TFC stars among U.S. Gold Cup team additions
CLEVELAND Forward Clint Dempsey, midfielder Michael Bradley and goalkeeper Tim Howard are among six additions to the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup’s knockout phase as coach Bruce Arena added some of his most experienced players.
Arena also added Bradley’s Toronto FC teammate Jozy Altidore, a forward, and midfielder Darlington Nagbe and goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Sunday.
Gonzalez’s application to change affiliation from Mexico to the U.S. was approved by FIFA last month, after the deadline for setting the 23-man roster for the group phase.
Goalkeepers Brad Guzan and Sean Johnson were dropped along with midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Cristian Roldan and Kelyn Rowe, and forward Dom Dwyer.
Arena had planned in advance of the tournament to replace Guzan, Johnson and Bedoya.
Bedoya is expecting the birth of his second child next week.
The U.S. plays El Salvador in a quarter-final on Wednesday in Philadelphia after El Salvador tied Jamaica 1-1 on Sunday. Each team is allowed to make up to six changes in the 24 hours after finishing the group stage, and the additions must come from the 40-man preliminary roster submitted in early June.
“The players we bring in now give us a little bit more experience,” Arena said.
“Group play was an opportunity for a lot of players to get a chance. … Dom and Cristian and Kelyn did very well for us, and I told them that, and they’re players we’re obviously going to continue to keep an eye on and continue obviously to have them in the program.”
Meanwhile, striker Cyle Larin was added to the Canadian men’s team on Sunday.
The 22-year old from Brampton, Ont., joins the squad for this week’s quarter-final match against Jamaica on Thursday.
Larin, who plays for Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer, replaces TFC’s Raheem Edwards.
Also on Sunday, Mexico held on to beat Curacao 2-0 to win Group C, continuing its bid for a fourth championship in five years.
Mexico advanced to face Honduras in the quarter-finals Thursday in Glendale, Ariz.