CHICAGO (March 26, 2014) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named 22 players to train in Phoenix in advance of USA-Mexico, presented by AT&T, on April 2 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Kickoff for the USA’s final match before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup preparation camp is set for 8 p.m. Arizona Time (11 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas and the ESPN Deportes Radio Network. Fans can also follow the match live on Twitter @ussoccer.

“Everyone knows the clock is ticking,” said Klinsmann. “This is a huge opportunity for our players to show where they are at and to make their case. We expect them to give a really strong performance against a Mexican team that is now basically coming back on track. They need to prove now that they badly want to go to Brazil.”

• Q&A with Jurgen Klinsmann
• Road to the Roster Episode 1
• Road to the Roster Episode 2

Led by Seattle Sounders FC forward and U.S. captain Clint Dempsey, the vast majority of the roster is made up of players from MLS, with a total of 19 players from 11 clubs. The Puebla duo of DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco represents Liga MX. Since the match does not fall on an international fixture date, most of the European-based players will not be available. However, Bayern Munich forward Julian Green has been released by his club to participate in what could be his first match representing the United States.

More than 47,000 tickets have been sold for the clash of the regional rivals [TICKETS]. Tickets are available through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Phoenix area (including Fry’s Marketplace), as well as the University of Phoenix Stadium ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. MT).

Groups of 30 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Eddie Johnson (D.C. United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

ROSTER NOTES

 

• Five players on the roster are captains of their club teams – Kyle Beckerman, Matt Besler, Brad Evans, Michael Parkhurst and Chris Wondolowski
• DaMarcus Beasley, who has the opportunity to make his fourth World Cup roster, captained the U.S. to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup crown.
• Nick Rimando backstopped the team in that tournament, collecting five victories and earning a shutout in the final, a 1-0 win against Panama. With the win against Korea Republic in January, he improved his career record to a perfect 10-0-0 all-time.
• Landon Donovan tied for the team lead in 2013 with eight goals. He started all six games in the Gold Cup and shared Golden Boot honors with Wondolowski, each scoring five times. Wondolowski scored both goals in the 2-0 win against the Korea Republic on Feb. 1.
• University of Phoenix Stadium has been a fantastic venue for the National Team, having hosted two shutout victories. A crowd of 62,424 fans witnessed the U.S. collect a 2-0 win against Mexico on Feb. 7, 2007. Remarkably, it was the USA’s eighth-consecutive clean sheet against El Tri on U.S. soil. Six years later, Graham Zusi earned his first cap and a goal from Ricardo Clark gave the U.S. a 1-0 win against Venezuela.
• After Donovan (155 caps/57 goals), Beasley has the second most caps on the roster with 114. He and Eddie Johnson tied for the most MNT appearances in 2013 with 17.
• In 2013, Johnson accumulated five goals and one assist. He scored the goal that completed the USA’s quest to qualify for the World Cup, netting the opening goal in the 2-0 win against Mexico.
• Zusi scored the now famous tying goal in the 3-2 win against Panama on Oct. 15, 2013, that lifted Mexico into fourth place in CONCACAF qualifying and the intercontinental playoff against New Zealand that allowed El Tri to qualify for Brazil.
• Evans scored the game-winning goal in the 2-1 win in Jamaica on June 7 in Kingston. Recording his first goal for the MNT, his strike in the second minute of second-half stoppage time handed the U.S. a huge three points. He has started at right back in eight of the last nine games for which he was available, including five World Cup Qualifiers.
• Clarence Goodson recorded a career-high 10 starts in 2013, including five in the Gold Cup.
• Besler took home 2012 MLS Defender of the Year honors, a year after LA Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez earned the same award.
• Maurice Edu makes his first trip to the National Team since starting in the historic 0-0 draw in qualifying against Mexico on March 26, 2013, at Estadio Azteca.
• Michael Orozco scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 win that marked the USA’s first victory against Mexico on Mexican soil.
• Luis Gil and DeAndre Yedlin make their second camp for the Senior Team following the game against Korea. Both were part of the 2013 U.S. U-20 World Cup team and started all three matches of the tournament.
• Yedlin finished third in the 2013 MLS Rookie of the Year voting.
• Julian Green is the only player on the roster in search of his first cap. Born in Tampa, Fla., he is a dual citizen of the United States and Germany. The 18-year-old played for Germany in qualifying for the UEFA U-19 championship, which required that he complete a one-time change of association that allows him to play for the U.S. National Team.
• The United States and Mexico meet for the first time since the USA’s “Dos a Cero” victory on Sept. 10, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio, secured the team’s advancement to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The previous friendly between the regional rivals also proved historic when an Orozco goal and a Tim Howard shutout delivered the MNT its first victory against Mexico on their own soil, a 1-0 win on Aug. 15, 2012, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.