of times and coughs up the ball once per game? That one off the mark pass will have you paying for it internationally…give me a big defensive clearence over the halfway mark as opposed to a turnover outside my 18 any day of the week. That said, we all know that Reams getting playing time because its the first USMNT game at Red Bull arena.

    Reply
  16. really? Ok, he has been picked by two national team coaches…played by one who has been shown the door for failing miserably in the Gold Cup final where Ream featured a few times and was garbage. The 2nd national team coach hasnt even played him and didnt even make the bench in one of the games…whats your point again?

    I’m not saying he isnt good and I don’t mean to offend you by saying your guy is not what people hype him up to be…what I am saying is that he isnt good RIGHT NOW and is quite frankly, OVER-RATED by major Bloggers and writers of major media outlets. There are other CB-s that are in form and playing better than him. I am all for giving some experience to future players however, their place needs to be earned. what has Ream done to earn a spot other than making a nice pass out of the back a handfull of times and coughs up the ball once per game? That one off the mark pass will have you paying for it internationally…give me a big defensive clearence over the halfway mark as opposed to a turnover outside my 18 any day of the week. That said, we all know that Reams getting playing time because its the first USMNT game at Red Bull arena.

    Reply
  17. Would like to see Bunbury get more time. He has 7 goals this season, many coming off the bench. He has a high goals/min played ratio and he makes less turnovers than Agudelo.

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  18. In defense of Jim from Atlanta…
    Bunberry>Sapong>Bruin

    I do think that Sapong may develop into a better long term striker than the other two, Klinsy is seeking a #9, someone to hold the ball up and have people play off of him, for that role Bunberry may be the guy …or the back up buy.

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  19. Jeff, huge Gonzo fan here….but Morelia game was not his best outing, more like one of his poorest efforts…you don’t dribble out of bounds, pass balls to no one upfield, etc. when you’re trying to impress the USNat coach.

    Defensively OK, nothing spectacular ‘good size’ that beat the Morelia crosses, but not like he imposed his will on the game or anything…he’s looked better.

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  20. whoa buddy… Larentowicz is good, he just doesnt deserve a call right now & thats an absurd statement about Beckerman. He is arguably our best holding mid right now. He has played better than Edu in recently in friendlies and is at such a high level he is about as good or better than Bradley atm. He is on the best form of his life and as long as he continues it he shouldnt be a question and should actually be in the starting line-up..

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  21. Ream is a prospect but in one heck of a sophmore slump. Call in John, woo him a bit and you wont have to worry about him switching over to Greece.

    It would actually be better for Ream if he were excluded so he could work on regaining his confidence with his club team and re-enter the Nats picture with momentum next year

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  22. Absolutely right about on paper, but think about it. We use to have that hunker down defense and rely on counter attack. But we’ve changed over the last five years or so, and tried to have more of a holding midfield play. Only to get burned when one of our backs moved up field on the counter only to face an opposing counter attack. Now with my some what altered “christmas tree” line up (a joke to some who get it) – we can let our backs concentrate on a more hold the back-line and let our overabundance of midfielders learn to control the center of the pitch. The only way we get exploited is if we continue to push up our outside backs. In this formation they should more likely only be supporting and not get too out of position. Regardless of the formation we are heavy in the middle and need to rely on that fact. I agree, and would rather have Bradley in a more of a box to box position, but I like him and think he can control the pace of play behind others. At the end of the day, we got no one who can play as a lone striker, and I’m tired of seeing a 4-4-2 so this is my experiment. I guess less controversial and to help our backs out a bit from becoming too exposed would be a 4-3-1-2 but I think that with overlapping play we end up leaving our backs out of position. Regardless excited to see what happens. Just this idiots opinion.

    Reply

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