The United States announced the roster of players it will take to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil next month.
It includes a mix of seasoned veterans and young players hoping to make their mark on the sport’s biggest international stage. Defender Geoff Cameron from North Attleboro, Mass., made the team, but Landon Donovan, the Americans’ all-time leader in goals and assists, surprisingly did not.
“It’s an exciting moment when you have narrowed the roster down as a coaching staff, and these 23 players that you’ve chosen can focus now purely on Brazil,” U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann said Thursday in a press release. “We can go into more specific things about technical approaches, and about the opponents.
“For the players, it’s very important to know that they are now part of it and they can relax and know they are on the list going to Brazil and taking it from there. After almost 10 days of work right now, we thought the point has come to make the decision.”
The Americans will begin group-stage play on June 16 against Ghana. The other two nations in Group G are Portugal and World Cup favorite Germany.
Here’s the final 23-man roster.
Goalkeepers:Â Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), 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), Omar Gonzalez (L.A. Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards:Â Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Donovan’s exclusion from the U.S. roster could mark the end of an era. The 32-year-old was a key part of the Americans’ last two World Cup squads.
According to the U.S. team, forward Terrence Boyd, midfielders Joe Corona and Maurice Edu, and defenders Brad Evans, Clarence Goodson and Michael Parkhurst also were released from training camp.
