Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley Return to USMNT Ahead of Peru and Brazil Friendlies

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard and Houston Dynamos winger DaMarcus Beasley have been called up to the United States men’s national team for upcoming friendly matches against Peru and Brazil, per USSoccer.com.

Howard was named in manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad for the first time in a year, with the World Cup hero deciding to take a 12-month hiatus from national team commitments. Beasley, who had previously announced his retirement from the USMNT last December, keeps his place after being drafted into the Gold Cup squad.  

Felipe Dana/Associated Press

Klinsmann insisted he was delighted to have the goalkeeper to call upon once again, per USSoccer.com:

"

I think we can be really thrilled to have Tim Howard back on board. He took a year off because of family reasons and that was all fine for us. Now after the Gold Cup we had the understanding that we were going to talk on the phone, which we did at length. He said he would love to come back. This is more great news for us.

"

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Howard has actually struggled for domestic form since deciding to take a step back from the international scene. The USMNT star was part of an Everton team that toiled in 2014-15, but there have been signs as of late that the former Manchester United man is rediscovering his best again.

It's also worth noting that Brad Guzan has been one of the team’s very best performers in recent matches, meaning the Aston Villa man will be difficult to dislodge from between the sticks.

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

Beasley’s inclusion for these games is understandable, given his experience and versatility. As noted by Brian Sciaretta of the New York Times, the full-back positions he can operate in are very short of options:

But after a disappointing Gold Cup campaign, and while United States fans will be delighted to see these two veterans in action, hopefully Klinsmann begins integrating some of the country’s exciting young talents into the squad, too.