Press Release: Match at Estadio Azteca is First Friendly Between Teams on Mexican Soil Since 1984; ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision to Broadcast Live at 7 p.m. CT

CHICAGO (Aug. 12, 2012) — U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called in 23 players to train for the upcoming friendly against Mexico on Aug. 15 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico. Kickoff for the USA’s first friendly against Mexico on Mexican soil since 1984 is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision. Fans can follow on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and Twitter @ussoccer.

The players are reporting to Mexico City beginning Sunday, and will train for two days prior to the mid-week fixture.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring this group together and challenge Mexico for a win,” said Klinsmann. “For every game, we always look at who is in the best form, who is fit and who is ready to go. We have a lot of veteran players and also some new, hungry guys who deserve a chance. Every player in the pool looks forward to an amazing opportunity like this, the chance to take on Mexico in such an historic stadium like Estadio Azteca. With the World Cup qualifiers coming up next month, we can start preparing these players mentally and physically for Jamaica.”

A little more than a year into his tenure, Klinsmann seeks to lead the U.S. team to its first-ever victory against Mexico in its country. Several U.S. regulars will get their first experience at Azteca, as only three players on the roster have ever played against Mexico on Mexican soil. The match is the first for the U.S. since the 1-1 draw on June 12 in Guatemala, and represents another opportunity to prepare for the critical set of impending World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica next month.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (6): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steven Beithasour (San Jose Earthquakes), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim)
MIDFIELDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Alan Gordon (San Jose Earthquakes), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

After two matches, the U.S. leads Group A in the Semifinal Round of CONCACAF Qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. resumes qualifying action with back-to-back matches against Jamaica on Sept. 7 and 11. Jamaica hosts the Sept. 7 match in Kingston, and then four days later the U.S. will welcome the Caribbean nation to Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (TICKETS). That match will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN3 and the Univision family. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer.

As part of the effort to provide more access to the National Team, the U.S. will host a public training session Sunday, Sept. 9, at 10:30 a.m. ET at Columbus Crew Stadium. Admission and parking are free.