CARSON, Calif. (Sunday, October 6, 2013) – Four LA Galaxy players have received international call ups for upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez were each called up by the United States while Robbie Keane was called up by Ireland and Jaime Penedo was called up by Panama. All four players are scheduled to depart after this afternoon’s game against Chivas USA at StubHub Center.
Donovan, Gonzalez and the rest of the U.S. National Team have already clinched a berth in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and currently sit in first place in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying standings with a 5-2-1 record for 16 points. Gonzalez has appeared in and started all eight of those games and now has 14 caps while Donovan is the all-time leading scorer in U.S. history with 57 goals in his 153 international appearances, including a goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico on September 10 that clinched a seventh straight World Cup berth for the U.S. Jurgen Klinsmann’s team will host Jamaica at Sporting Park in Kansas City on Friday, October 11 before closing out their qualification campaign away to Panama on Tuesday, October 15.
While the U.S. have already secured one of the top four spots in CONCACAF qualifying, Jaime Penedo and Panama are trying to clinch their first-ever World Cup berth. Penedo, who has been capped 91 times by his country, has appeared in six of Panama’s eight games in this round of qualifying, including a pair of draws last month against Jamaica and Honduras. Panama, who are tied with Mexico for fourth place in the group, will face Mexico on the road on Friday, October 11 before hosting the United States to close out the group on Tuesday, October 15.
Ireland’s all-time leader in goals and appearances with 129 caps and 60 goals for his country, Keane will look to help Ireland return to the World Cup for the first time since 2002. Ireland currently sit in fourth place in Group C with a 3-3-2 record for 11 points. Ireland will need to win away to Germany on Friday, October 11 and then defeat Kazakhstan at home on Tuesday, October 15 while also getting favorable results from Sweden and Austria in order to have a chance finish second in the group and reaching a playoff.
