Juergen Klinsmann names preliminary World Cup roster

There were few surprises among the 30 players Coach Juergen Klinsmann chose Monday to join the U.S. soccer team at Stanford on Wednesday for its final training camp before next month’s World Cup in Brazil.

Among those invited were Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, who is bidding to make his fourth World Cup team, and club teammate Omar Gonzalez, a defender trying to make this first team. Gonzalez is currently recovering from a knee injury.

Also bidding for a fourth World Cup is defender DaMarcus Beasley of Mexico’s Puebla. Midfielder Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders is trying for his third Cup appearance while goalie Tim Howard and midfielder Michael Bradley, also stalwarts of Klinsmann’s squad, are bidding to make their second appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.

Perhaps the most glaring omission from the 30-man roster is DC United forward Eddie Johnson, a 2006 World Cup veteran who played 17 games for the U.S. last year.

“There is competition in every position and these next couple of weeks will allow us to make the final determination on the best 23-man team to represent the United States,” said Klinsmann, a former World Cup player and coach for Germany.

Nine leagues and 24 clubs are represented on the roster and 10 of the players named Monday were also on the premilinary roster for the last World Cup.

The two-week U.S. training camp will end May 27 with a friendly against Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. After a second exhibition against Turkey on June 1 in Harrison, N.J., Klinsmann will have to cut the roster to the 23-man limit for the World Cup. The final team will then play one final send-off game, this one against Nigeria in Jacksonville, Fla., on June 7, before leaving for Brazil.

The U.S. opens World Cup play June 16 against Ghana in Natal.

Goalkeepers: 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), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)