CHICAGO (Jan. 29, 2009): U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has called 20 players back to U.S. Soccer's National Training Center in Carson, Calif. – including five from the MLS Cup-champion Columbus Crew – to begin preparations for the USA’s first match of final round qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The U.S. will take on regional rivals Mexico on Feb. 11, 2009, in front of a sold-out crowd at Crew Stadium live on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and Univision beginning at 7 p.m. ET.  The match can be heard live on the Futbol de Primera radio networks, and fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

The 20-man group is made up almost entirely of players who participated in the previous camp from Jan. 4-24 at The Home Depot Center – including Crew midfielders Brian Carroll, Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers and goalkeeper William Hesmer – with Crew defender and three-time World Cup veteran Frankie Hejduk the only new addition. The U.S. team will train in Carson for nine days before departing on Feb. 7 for Columbus.

Fourteen of the players on the roster appeared in the USA’s 3-0 win against Sweden on Jan. 24, including midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who became the second player in U.S. history to score his first three goals all in the same game.  Rogers started and made his debut for the full team in the victory, while Carroll and Gaven also saw action of the bench.


U.S. Men’s National Team Training Camp Roster By Position
Carson, Calif., Jan. 29 – Feb. 7, 2009
(A detailed roster is available at ussoccer.com)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch ( Chicago Fire), William Hesmer ( Columbus Crew), Matt Pickens ( Colorado Rapids)

DEFENDERS (5): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA ), Frankie Hejduk ( Columbus Crew), Ugo Ihemelu ( Colorado Rapids), Chris Wingert ( Real Salt Lake ), Marvell Wynne ( Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Brian Carroll ( Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark ( Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven ( Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden ( Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury ( Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA ), Robbie Rogers ( Columbus Crew), John Thorrington ( Chicago Fire)

FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching ( Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe ( Chicago Fire)