Americans Gyasi Zardes, Clint Dempsey to miss crucial World Cup qualifiers
The U.S. may not have its best players on the field going into a crucial pair of World Cup qualifiers, with the first against St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday.
With a victory in that game and another win Sept. 6 against Trinidad & Tobago in Jacksonville, Fla., the U.S. would guarantee itself a berth in the final, hexagonal round of regional World Cup qualifiers. But a loss in either game would leave its chances in doubt.
The U.S. will enter Friday’s game second in its four-team group, trailing Trinidad & Tobago by three points and leading third-place Guatemala by one. Only the top two teams in each group advance to the next round.
However, the U.S. will be without forwards Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes. Dempsey, who plays for the Seattle Sounders, was unavailable for the selection because of an irregular heartbeat while Zardes was injured in the Galaxy’s scoreless draw with Vancouver on Saturday.
Back on the roster is Toronto forward Jozy Altidore, who missed June’s Copa America with a hamstring strain. Altidore, one of just seven players selected to the 26-man squad who did not participate in the Copa America, has scored five goals in his last six games with Toronto.
“We definitely think that the group that got fourth in the Copa America deserves a certain priority going on to the next World Cup qualifiers because they did tremendously well in the Copa America,” U.S. Coach Juergen Klinsmann said in a statement. “This is a big stage, and they deserve to come back and confirm what they did in the tournament in these upcoming, very important World Cup qualifiers.
“We are preparing for these two games very seriously, with a lot of urgency because we want to finish off our group in first place if possible, and this group of players gets the chance to do that.”
Among those called back into camp are forward Bobby Wood and defenders Fabian Johnson and John Brooks, who are playing in the German Bundesliga, and goalkeepers Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids) and Brad Guzan (England’s Middlesbrough,)
Also coming back to the team is former Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez of Mexico’s Pachuca and Seattle’s Jordan Morris. Neither was called up for the Copa America although Gonzalez played in the last round of World Cup qualifiers in the spring.
The team began gathering Sunday in Florida. Klinsmann will have to trim three players from the roster before Friday. Michael Bradley (yellow card accumulation) and Michael Orozco (red card from Copa third-place game) are suspended for the first game.
The roster
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde FC),Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha BSC), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)
Midfielders: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)
