USA preps for Mexico clash

• by Soccer America , Jan 25, 2008

[ROSTER] U.S. coach Bob Bradley has called in a 21-man squad to train for the USA's Feb. 6 friendly against Mexico in Houston. More than 43,000 tickets have already been sold for the game at Reliant Stadium (capacity 71,000). The only foreign-based players on the initial roster are five who play or have recently signed with Scandinavian leagues, which are on winter break. Other European-based players are expected to arrive after their league play on the weekend before the Mexico game.

All 21 players on the roster who will train at the Home Depot Center were part of the group that began training in early January and finished with a 2-0 win against Sweden on Jan. 19.

Absent are four members of the U-23/Olympic team, which convenes at a Jan. 24-Feb. 3 training camp in Bradenton, Fla.: Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan and Marvell Wynne.

"We are very pleased with the work we put in so far this year, and are looking forward to the next challenge against Mexico," said Bradley. "We will continue to build on the concepts that we have established during the last year, and we are clearly progressing as a team as we move forward in preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying this summer."

The team will train at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., until Feb. 3 before leaving for Houston.

USA ROSTER (by position)
GOALKEEPERS
Steve Cronin (LA Galaxy), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Zach Wells (D.C. United).

DEFENDERS
Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Ramiro Corrales (SK Brann), Todd Dunivant (Toronto FC), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo).

MIDFIELDERS
Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pat Noonan (Aalesund FK).

FORWARDS
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus).

USA ROSTER (alphabetic)
PLAYER caps/goals
Beckerman, Kyle 3/0
Califf, Dan 18/1
Clark, Ricardo 11/1
Conrad, Jimmy 24/1
Corrales, Ramiro 5/0
Cronin, Steve 0/0
Davis, Brad 3/0
Donovan, Landon 97/35
Dunivant, Todd 2/0
Goodson, Clarence 1/0
Guzan, Brad 5/0
Mapp, Justin 8/0
Moor, Drew 3/0
Noonan, Pat 14/1
Parkhurst, Michael 3/0
Robinson, Eddie 1/1
Rolfe, Chris 7/0
Twellman, Taylor 30/6
Wells, Zach 1/0
White, Jeremiah 1/0