USMNT tunes up for World Cup qualifiers in friendly vs. Venezuela
The U.S. men's national team has a pair of key World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, but before that, the Americans will tune-up against Venezuela in a friendly at Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium (10 p.m. ET, FS1, UniMas).
Bruce Arena's side stabilized its World Cup qualifying campaign in March, taking four points off Honduras and Panama and leaping from last to fourth in the CONCACAF Hexagonal table. In the process, Clint Dempsey pulled within one of Landon Donovan's all-time record for USA goals, and he can match–or pass–Donovan Saturday night against La Vinotinto.
Venezuela is already eliminated from qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, but it is no stranger to success on U.S. soil after a decent showing in last summer's Copa America Centenario, when it reached the quarterfinals. The U.S. defense will look to limit West Brom's Salomon Rondon while finding success to build on against Trinidad & Tobago and Mexico in the qualifiers that will follow.
Stay tuned here for updates and highlights of goals and key plays throughout the friendly.
Here are the rosters for both teams:
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), John Brooks (VfL Wolfsburg), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Tim Ream (Fulham), Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bobby Wood (Hamburg)
GOALKEEPERS: Alain Baroja (Sud América), José Contreras (Deportivo Táchira)
DEFENDERS: Pablo Camacho (Deportivo Táchira), José Luis Marrufo (Mineros de Guayana), Yordan Osorio (Tondela), Rubert Quijada (Caracas F.C.), Jefre Vargas (Arouca), José Manuel Velázquez (Arouca), Mikel Villanueva (Málaga)
MIDFIELDERS: Francisco Flores (Mineros de Guayana), Francisco La Mantía (Deportivo La Guaira), Darwin Machís (CD Leganés), Júnior Moreno (Zulia F.C.), Jhon Murillo (Tondela), Aristóteles Romero (Mineros de Guayana), Jefferson Savarino (Real Salt Lake)
FORWARDS: Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion), Andrés Ponce (Lugano), Edder Farías (Caracas F.C.), Christian Santos (Deportivo Alavés)
