Current and former Sounders FC players have helped the U.S. Men’s National Team to a very successful year thus far. As announced Tuesday, the club will continue to be greatly represented on the USMNT this summer at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Defender Brad Evans and forward Clint Dempsey were named to the roster for the USA, which is looking to win its second straight Gold Cup and sixth overall. Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann also called in former Homegrown Player DeAndre Yedlin, who is in his offseason with Tottenham.
Klinsmann elected to go with veteran, experienced players all over the pitch.
“Our approach for putting together the roster for this summer’s Gold Cup, which is very, very important to us, is obviously to do everything possible to win this competition,” Klinsmann told USsoccer.com. “Winning it would qualify us for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia, so putting the pieces together is very crucial. That’s why we came out with a roster full of quality, but also a lot of experience.
“It’s an exciting roster, and obviously we have a chance to make some changes after the group stage if necessary. We put all of these things into consideration, and we believe we have a very, very strong group that can win this prestigious tournament.”
Ever since he wasn’t selected for the final FIFA World Cup roster last summer, Evans has had his eyes on the Gold Cup. The Sounders FC captain proved himself in the two friendlies he was given a chance to play in this year: a 2-0 win over Mexico and a recent 2-1 victory over World Cup champion Germany in which Evans recorded the game-winning assist.
This is the second time Evans has been named to the Gold Cup roster (2009).
For Dempsey, this tournament is a chance to add to the pair of Gold Cup titles he’s won as a member of the USA squad. Of those who were selected to this year’s team, Dempsey is the only one to have played in three Gold Cups and won two of them.
The Sounders FC striker has scored five times in Gold Cup play and owns 40 total goals for the USMNT, which is tied for second all-time. That’s why, even though he’s been absent from the team for much of this year, Dempsey is one of four strikers featured on the Gold Cup squad.
“I think the experience that players like Brad Guzan, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Chris Wondolowski and Nick Rimando have, just to name a few of them – those guys bring the experience with them to stay calm and get the job done,” Klinsmann said. “The Gold Cup really is about getting the job done and winning it and qualifying us for the Confederations Cup in Russia in 2017. That’s why it’s really crucial for us to have players on the roster that have tremendous experience.”
The USMNT plays its first Gold Cup match on July 7 against Honduras in Frisco, Texas. Four days before that game, the squad will face Guatemala in a final tune-up match in Nashville.
