US men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Wednesday named an MLS-heavy 22-man squad ahead of the April 2 World Cup tuneup match against eternal rivals Mexico (8 pm ET, ESPN and UniMas).
Bayern Munich teenager Julian Green, whose highly publicized switch to play for the US was approved by FIFA on Monday, is the only European-based played named to the roster. He'll be looking to earn his first senior cap since committing his international future to the US.
Since the match vs. Mexico does not fall on a FIFA fixture date, clubs were not required to release players, leading Klinsmann to call up 19 MLS players and two others based in Mexico (DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco) for the match at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Though Mexico's Club Tijuana also boasts players in the USMNT pool, their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal first leg against Cruz Azul falls the evening before the US-Mexico game, preventing their participation.
Two young standouts from January camp, Real Salt Lake's Luis Gil and Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin, get another chance to show they belong on the 2014 World Cup roster, while Philadelphia Union's on-loan midfielder Maurice Edu earns his first call-up in a year (March 26, 2013).
The roster features a host of USMNT regulars who are now based in MLS, including recent returnees Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders) and Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew).
US ROSTER VS. MEXICO
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)
