Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler and winger Graham Zusi were named to the United States Men’s National Team’s final roster for the 2016 Copa America Centenario, U.S. Soccer announced on Saturday.
Besler and Zusi will join the United States’ 23-man squad following Saturday’s MLS regular season match between Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake.
"It's an honor to be selected to the roster for Copa America," Besler said."This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I look forward to representing my country in such a historic tournament."
The U.S. will play two friendly matches next week — meeting Ecuador on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas and Bolivia on May 28 at Children’s Mercy Park — before kicking off the Copa America Centenario on June 3 against Colombia at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
"Playing in a Copa America in front of our home fans will be an amazing experience," Zusi said. "I am excited and honored to join the national team for one of the best tournaments in the world."
The Copa America Centenario is a marquee international tournament headlined by the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, featuring 16 nations from CONMEBOL (South America) and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean). The competition is a celebration of the 100th anniversary of CONMEBOL and the Copa America, and will be the first edition of the prestigious tournament played outside of South America. Ten U.S. cities will host the event from June 3-26 as the Yanks make their fourth Copa America appearance (1993, 1995, 2007).
The U.S. is 29th in the latest FIFA rankings and was drawn into Group A alongside Colombia (No. 4), Costa Rica (No. 25) and Paraguay (No. 39). Jurgen Klinsmann’s side will open the tournament against Colombia before facing Costa Rica on June 7 in Chicago and Paraguay on June 11 in Philadelphia.
Besler, 29, has made 31 international appearances for the U.S. since debuting in 2013, including two starts in 2016. He helped lead the U.S. to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup title and started all four matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as the Yanks reached the Round of 16.
A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Besler has played 228 matches for Sporting Kansas City in all competitions since being selected in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of Notre Dame. The center back has captained the club for each of the last three seasons and has received MLS Best XI (2012-13), MLS All-Star (2011, 2013-15) and 2012 MLS Defender of the Year accolades.
Zusi, 29, has earned 33 caps for the U.S. since 2012, recording four goals and six assists. The playmaker featured in all four matches for the U.S. at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, tallying two assists, and competed at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer. A native of Longwood, Florida, Zusi most recently scored for the Yanks in a crucial World Cup qualifying win over Guatemala in March.
Zusi has notched 27 goals and 59 assists in all competitions since joining Besler as part of Sporting Kansas City’s 2009 MLS SuperDraft class out of the University of Maryland. He has landed MLS Best XI (2012-13) and 2011 MLS Breakout Player of the Year honors and is the only player to appear in each of the last four MLS All-Star Games.
ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS: 1-Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), 12-Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), 22-Ethan Horvath (Molde IK)
DEFENDERS (8): 5-Matt Besler (Sporting KC), 3-Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), 6-John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), 20-Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), 21-Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), 23-Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), 14-Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS (12): 15-Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), 11-Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), 4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), 8-Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), 13-Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), 16-Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), 10-Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), 17-Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), 18-Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), 7-Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV), 20-Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), 19-Graham Zusi (Sporting KC)
