Klinsmann Calls 23 Players for Historic Friendly against Cuba

October 2, 2016 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) News Release

CHICAGO- U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has named 23 players to the roster that will train in advance of the historic meeting against Cuba. The team begins gathering Sunday in Miami.

The first friendly between the nations on Cuban soil since 1947 kicks off at 4 p.m. ET at Estadio Pedro Marrero in Havana. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and UniMas.

Four days later, the U.S. will host New Zealand at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN and UniMas. Fans can follow both matches on Twitter @ussoccer, @ussoccer_esp and the U.S. Soccer Facebook Page.

COMPETITION HEATS UP AHEAD OF THE HEX With the depth chart filling up in positions all over the field, competition will be fierce for the coveted 23 spots on the roster for the huge opening game of the Hex against rivals Mexico and the away trip to the venomous confines of Estadio Nacional in Costa Rica. While there are a host of regulars in the squad, there are a number of players looking to "make their case" for inclusion in November.

"These two games are very important for us because it's the last time we can see certain players before making the decision on the 23 going in to represent us for the Mexico and Costa Rica clashes," said Klinsmann. "There's a lot at stake for the players to make their case, to show where they are right now. We have the opportunity to bring some players back that haven't been with us for a little bit, and we want to see if they can put a stamp on this camp and have a chance for being in the roster next month. The bigger picture behind this is definitely Mexico and Costa Rica, and these two games will show us a lot about individual players."

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY IN GOAL Klinsmann has opened up a rare window of opportunity for the next generation of goalkeepers this week, standing down veterans Brad Guzan and Tim Howard while bringing in David Bingham, Ethan Horvath and William Yarbrough. The trio have a combined three caps to their credit, with Horvath still in search of his first appearance with the Senior Team.

"I think the goalkeeper position is unique. Obviously we have the two experienced guys with Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. Both are in different situations right now - Tim is obviously very busy with the Colorado Rapids and Brad is not getting the opportunity to play at Middlesbrough. I think it's a perfect time to give an open window to three younger goalkeepers with William Yarbrough, Ethan Horvath and David Bingham. That's why we decided to leave the two older guys out and give these three youngsters a chance to prove their point. That kind of opportunity is very rare."

HISTORIC IN HAVANA While the teams have played each other 11 times in their history - with the U.S. holding a record of 9-1-1 against the Cubans - visits to the island are exceedingly rare. In fact, this is only the third time they have met on Cuban soil. The first also happened to be the first game in the series and represented the lone victory in the lifetime series for the hosts, a 5-2 win on July 20, 1947, in Havana. Most recently, a 40th minute goal by Clint Dempsey proved the difference as 60b3b965f3c9a81414c664d19 the MNT collected a 1-0 win on Sept. 6, 2008, and its third straight road victory in the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE HEX Beginning in November, the MNT embarks on the last leg of the journey to qualify for its eighth-consecutive World Cup. The six-team, 10-game Final Round - also known as the Hex - will span 11 months and see three teams from CONCACAF automatically qualify for Russia 2018. It's a long and winding road. If you'd like a map, 336ff19995babe597d76766df click here .

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION GOALKEEPERS (3): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Leon) DEFENDERS (7): Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle) MIDFIELDERS (8): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Danny Williams (Reading) FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)

National Women's Soccer League Stories from October 2, 2016

• Flash Clinch Spot in Nwsl Championship with 4-3 Win over Portland - Western New York Flash
• Klinsmann Calls 23 Players for Historic Friendly against Cuba - NWSL

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