Jurgen Klinsmann names roster for Cuba, New Zealand friendlies

Jurgen Klinsmann has announced his 23-man roster to face Cuba and New Zealand in upcoming friendlies.

The FIFA international window is opening this coming week. While most of the big regions around the world will be partaking in World Cup qualifying, CONCACAF are in a dead period between the fourth and final rounds of their qualification process.

While we await the mass excitement and hysteria that USMNT vs. Mexico will bring next month, we’re left with a couple of head-scratching friendlies to hold us over until the Hex begins.

Jurgen has named a Euro-centric squad for these two warm-up matches with MLS playoffs rapidly approaching. Sunderland’s Lynden Gooch gets a call up to the USMNT for his great work in his debut season. Julian Green also makes his return to the squad.

Christian Pulisic garners yet another call-up after making his Champions League debut and doing quite well overall with Borussia Dortmund. Another player in fine form to get the call is Jozy Altidore. He was at the top of his game during the last international break and hasn’t let up since.

Again, the most obvious absence from the squad is still Clint Dempsey who has been sidelined for the remainder of the MLS season with an irregular heartbeat. It doesn’t seem as if we’ll see him again with the USMNT anytime soon. Hopefully he’s back in 2017.

Here’s the full USMNT roster for the two upcoming friendlies:

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)