Sporting Kansas City’s Matt Besler and Graham Zusi have been named to the final 23-player roster for the United States Men’s National Team ahead of the Oct. 10 playoff match against Mexico that determines CONCACAF’s representative in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, U.S. Soccer announced on Saturday. Both players will join the U.S. Men’s National Team in Pasadena, California following Sporting Kansas City’s match against the Portland Timbers tonight.
The CONCACAF Cup will be played on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Rose Bowl and will be broadcast nationally on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports GO, Univision and the Univision Deportes Network with coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m. CT. The U.S. MNT secured a place in the playoff match by winning the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Mexico qualified for the playoff by winning the 2015 edition of the regional championship.
Besler, 28, has 26 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team, including three appearances this year in international friendlies. Besler recorded his first international assist to Brek Shea in the sixth minute of a 3-2 defeat at Chile on Jan. 28 and played 90 minutes in a 2-0 victory over Panama on Feb. 8. Most recently, Besler played 28 minutes as a second half substitute in a 2-1 win over Peru on Sept. 4.
”I’m excited to join the national team for next week's CONCACAF Cup,” Besler said. “Our goal from the beginning of the year was to qualify for the Confederations Cup and this is our opportunity to reassert dominance in our region and give the team additional opportunities to prepare for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.”
Zusi has played four matches for the U.S. MNT in 2015 with his first cap of the year coming in a 4-0 friendly win over Guatemala on July 3. Zusi was a second half substitute in the United States 2-1 win over Honduras in their 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup opener on July 7 and he played the full 90 minutes as the U.S. clinched first place in Group A on July 10. Zusi has made 32 appearances for the U.S. MNT all-time, scoring three goals and tallying two assists.
“It's an honor every time you get called up to the national team,” Zusi said. “Obviously, next week's match against Mexico has added significance with the Confederations Cup berth on the line. I look forward to joining my teammates and getting in a good week of training ahead of the CONCACAF Cup."
In a series dating back to 1934, the U.S. has taken the momentum against Mexico in recent years. The U.S. has dominated at home, amassing a 10-2-4 record on American soil against El Tri since 2000. Additionally, the United States is unbeaten against their CONCACAF rivals in the last four years with a 3-0-3 record, including the team’s first victory in Mexico.
Besler and Zusi are two of four Sporting Kansas City players selected for international duty during the upcoming FIFA fixture window. Krisztian Nemeth will join Hungary for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers and Marcel de Jong was chosen by Canada for an international friendly against Ghana.
