U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named a squad of 22 players to prepare for the upcoming friendlies against Honduras and Ecuador. The U.S. first hosts Honduras on Oct. 8 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer and Univision. Three days later, the U.S. makes its first appearance at Red Bull Arena when they welcome Ecuador to Harrison, N.J. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. Fans can follow both matches live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION- Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)
FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
“We would like to continue seeing our players develop through these initial couple of months,” said Klinsmann. “One important thing is to see continuity in the build-up of our national team and also in the way we work as coaches. We’d like to see new faces as well, but we also don’t want to shake up the core structure of the team too much. The two results with Costa Rica and Belgium didn’t work in our favor but we saw clearly that the team started to understand what we demand from them in terms of pace, playing style and how to play. We are definitely on the right path, and what we now need to focus on in this get together is the eagerness to finish things off up front.”
All but three of the players on the roster have been in camp since Klinsmann took the helm in August. Two-time World Cup defender Oguchi Onyewu returns to the fold, along with Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, while Danny Williams get his first introduction into a U.S. camp. Born in Germany, the 21-year-old will be eligible to play for the United States after certifying his U.S. citizenship with the U.S. Consulate in Germany.
Tickets for USA-Honduras starting at $18 are on sale through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout South Florida (including most Walmart stores), and the Sun Life Stadium ticket office (open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
The U.S. and Honduras have met 17 times in the series dating back to 1965, with the U.S. collecting a 11-3-3 advantage. The teams have played several memorable matches, including the USA’s stunning 3-2 victory on Oct. 10, 2009, in San Pedro Sula that sealed their place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Four days later, the United States earned a dramatic 2-2 draw against Costa Rica that delivered Honduras a spot in South Africa.
Tickets for USA-Ecuador starting at $30 are available through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-877-727-6223 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. only) and at the Red Bull Arena ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
The U.S. only holds a 2-4-4 record against Ecuador, but both wins have come in the last two meetings. After only scoring two goals in eight games (both in a 2-2 draw on Dec. 2, 1984), the U.S. finally earned their first victory against Ecuador on March 10, 2002, with a 1-0 victory in Birmingham, Ala., that saw U.S. goalkeeper and New Jersey native Tim Howard earn his first cap and first shutout. In the next match of the series, the U.S. was led by all-time leading goalscorer Landon Donovan who registered a hat trick in a 3-1 victory on March 25, 2007, in Tampa, Fla.
As part of the activities during camp, the U.S. Men’s National Team will hold public training sessions at Sun Life Stadium and Red Bull Arena. The public training session in Miami will take place Friday, Oct. 7 from 5-6 p.m., and at Red Bull Arena on Oct. 10 from 5-6 p.m. Admission to both sessions are free. Fans that plan on attending are requested to register at ussoccer.com. All training times and locations are subject to change. U.S. Soccer Supporters Club members will receive premium seating. If fans wish to take part in this exclusive priority, they can join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club.
At the stadiums, U.S. Soccer will continue to implement the Respect Campaign, which was launched in 2011 and includes a number of initiatives to enhance the game experience, particularly in the areas of customer service and fan-friendly behavior. U.S. Soccer is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for fans to enjoy the special atmosphere at these matches.
