U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has selected a 22-player roster for the 64th USA-Mexico rivalry, presented by AT&T, on Wednesday, April 15 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network.
With the game occurring outside of an official FIFA international fixture date, the U.S. roster is mostly comprised of players that compete with North America-based clubs. Thirteen players play their trade in MLS, while league rival Liga MX contributes five to the group.
The U.S. contingent, which continues preparations for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, includes nine players from the 2014 FIFA World Cup roster.
The United States will be without the services of team captain Clint Dempsey, who is sidelined with a hamstring strain, and forward Jozy Altidore, who is required to serve a one-match suspension following a red card he received in the USA’s last friendly, a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on March 31 in Zurich.
Klinsmann’s side has not lost to its archrival since he took the helm in the summer of 2011, going 2-0-3 in that span. The results include the USA’s first victory against Mexico at Estadio Azteca and the 0-0 away draw in qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Currently ranked No. 18 in the world, Mexico brings a 19-player roster with all members based in Liga MX. Mexico comes into the match having won both friendlies it has played this year against Ecuador and Paraguay by matching 1-0 score lines.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Julian Green (Hamburg), Jordan Morris (Stanford University), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
FORWARDS (5): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Julian Green (Hamburg), Jordan Morris (Stanford University), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
ROSTER NOTES:
- The U.S. MNT is coming off a March camp in Europe that featured a last-minute,3-2 loss to Denmark in Aarhus, and concluded with a 1-1 draw with then No. 12-ranked Switzerland in Zurich.
- Ten different MLS teams are represented on the roster, with no team having more than two members.
- Five players from this roster come from Liga MX: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco (Puebla) and William Yarbrough (Club Leon).
- A total of nine players on the roster were members of the 2014 FIFA World Cup roster that traveled to Brazil and helped the USA advance out of the “Group of Death.
- Michael Bradley is the leading cap-winner from this group having played 95 international matches.
- Bradley has scored four goals against Mexico, and scored a double against Mexico in a World Cup Qualifier on Feb. 11, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio.
- Bradley and Chris Wondolowski both scored goals in the USA’s last match with Mexico on April 2, 2014, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which ended in a 2-2 draw.
- Brek Shea has scored two goals in four matches to start 2015, including a free kick stunner against Switzerland. Bradley is the other goalscorer on this roster.
- Michael Orozco scored the game-winning goal in the U.S.’s historic first win against Mexico on Mexican soil in Estadio Azteca on Aug. 15, 2012. It was Orozco’s first international goal.
- Liga MX based Alvarado and Yarbrough both earned their first caps with the U.S. during the MNT’s March training camp in Europe.
- Yarbrough, 26, was born and raised in Mexico to two American parents and earned his first cap for the U.S. MNT on March 31 against Switzerland. He marshaled the backline for Club Leon to the 2013 Apertura and 2014 Clausura titles.
- Kyle Beckerman returns to the team for his first international action of 2015 since playing against Ireland on Nov. 18, 2014 in Dublin. He played a role in the USA’s World Cup run in 2014, starting in all three of the group stage matches.
- Juan Agudelo’s last appearance with the U.S. MNT came when he was subbed on in the second-half of the game against Ukraine on March 5, 2014.
- Six players are alumni of U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy: Bill Hamid (D.C. United Academy), DeAndre Yedlin (Crossfire Premier & Seattle Sounders Academy), Corona (Nomads SC), Agudelo (New York Red Bulls Academy), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders Academy) and Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy Academy).