With just four games remaining in the World Cup qualifying push, Bruce Arena didn’t produce any surprises ahead of a pair of vital September matches.
Christian Pulisic, Fabian Johnson and Bobby Wood headline the 26-man USMNT squad for the upcoming pair of World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Honduras. The U.S. first hosts Los Ticos at Red Bull Arena on Sept. 1 before traveling to Honduras for a matchup with Los Caratchos four days later.
“I think we’re bringing in a good roster, one that has depth in every position and in which all 26 players have been with the National Team in 2017,” Arena said. “I think we have the right understanding as a group as to what needs to be done, and hopefully we can be successful in these next two games.”
The roster sees the return of a slew of European-based players following this summer’s Gold Cup. The CONCACAF tournament featured an MLS-heavy squad, one which included Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Darlington Nagbe, who return to lead the current roster.
Meanwhile, European-based players like Pulisic, Wood and Geoff Cameron return to the fold for the first time since June’s World Cup qualifying matches against Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico. Johnson and Omar Gonzalez return to the team after recently overcoming injury issues while DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks miss out due to injuries of their own.
As things stand, the USMNT sits third in the Hexagonal standings, three points behind second-place Costa Rica and one point ahead of fourth-place Panama.
Here’s a closer look at the full USMNT squad for the upcoming qualifiers:
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City/ENG), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca/MEX), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna/MEX), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Paul Arriola (D.C. United), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/CAN), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg/GER)