CHICAGO — Team captain Clint Dempsey and midfielder Alejandro Bedoya were left off the U.S. men’s national team roster for exhibitions in Europe against world powers Netherlands and Germany.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Sunday that Dempsey will remain in Seattle awaiting the birth of his fourth child and that Bedoya is recovering from a knee injury. Forward Jozy Altidore also remains sidelined as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
The U.S. team will play the sixth-ranked Netherlands on June 5 in Amsterdam and take on defending FIFA World Cup champion Germany on June 10 in Cologne.
These are two of the team’s final three exhibitions before starting play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on July 7 against Honduras.
Eight of the players chosen have 10 or fewer international appearances for the U.S. team.
“Playing against top teams like Germany and the Netherlands provides valuable experience, especially for the younger players here,” Klinsmann said. “More and more they must understand we come to meet these opponents eye to eye. Obviously, it’s a bit tricky when we are without some of our core players, but that creates a huge opportunity for the guys here to benchmark themselves against some of the best players in the world.”
The Americans have lost all four matchups against the Netherlands, scoring just one goal in the process. The U.S. lost to Germany in last summer’s World Cup. This is the first meeting between the teams in Germany since Klinsmann coached the Germans to a 4-1 win in Dortmund in 2006.
LATEST TEAM USA ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
Thumbnail photo via Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports Images
