SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake Captain Kyle Beckerman and GK Nick Rimando have been named to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s final 23-man roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The RSL duo was named to USMNT Manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s final roster on Thursday afternoon.
The U.S. will play in the tournament’s Group G, beginning its tournament run by taking on Ghana on June 16 before facing off against Portugal on June 22 and Germany on June 26. Should the U.S. finish in the top two of Group G, it will advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds. All of the U.S.’s group stage matches will broadcast live on ESPN.
Today’s announcement means that Real Salt Lake will have a player on the USMNT roster for the third-straight World Cup. Former RSL DF Eddie Pope started two of the U.S.’s three matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany; current RSL FW Robbie Findley started three of the U.S.’s four matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
“We are absolutely thrilled for Kyle and Nick to both be named to the U.S. World Cup team,” said Real Salt Lake General Manager Garth Lagerwey. “Both of them have worked their entire careers for this richly deserved opportunity and we wish them all the best in Brazil as they represent our club and our country at the World Cup. The U.S. team carries the hopes and dreams of our soccer nation with them this summer, and we wish the entire group well as they look to continue to advance our sport and our league here at home.”
RSL is one of just three clubs with two players on the USMNT World Cup roster. Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City are the only other clubs with more than one player on the roster, with Seattle sending FW Clint Dempsey and DF DeAndre Yedlin and SKC sending DF Matt Besler and MF Graham Zusi. In all, 10 MLS players were named to the U.S.’s final 23-man roster.
If, as expected, RSL FW Alvaro Saborio makes Costa Rica’s final 23-man World Cup roster, Real Salt Lake will send three players to Brazil – more than any other MLS team.
Both Beckerman and Rimando have been training with the USMNT in Palo Alto, Calif. since last Wednesday, May 14. Both were named to the U.S.’s 30-man preliminary World Cup roster last Monday, May 12.
The USMNT will train in Palo Alto for another week before taking on Azerbaijan in a friendly match on Tuesday, May 27 at Candlestick Park. That game will be the first of three in the U.S.’s Send-Off Series, with the USMNT heading to New York to take on Turkey at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, June 1 before playing Nigeria at EverBank Field in Jacksonville on Saturday, June 7.
The U.S. will depart for Brazil following its friendly against Nigeria. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will officially kick off on June 12.
A regular member of Klinsmann’s squad selections, Beckerman has 35 career caps with the United States. Beckerman has started two of the USMNT’s three matches this year, playing a total of 161 minutes in friendlies against Korea Republic and Mexico. He appeared in ten matches – including nine starts – for the U.S. in 2013, notching two assists for the Stars-and-Stripes last calendar year. Beckerman captained the U.S. in its 0-0 draw against Canada on Jan. 29, 2013 in Houston and earned CONCACAF Gold Cup Final MVP honors in the U.S.’s tournament clinching win over Panama on July 28, 2013.
Beckerman has started 10 RSL matches this year. The Claret-and-Cobalt Captain has two goals and two assists for RSL in 2014.
Rimando has 14 career caps with the U.S senior team. Like Beckerman, Rimando also has two starts for the USMNT this year, playing the full 90 in the team’s win over Korea Republic and draw with Mexico. The 34-year-old ‘keeper had six appearances with the USMNT in 2013, posting a perfect 6-0-0 record, registering two shutouts, allowing just four goals and helping lead the team to its CONCACAF Gold Cup crown.
Rimando has started eight RSL matches this year. The veteran ‘keeper has 31 saves, a 5-0-3 record, has stopped both attempted penalty kicks against and has registered three shutouts for RSL this year.
Beckerman and Rimando will miss a minimum of five RSL regular season matches and at least one – and potentially up to three – Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches before returning from Brazil.
2014 FIFA WORLD CUP – U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8):Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
