REAL SALT LAKE’S NAT BORCHERS AND ROBBIE FINDLEY NAMED TO USA ROSTER FOR FRIENDLY AT SOUTH AFRICA
RSL Duo Named to
Bob Bradley’s 18-man Squad for Next Wednesday’s Nelson Mandela Challenge in
Cape Town
SANDY, Utah / CHICAGO (Thursday,
November 11, 2010) – U.S. Soccer today announced
the 18-man U.S. Men’s National Team roster that will take part in the 2010
Nelson Mandela Challenge against South Africa next Wednesday,
November 17, with the group including the Real Salt Lake pairing of DF
Nat Borchers and FW Robbie Findley. Borchers, Findley, and the rest of the
USA squad will take on “Bafana Bafana” in the 15th edition of the
international exhibition at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa,
with kickoff set for 12:00 p.m. MT (live on ESPN2 & Galavision).
The call-up for Findley will mark the
25-year-old striker’s return to South Africa, where he helped the United States
reach the knockout phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup back in June. Three of
Findley’s 10 career appearances for the U.S. Senior side were as a starter
during the squad’s World Cup, the speedy forward appearing in the first XI
against England and Slovenia in the Group Stage and in the USA’s loss to Ghana in
the Round of 16. It has been a busy year on the National Team stage for
Findley, who also appeared in 2010 friendlies against Honduras (Jan. 23), El
Salvador (Feb. 24), at The Netherlands (Mar. 3), Turkey (May 29), and Australia
(June 5). Findley, one of five 2010 World Cup veterans to be included on the
roster, will be in search of his 11th “cap” and first goal at the
Senior International level come next Wednesday’s friendly.
Borchers is in line to make his first
appearance for the United States since 2005, when he made both of his previous
“caps” for then-head coach Bruce Arena, his debut coming on March 9, 2005, with
a four-minute stint off the bench against Colombia (3-0 W), followed by his
first start 10 days later in a 1-0 shutout victory over Honduras. The 2010 MLS
Defender of the Year finalist also represented the Red, White & Blue at the
Under-23 level, with four of his six performances for that side taking place at
the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2004.
Click
here to watch U.S. MNT assistant coach Mike Sorber break down the 18-man roster
on USSoccer.com’s Studio 90
The
Nelson Mandela Challenge, an annual one-off event typically hosted in South
Africa, began in 1994 and has seen South Africa face opponents like Brazil,
Argentina, Holland, Nigeria and a host of others. Combined with the 2009 FIFA
Confederations Cup - in which the United States reached its first final of a
major FIFA competition after defeating No.1-ranked and current FIFA World Cup
Champion Spain in the semifinal - the U.S. will play its 12th game
on South African soil in three years.
The
teams have met twice in their history, the United States collecting victories
in both encounters. The USA will be competing in its second Nelson
Mandela Challenge Cup, the first appearance coming three years ago to the day.
In the team’s inaugural visit to South Africa, Steve
Cherundolo scored the game’s only goal and Jozy Altidore made his full team
debut in the 1-0 victory. In their only other meeting, the U.S. beat
South Africa 4-0 on June 3, 2000, in Washington, D.C. Cobi Jones tallied twice
that day, with Earnie Stewart and Claudio Reyna rounding out the scoring as
Kasey Keller earned the shutout.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2):Dominic Cervi (Celtic),
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
DEFENDERS (7):Gale Agbossoumonde (Estoril Praia), Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake), Jonathan Bornstein
(Tigres), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Tim Ream
(New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS (6):Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Mikkel Diskerud
(Stabaek), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie
Rogers (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (3):Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls),
Teal Bunbury (Kansas City Wizards), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)
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