U.S. Soccer released the provisional roster for this summer’s historic Copa America Centenario on Sunday, and three members of the Seattle Sounders made the first cut.
Forwards Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris as well as defender Brad Evans were named to the 40-player list for the tournament, which will be held in the United States for the first time in its 100-year history. The USMNT is set to begin its play in Group A on June 11 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The final 23-player roster will be announced no later than May 20.
Dempsey has long expressed his interest in playing in the tournament this summer and helped solidify his spot on the roster during the USMNT’s last round of World Cup qualifiers in March, when he scored a historic goal in a win over Guatemala that eased tensions about the team’s chances of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Morris, meanwhile, last played for the USMNT during the team’s January camp, appearing in friendlies against Iceland and Canada shortly after signing a Homegrown Player contract with the Sounders. Morris was also part of the U.S. Under-23 team’s failed bid to qualify for the Olympics in March.
Evans last played with the USMNT during the team’s January camp, starting and logging 45 minutes against Iceland on Jan. 31 before he later left camp with hamstring tightness.
Former Sounders defender and Seattle native DeAndre Yedlin was also named to the USMNT’s provisional roster on Sunday.
Sounders forward Nelson Valdez was named to Paraguay’s provisional roster on Friday in search of the fourth shot at playing in Copa America in his career, while defender Román Torres has been named to Panama’s 35-man roster, although it’s unlikely Torres will rejoin his teammates this summer. Torres was most recently called in to camp as honorary captain as he recovers from an ACL injury.
CenturyLink Field will host two games during the Copa America Centenario group stage and one in the quarterfinals. Haiti will take on Peru in Group B on June 4 (4:30 p.m. PT) and Argentina will face Bolivia in Group D on June 14 (7 p.m. PT) before Seattle hosts a crucial quarterfinal game between the winner of Group A and the runner-up in Group B on June 16 (6:30 p.m. PT).
