Jordan Morris, Christian Pulisic join vets on USMNT's preliminary roster for Copa America
Jurgen Klinsmann has named the 40 players from which he will choose the United States' Copa America Centenario roster. The U.S. manager submitted his preliminary roster to tournament organizers and it includes all of the expected stars like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore, to go along with young hotshots Jordan Morris and Christian Pulisic.
Teams have to submit their preliminary rosters at the start of May and will have to cut it down to a 23-man final squad by May 20. The U.S. play in the Copa America opener on June 3 against Colombia.
Klinsmann has made it clear that he considers Howard and Brad Guzan his top two goalkeepers. He has rotated the duo since the fall, which could continue into Copa America, or Klinsmann could pick an outright starter. The Americans will have a decision to make with their third goalkeeper, either leaning on trusted veteran Nick Rimando or giving David Bingham or Ethan Horvath a chance to get some experience.
The defense will take some sorting out, with John Brooks and Geoff Cameron likely to make the team, as well as Klinsmann favorite DeAndre Yedlin, but the rest of the spots are up for grabs. There are a lot of players in the mix who have been called up before and have played well before, not to mention are in good form for their clubs, but haven't really become mainstays in Klinsmann's mind.
The back line has had no consistency under the German so there's no way to guess which players he will choose for the final roster. The only real surprises on the prelminary roster are Timmy Chandler, who hasn't been with the U.S. for a while, and Eric Lichaj, who Klinsmann has rarely given a chance to in the past.
Klinsmann didn't go outside of the expected player pool in the midfield. Led by World Cup veterans Bradley, Fabian Johnson, Alejandro Bedoya, Jermaine Jones and Graham Zusi, there is plenty of experience through the center. But some of those players are aging or have been in bad form of late. That opens the door for the likes of Darlington Nagbe and Lee Nguyen to steal a spot and give the team some much-needed creativity.
Up top, Dempsey and Altidore figure to lead the way. It's tough to imagine Morris and Gyasi Zardes not getting a spot either, considering how much Klinsmann likes the duo, and Bobby Wood should make the team after a phenomenal season for Union Berlin. The question is whether Klinsmann takes another forward, like wide-man Ethan Finlay or MLS marksman Chris Wondolowski, but all eyes will really be on Pulisic. The 17-year-old has played well for Borussia Dortmund and it could be argued that he is in the best form of any American in Europe. With his fine play of late, Klinsmann may not have a choice but to take him to Copa America, inexperience be damned.
The U.S. will not have any friendlies before the final Copa America roster is named so Klinsmann won't even get a look at these players before choosing the final team. That makes his choices more difficult and puts the onus on everyone to have a strong finish (or middle for MLS players) to their club seasons if they want a spot on the tournament roster.
Here's the full 40-man preliminary roster:
Goalkeepers: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Ethan Horvath (Molde), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Ream (Fulham), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (FC Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution), Danny Williams (Reading FC), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
MORE FROM FOX SOCCER
