Two Galaxy players named to US Gold Cup roster

U.S. men’s national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced the 23-man roster for this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup on Tuesday, and Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez and midfielder Gyasi Zardes made the cut.

Gonzalez’s inclusion hardly comes as a surprise, as he made his senior national team debut in 2010 and started as center back in two 2014 World Cup matches.

Zardes, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the international stage. He made his national debut in January and has played only in friendlies so far. Recently, he started in the midfield during two surprise victories by the U.S. over the Netherlands and Germany. Against the Dutch, he scored his first international goal, starting the American scoring in the 33rd minute.

Seventeen players on the squad also were on the 2014 World Cup roster, including the entire corps of forwards — Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Chris Wondolowski and Aron Johannsson — as well as longtime starters Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard is not on the roster, as he continues a yearlong hiatus from international play. Four-time World Cup veteran DeMarcus Beasley also will not play. He retired from the national team following the 2014 Cup but returned at the request of Klinsmann and was included on the preliminary 35-man roster for the Gold Cup.

The Galaxy is one of four MLS teams (Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders FC are the others) to have two players selected for the national squad. Of the 23 players on the 2015 Gold Cup roster, 12 play in the MLS, compared to 10 from the 2014 World Cup roster and 15 from the 2013 Gold Cup roster.

In 2013, the U.S. defeated Panama to take the Gold Cup title. As a result, if the Americans win this Cup as well, they automatically will qualify for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. If they are eliminated, they will face the 2015 champions in a single-game playoff to determine who advances to the Confederations Cup.

The United States opens Gold Cup group play July 7 against Honduras at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

The full roster, with their clubs and Gold Cup experience are:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/2007), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake/2011, 2013), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)

Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC/2009), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy/2013), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers/2011)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake/2009, 2013), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes/2011, 2013), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/2007, 2011), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo/2005), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC/2013), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC/2011), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC/2005, 2007, 2011), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes/2011, 2013)