U.S. World Cup roster: Jurgen Klinsmann names 30-man team; Eddie Johnson omitted
Jurgen Klinsmann has announced his 30-man preliminary World Cup roster that will battle for 23 tickets to Brazil. (David Richard/USA Today Sports).
The first of Jurgen Klinsmann's two World Cup roster selections is complete, and it comes full with a major surprise.
Eddie Johnson, who had emerged as a regular under Klinsmann and whose resurgence helped the United States qualify for the World Cup, is not among the 30 players Klinsmann has called in for pre-World Cup training camp. Veterans Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Tim Howard lead the charge for Klinsmann's side. Young right back DeAndre Yedlin is also on the team, in addition to Julian Green, Bayern Munich's 18-year-old German-American dynamo who injured his shoulder in his U.S. debut vs Mexico on April 2 and hasn't played since.
Among the others who won't even get the chance to compete for a place in Brazil in addition to Johnson are veteran midfielders Benny Feilhaber and Sacha Kljestan, winger Brek Shea and forward Juan Agudelo. Klinsmann has until June 2 to make his final cut down to the 23 players he will take with him to Brazil.
Johnson has yet to score for D.C. United this season, his first since moving from Seattle (where he scored 23 goals in two years). He played a big role in getting the U.S. to where it is at though, scoring two goals against Antigua & Barbuda to help get the U.S. to the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying hexagonal and then two more during the hex, including the go-ahead goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico last September.
The U.S. will gather at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., this week, starting on Wednesday. That portion of camp will conclude with the Americans playing against Azerbaijan -- coached by current U.S. World Cup advisor Berti Vogts -- on May 27 at Candlestick Park. Camp then shifts to the New York area, where the U.S. will host Turkey on June 1 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. The final friendly before the USA departs for Brazil takes place June 7 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., against fellow World Cup participant Nigeria.
While in Brazil, the U.S. is slated to play Belgium in a closed-door scrimmage on June 12, the day of the World Cup opener, before commencing Group G play against Ghana on June 16.
ROSTERS: Ghana's 26-man squad | Germany's 30-man preliminary team
Here are the 30 men who will battle for 23 plane tickets to Brazil:
GOALKEEPERS: Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS
: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
