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US Coach Bruce Arena Names Squad To Face Germany - Arena Without Several Key European-Based Players

Submitted by Scott Harkness on Thu, 16/03/2006 - 00:54.

The U.S. head coach Bruce Arena has named the squad to face the hosts of the World Cup Finals, Germany, for their international friendly warm-up match next week.

Arena has selected 19 players to face Germany on March 22 in Dortmund, but will be without several of his European-based players for next Wednesday's fixture.

The match is not being held on an international fixture date, so coach Arena will have to make do without many of his top players like defenders Eddie Lewis and Oguchi Onyewu, midfielders DaMarcus Beasley and former US captain, Manchester City’s Claudio Reyna, along with Fulham striker Brian McBride.

Arena has also omitted Clint Dempsey from the 19-man squad after the midfielder was involved in a bust-up with New England Revolution team-mate Joey Franchino during a club training session on Monday.

Since the incident, his club, New England Revolution, has suspended Dempsey for two weeks.

Borussia Moenchengladbach goalkeeper, Kasey Keller, along with defenders Gregg Berhalter and Steve Cherundolo, who all play their club football in the German Bundesliga, are available for the friendly match.

“Although we'll be playing with a less than full roster, this game will provide an outstanding opportunity for some of our players to show they deserve strong consideration for the World Cup roster,” said Arena.

“As a coach, you can't ask for more.”

The U.S., who’s recent form has seen them move up to fifth place in the FIFA world rankings for the first time since the rankings system was initiated in 1993, will be hosting Jamaica on April 11 in Cary, North Carolina for their next friendly match.

They then meet Morocco on May 23 in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by a friendly against Venezuela on May 26 in Cleveland, Ohio, and finishing with their last game on home soil before the start of the World Cup Finals against Latvia on May 28 in East Hartford, Connecticut.

The U.S. have been drawn in Group E in the Finals and face Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic.

US squad to face Germany (team to be chosen from):

Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Defenders: Gregg Berhalter (Energie Cottbus), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Cory Gibbs (ADO Den Haag), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)

Midfielders: Bobby Convey (Reading FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chris Klein (Real Salt Lake), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Ben Olsen (D.C. United), Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards)

Strikerss: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)