Keller, 3 Others Recalled to U.S. National Team
Bruce Arena, coach of the U.S. national soccer team, recalled goalkeeper Kasey Keller and three other veterans Tuesday when he named a squad of 20 players for next week’s World Cup 2002 qualifying game against Honduras.
Besides Keller, winger Eddie Lewis and forward Ante Razov, both former UCLA players, and defender Steve Cherundolo of San Diego were recalled.
None of them was on the roster for the U.S. team’s 2-0 victory over Mexico on Feb. 28 in Columbus, Ohio, the first of 10 qualifying games for the American team this year.
All four players are with European clubs--Keller with Rayo Vallecano in Spain, Lewis with Fulham in England, Razov with Racing de Ferrol in Spain and Cherundolo with Hannover 96 in Germany.
Arena’s squad has 11 Europe-based players and nine from Major League Soccer. Winger Cobi Jones is the only Galaxy player selected for the March 28 game at Estadio Olympico in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The U.S. leads the six-team qualifying group, ahead of Jamaica, Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico. The top three finishers will qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
The U.S. team will begin training today in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Arena included only two goalkeepers, rather than the usual three, and Keller will be vying with Brad Friedel for the starting role.
Cherundolo has not played for the U.S. since his debut, against Jamaica in October 1999. The 22-year-old was selected for the U.S. Olympic team last fall but suffered a knee injury and missed the trip to Sydney, Australia.
Lewis and Razov have not played for the national team since Nov. 15, when the U.S. defeated Barbados in the previous qualifying round.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller. Defenders: Jeff Agoos, Gregg Berhalter, Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Llamosa, Eddie Pope, David Regis and Tony Sanneh. Midfielders: Chris Armas, Cobi Jones, Eddie Lewis, Claudio Reyna, Earnie Stewart and Richie Williams. Forwards: Landon Donovan, Clint Mathis, Brian McBride, Ante Razov and Josh Wolff.
