photo by Douglas Zimmerman/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
If the U.S. men's national team are going to pick up six points en route to improving their chances of qualifiying for the 2014 World Cup, they will have to do so without a couple of their top players and with two others fighting to get back in form.
Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley were left off a 25-man roster called in by U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for a pair of upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica due to injury, but Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra were included despite having just recently resolved their problematic club situations.
Other players selected on the team that was announced on Sunday were Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, Geoff Cameron, Brek Shea and Joshua Gatt. Gatt, however, will not join the team as he suffered a hamstring injury in Molde FK's game on Sunday afternoon.
The U.S. team has begun gathering in Miami, where they will train for the next two days before departing for Jamaica on Wednesday. The Americans will take on the Reggae Boyz on Friday at Independence Park in Kingston before heading to Columbus Crew Stadium on July 11 for the two teams' second Group A match against one another.
Here is the full roster:
GOALKEEPERS (4) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (9) : Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Maurice Edu (Stoke City), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MIDFIELDERS (8) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Joshua Gatt (Molde), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4 ): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos)
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What do you think of this roster? Surprised by anyone's inclusion/omission? Think this team will be able to pick up two wins against Jamaica?
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