CARSON, Calif. (Sunday, March 20, 2016) – LA Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes has been named to a 26-man roster by U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to prepare for the team’s pair of semifinal round World Cup Qualifying matches against Guatemala.
The U.S. travels to take on los Chapines at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City on Friday, March 25, at 7 p.m. PT (beIN Sport, NBC Universo). The teams then head to MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio for USA-Guatemala, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, on Tuesday, March 29, at 4 p.m. PT (ESPN2, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network). Zardes will return to LA and be available for selection the Galaxy’s next MLS match set for Saturday, April 2 on the road against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Zardes has become a regular with the U.S. Men’s National Team, making 19 appearances for the USMNT in 2015 and tying Claudio Reyna’s 1994 record for most caps by a U.S. player in their debut year with the National Team. In all, the Galaxy Homegrown Player score three goals and added three assists for the U.S. He is one of eight players on the 26-man roster to have scored in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier. He earned his first-ever call up to the USMNT during last year’s January camp and made his first start at StubHub Center in a 2-0 win over Panama, where he provided the game-winning assist to Clint Dempsey.
The MNT is 15-4-6 all-time against Guatemala and is currently enjoying a 21-match unbeaten streak – the team’s longest current run against any international opponent. The U.S. is 7-0-5 all-time in World Cup Qualifying games against los Chapines, and has never lost at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, going 7-0-3 all-time.
Following the first set of two Semifinal Round World Cup Qualifying matches last November, the United States sits atop Group C with four points.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION(Club; WCQ Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (4): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa; 9/0), Tim Howard (Everton FC; 30/0), William Yarbrough (Club Leon; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Ventura Alvarado (Club America; 0/0), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City; 8/0), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United; 0/0), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin; 0/0), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City; 15/1), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey; 4/0), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca; 8/0), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana; 4/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake; 6/0), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes FC; 3/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC; 26/5), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC; 3/0), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC; 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach; 11/1), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers FC; 2/0), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution; 0/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC; 28/12), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC; 34/13), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin; 2/1), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy; 2/1)
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