MLS Chicago Fire FC

Armas and Beasley Called for National Team Duty vs. Honduras

May 19, 2004 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


CHICAGO (Wednesday, May 19, 2004) - U.S. Soccer today announced that U.S. National Team Manager Bruce Arena has named Chicago Fire midfielders Chris Armas and DaMarcus Beasley to his 18-man roster for the U.S.A.'s international friendly match against Honduras on June 2 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Fire duo is part of only seven MLS players on the roster, as the bulk of the squad is made up of European-based players coming off the conclusion of the European season. The international friendly will be broadcast via tape delay on Spanish-language network Telemundo beginning at 10:00 p.m. CT. Fans can also follow the match live online via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics.

"We have been building this team for almost two years since the last World Cup, and we're reaching an important stage," said Arena, who has led the team to a 2-1-2 record in 2004. "We've had some good results recently, and some good competition for spots on the field. This is a last opportunity for the players on this roster to demonstrate their form and fitness as we make our final decisions about the group that will begin World Cup qualifying next month."

The June 2 friendly marks the fifth time in five matches for the U.S. in 2004 that both Armas and Beasley have been named to the National Team's roster by Arena. Beasley has played in all four contests, while Armas has seen time in three of the games after being forced to miss the squad's March 31 match at Poland due to injury.

Armas is expected to again play a key role in Arena's midfield once CONCACAF Qualifying for Germany 2006 begins in June. The Fire captain, who has made 54 appearances for the U.S. National Team, will be looking to make his fourth appearance against Honduras after earning a starting nod in each of the U.S.'s last three appearances against the Central America side. Armas' last appearance for the Americans came on Apr. 28, when he played the full 90 minutes while helping the U.S. defeat archrival Mexico 1-0 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX.

In 32 appearances with the U.S. National Team, the 21-year-old Beasley has become a mainstay for Arena. The Fire veteran has appeared in each of the U.S.'s four appearances in 2004, tallying the game-winning goal on Mar. 31 at Poland, in the U.S.'s 1-0 victory. He was named the Chevrolet "Man of the Match" for his effort. Beasley has one career appearance against Honduras, which came in the two sides' last meeting on Mar. 2, 2002 in a 4-0 U.S. win in Seattle, WA.

The U.S. has a 4-3-2 all-time record against Honduras that dates back to 1965. In their last meeting, the U.S. defeated a young Honduran team 4-0 in a friendly in front of 38,534 fans in Seattle on March 2, 2002. The match will mark the first meeting between Arena and Honduras head coach Bora Milutinovic, who led the Americans to the Round of 16 at the 1994 FIFA World Cup during his tenure as U.S. National Team boss (from 1991-95).

The U.S. begins CONCACAF World Cup qualifying June 13 against Grenada in Columbus, Ohio (12:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2) with the return leg scheduled for June 20 in St. George's, Grenada (3:00 p.m. CT, ESPN2). Following the MNT World Cup qualifiers against Grenada, the U.S. will meet Poland in a domestic friendly on July 11 in Chicago. Should the U.S. advance through their preliminary qualifying round, the team's six-game, four-team semifinal round competition will begin on August 18 away to either Jamaica or Haiti.

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