Nguyen could make 1st US appearance since 2007
CHICAGO (AP) Lee Nguyen could make his first U.S. national team appearance in seven years, and DaMarcus Beasley is back for the first time since this year's World Cup.
They were among 25 players selected Monday for exhibition games against Colombia in London on Friday and against Ireland in Dublin four days later.
Sixteen players were part of the World Cup roster and 12 players have 10 appearances or fewer. Eight are from Major League Soccer.
Nguyen, a 28-year-old midfielder, was fourth in MLS this season with 18 goals for New England, the most among Americans. He made his national team debut in a 2007 exhibition against China and played twice in that year's Copa America.
Beasley, the Americans' starting left back, returned to MLS after the World Cup to join Houston.
Two forwards could make their national team debuts: Rubio Rubin and Jordan Morris.
Morris, 20, is a sophomore at Stanford. The U.S. Soccer Federation believes no college player has appeared for the national team since Ante Razov in 1995, the year before MLS started play.
Rubin, 18, signed with Utrecht last summer. He was the USSF's 2012 youth male athlete of the year.
The roster also includes Miguel Ibarra of Minnesota United, who last month became the first player from a second-tier American league asked to a national team camp since 2005. He made his debut as a 90th-minute substitute in the 1-1 tie against Honduras.
Seattle forward Clint Dempsey, the U.S. captain, was not included on the roster.
''We want our veterans to really become mentors both on and off the field, and we want to see our youngsters take advantage of the opportunity to make their case and grow from the experience,'' U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. ''These performances will set the tone for 2015.''
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Bill Hamid (D.C.), Sean Johnson (Chicago), Nick Rimando (Salt Lake).
Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston), Matt Besler (Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Geoff Cameron (Stoke, England), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Greg Garza (Tijuana, Mexico), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Jermaine Jones (New England), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle).
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes, France), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg, Norway), Julian Green (Hamburg, Germany), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt, Germany), Lee Nguyen (New England)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht, Netherlands), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich, Germany), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose).
