U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) head coach Jurgen Klinsmann called up 24 players to training camp for the Final Round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying, kicking off on Wed., Feb. 6 versus Honduras at San Pedro Sula.
The match starts at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on beIN SPORT. Click here for the complete schedule.
Seventeen of the rostered U.S. players are based in Europe and Mexico.
"We have a lot of respect for Honduras, but our message to the team is that we are going there to get three points," said Klinsmann. "One thing we learned from the Semifinal Round is that you have to bring the right mentality to play in the tough games on the road, and I'm confident we are ready to do that."
The United States holds a 12-3-3 record against Honduras dating back to 1965 and both nations earned a place in the Final Round by winning their respective Semifinal Round groups. The Catrachos qualified for 2010 FIFA World Cup after only losing once at home in nine qualifiers, but that lone loss came from the U.S.
The U.S. and Honduras are part of the six-team round-robin Hexagonal along with Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama and runs from Feb. 6-Oct.10. The top three teams will automatically advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, while the fourth-place team will compete in a two-leg playoff against the champion from the Oceania Confederation.
"San Pedro Sula definitely has its own difficult environment, but those are challenges that players need," said Klinsmann. "They need to go through those games, they need to prove themselves and they need to find ways, on the field, to get the job done. I will always welcome these opportunities, these matches, because that’s what it’s all about, going to these places that are not your home, cozy environment and proving a point."
The U.S. team departs for Honduras today.
Roster notes:
Five players are carrying yellow cards: Michael Bradley, Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson, and Graham Zusi and their next caution will result in a one-match suspension.
Seven MLS players from the January camp roster that delivered a lackluster nil-nil result versus Canada are included: Matt Besler, Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Omar Gonzalez, Eddie Johnson, Sean Johnson and Graham Zusi. Of that group, only Eddie Johnson and Zusi have seen action in a World Cup Qualifier.
Steve Cherundolo is sidelined with a knee injury and was not available for selection.
Entering 2012 with only one previous cap, defender Geoff Cameron ended the year with the second-most minutes played in the field.
Should he appear in the World Cup Qualifier, Timmy Chandler will become cap-tied to the United States. Chandler has already played in nine friendly matches.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (World Cup qualifying Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa - 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton - 22/9 SO), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire - 0/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City - 0/0), Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander - 31/5), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City - 5/0), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana - 0/0), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg - 0/0), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders - 0/0), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy - 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim - 3/0), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg - 3/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Michael Bradley (Roma - 19/5), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo - 0/0), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor - 9/0), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04 - 5/0), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht - 12/0), Jose Torres (Tigres - 9/0), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim - 4/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City - 3/0)
FORWARDS (4 ): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar - 17/6), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur - 26/10), Herculez Gomez (Santos - 6/2), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders - 11/10)
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