Bob Bradley Reveals USA Squad for Upcoming Qualifiers

Today, USMNT coach Bob Bradley revealed the USA squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying games against El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.

For the most part, Bradley is preparing for both games with the same players called up for the Mexico game a few weeks ago.

Damarcus Beasley continues to be left out of the squad after a poor performance in early summer's Confederations Cup, and other players having recently donned the USA uniform (Pablo Mastroeni, Maurice Edu, Freddy Adu, Sacha Kljestan, and Frankie Hejduk) have appearantly been passed up once again by the men's coach.

Unfortunately, a leg injury suffered by Schalke 04 midfielder Jermaine Jones prevents us from knowing for certain whether or not Bradley plans on utilizing him in the future.

The game against El Salvador, being played on Sept. 5 at Salt Lake City's Rio Tinto Stadium, is a must-win for a US team that has suffered back-to-back defeats to Mexico and which is seeking to impress after good performances against Spain, Brazil, and Egypt in June.

AC Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu will miss that match, but be available for the qualifier four days later in Port-au-Spain, Trinidad.

According to the USSF, 11 players are carrying yellow cards and, with another, would miss the T&T game: Clint Dempsey, Conor Casey, Steve Cherundolo, Landon Donovan, Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, and Jozy Altidore.

Jozy Altidore is currently leading all U.S. scorers in the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with five goals, including a record-setting hat trick performance in the 3-0 win against Trinidad & Tobago on April 1 in Nashville, Tenn.

With the three goals, the 19-year-old Altidore became the youngest player in U.S. history to record a hat trick. Altidore also scored the first goal to spark the USA’s comeback in the 2-2 draw on March 28 in El Salvador, marking the first time the team has faced and erased a two-goal deficit to earn a point on the road.

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman and forward Robbie Findley are making their first appearance on a World Cup qualifying roster. Along with Robbie Rogers, they are only players on the roster without a cap in qualifying.

Holding a lifetime record of 13-1-5 against El Salvador, the U.S. has never lost to the Salvadorans in World Cup qualifying (4-0-3).

This is the fourth consecutive World Cup qualifying cycle in which the U.S. and Trinidad & Tobago have faced off, and the sixth overall since 1985. The U.S. holds a 10-1-2 record in qualifying against Trinidad & Tobago, including a 3-1-1 record on the road.

Following these matches, the U.S. will close out the 10-game, round robin final round with matches against Honduras and Costa Rica. The United States will travel to face Honduras on Oct. 10, and finishes group play on Oct. 14 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start).

Midfielders: Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca, Mexico), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull City, England), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Charlie Davies (Sochaux, France), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake).