U.S. Men's National Team defender Matt Besler has returned to Sporting Kansas City ahead of the club's MLS regular season match at the Portland Timbers on Wednesday.
U.S. Soccer announced Sunday three changes to the roster that defeated Peru 2-1 on Friday in Washington D.C, a friendly match in which Besler played 28 minutes as a second-half substitute. The roster changes were made prior to the United States' friendly against five-time World Cup champion Brazil on Tuesday in Foxborough, Mass (7 p.m. CT, ESPN 2, UniMas).
“We were impressed with Matt Besler this past week,” U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a statement. “We definitely saw what we needed to see from him as we prepare for the Mexico clash and Sporting KC badly wanted him back for Wednesday, so we agreed to send him home.”
The United States will compete in a decisive playoff match against Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Oct. 10. That game will determine which CONCACAF nation will play in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
Friday was Besler's 26th appearance of his international career and his first for the United States since a 2-0 win over Panama on Feb. 8. The 28-year-old has played every minute in Sporting Kansas City’s last 27 matches across all competitions. He ranks third among MLS players with 172 clearances in 2015 and anchors a backline that has conceded the fewest shots in Major League Soccer.
In his seventh professional season since being selected in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, Besler leads all current players with 209 appearances for the club across all competitions. He is a four-time MLS All-Star to go along with MLS Best XI (2012, 2013) and Defender of the Year (2012) honors.
Wednesday's league match between Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers will be televised live on KMCI-TV 38 The Spot and SKCTV with three hours of coverage beginning at 9 p.m. CT.
