Galaxy, Chivas players called up for World Cup qualifiers

Striker Robbie Keane and midfielders Christian Wilhelmsson and Dan Keats will leave the Galaxy following Saturday’s match with Real Salt Lake to rejoin their respective national teams for two World Cup qualifying games over the next 11 days.

Captain Landon Donovan is also expected to be called up to the national team for World Cup qualifying, but the U.S. roster for crucial group games against Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala will not be announced until Monday.

Keane is captain of the Irish national team, which he also leads in scoring with 54 goals in 120 games. During Major League Soccer’s upcoming FIFA break, he will lead Ireland against Germany in Dublin on Oct. 12 then against the Faroe Islands Oct. 16. Ireland stands third in its six-team group with three points. Germany leads the group with six points after two games.

Wilhelmsson, who joined the Galaxy in September, will play for Sweden against the same two group opponents, meeting the Faroe Islands on Oct. 12 and Germany four days later. Sweden, with a win in its only previous game, ranks one place ahead of Ireland in the standings on goal differential.

Keats, who has played sparingly for the Galaxy in his second MLS season, will join New Zealand’s All Whites for home and away games with Tahiti.

Unbeaten New Zealand leads its four-team group.

Chivas USA, meanwhile, has seen two of its players called up for international duty. Defender Ante Jazic will join Team Canada for CONCACAF qualifiers against Cuba and Honduras while midfielder Oswaldo Minda will play for Ecuador next week against Chile and Venezuela.

Canada needs two victories to assure itself of advancing to the next round while Ecuador is in the middle of a tight South American group, standing third with 13 points in a table where first and sixth are separated by just three points.

Jazic and Minda will be available to play in Chivas’ MLS game Sunday at the Home Depot Center.

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