Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler and the United States Men’s National Team will square off with New Zealand in an international friendly on Tuesday at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN and UniMas as the United States plays its final tune-up before opening the Hexagonal next month with a pair of colossal matches against Mexico and Costa Rica.
Given the proximity of November’s World Cup qualifiers, competition is fierce for spots in head coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s setup. Besler was not selected to the U.S. squad for Friday’s 2-0 victory at Cuba but now has the opportunity to secure his place for the final run of international matches in 2016.
Besler is one of seven defenders in the United States’ 20-man roster for Tuesday’s friendly, joining fellow MLS players Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United) and Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) as well as Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana) and DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United). Besler partnered Gonzalez in central defense throughout the 2014 World Cup and started alongside Orozco and Yedlin as recently as June 25 in the Copa America Centenario Third Place Match.
Since falling to Colombia in that consolation game almost four months ago, the U.S. has claimed three straight wins in comfortable fashion — including shutout victories last month against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago that sealed progression to the Hexagonal round of World Cup qualifying. The Americans weathered deplorable field conditions during Friday’s friendly in Havana, Cuba, receiving second-half goals from Chris Wondolowski and Julian Green to win 2-0.
Klinsmann’s side is currently No. 22 in the FIFA rankings, well ahead of No. 88 New Zealand. The All Whites are four months removed from winning the 2016 OFC Nations Cup, a tournament contested among national teams in the Oceania region that gave New Zealand a ticket to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
Led by head coach Anthony Hudson, New Zealand gave Mexico a stern test in Friday’s friendly match at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Mexicans emerged 2-1 winners, scoring on either side of Marco Rojas’ 46th-minute equalizer.
The U.S. MNT boasts a 15-3-5 all-time record at RFK Stadium, including a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1), and has won each of its previous two meetings against New Zealand by a 2-1 scoreline in 1999 and 2003.
Besler, who has earned 36 caps for the U.S. since debuting in 2013, will return to Sporting Kansas City for the club’s all-important showdown at Real Salt Lake on Sunday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The penultimate regular season game of 2016 will kick off at 4 p.m. CT on 38 The Spot, SKCTV and Sports Radio 810 WHB as Sporting Kansas City seeks a club-record sixth-straight appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
U.S. MNT ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS (3): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
DEFENDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting KC), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), Tim Parker (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Danny Williams (Reading)
FORWARDS (4): Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Terrence Boyd (RB Leipzig), Julian Green (Bayern Munich)
