CHICAGO --
Goalkeeper Tim Howard is back with the U.S. national team.
The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Thursday that coach Jurgen Klinsmann had called up Howard and veteran defender DaMarcus Beasley for exhibitions next month against Peru and Brazil.
Klinsmann said that for now Howard is the No. 2 goalie behind Brad Guzan, who started while Howard took a year off from the national team for family reasons after his stellar performance at the 2014 World Cup. Howard said last month he was ready to come back.
Beasley is a four-time World Cup veteran who retired from international play last December. But the defender returned to the squad for the Gold Cup this summer, and after the tournament he and Klinsmann acknowledged he might continue to play for the U.S.
The Americans meet Peru on Sept. 4 in Washington, then host Brazil in Foxborough, Massachusetts, four days later. On Oct. 10, they face Mexico at the Rose Bowl in a playoff to determine CONCACAF's representative at the 2017 Confederations Cup.
