Clint Dempsey will be with the MNT in D.C. © John Todd / isiphotos.com Photo Gallery

CHICAGO (Oct. 3, 2008) — U.S. Men's National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named a roster of 23 players  that will train in advance of the FIFA World Cup Qualifying game against Cuba on Oct. 11 in Washington, D.C.  Kickoff for the USA’s first match in the nation’s capital in four years is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be shown live on ESPN Classic and Galavision. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

Currently leading Group 1 with nine points from three matches, the U.S. can clinch a place in the final round of qualifying with a victory against Cuba at RFK Stadium.  The team will begin gathering on Oct. 5 in Washington, D.C., in preparation for the match.  Following the game and the weekend MLS matches, Bradley will announce the travel roster for the qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago, which takes place Oct. 15 at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.  That match can be seen live on ESPN and Galavision at 8 p.m. ET.

Fourteen leagues from 12 different countries are represented on the roster as the U.S. seeks to extend their five-match shutout streak in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying.  Each of the starters from the last two victories against Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago return, led up front by Fulham striker Clint Dempsey, who has already amassed four goals in the four World Cup qualifiers he has played this year, including the lone goal in the USA’s 1-0 win on Sept. 6 in Cuba. Houston Dynamo forward Bring Ching has three goals to his credit in the current campaign.

At the other end of the park, the defense is backstopped by goalkeeper Tim Howard, the Sierra Mist Man of the Match against Guatemala, who has posted an impressive five shutouts in six all-time World Cup qualifying appearances.  U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra anchors a backline that has not conceded a goal in a team record six straight matches, dating back to the 0-0 draw against Argentina on June 8 in New Jersey.

Landon Donovan, who became the fourth youngest male player in history to reach 100 caps when he went 90 minutes on June 8 against Argentina, leads the roster with 24 all-time World Cup qualifying appearances.  His eight career goals in World Cup qualifying are also a team best.  Meantime, midfielder Michael Bradley and Heath Pearce are the only two U.S. players to start all five of the World Cup qualifiers in 2008.

A total of nine players from the 2008 Olympic Games link up with the full team, with eight of those players plying their trade overseas. Bradley, who scored the game-winning goal in the 3-0 win against Trinidad & Tobago while also earning Sierra Man of the Match honors, leads the full team in minutes played in 2008. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan scored two goals in China, while Maurice Edu, recently transferred to Glasgow Rangers of the Scottish Premier League, played all three games in the U.S. backline. Goalkeeper Brad Guzan returns to the fold having collected consecutive shutouts against Barbados in the second round series, while Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore wear the U.S. colors for the first time since Beijing. Michael Orozco, one of three uncapped players on the roster, is joined by fellow Mexican Primera Division midfielder José Francisco Torres.  The Longview, Texas, native is making his first appearance in a U.S. national team camp.

RFK Stadium is no stranger to the U.S. National Team, having hosted 17 matches since 1977. The U.S. has collected a 10-3-4 record in the nation’s capital, including a 3-1-1 record in World Cup qualifying. With an average attendance of over 30,000, Washington, D.C., has witnessed several memorable matches, including a 4-0 victory against Mexico in 1995 and a 1-0 win against Argentina in 1999. RFK last hosted the U.S. men on Oct. 13, 2004, when an Eddie Johnson hat trick paced the United States to a 6-0 victory against Panama to close out the semifinal phase of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

U.S. Men's National Team Roster

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	Caps/G	Hometown	Club
Adu, Freddy	M	5’8”	140	6/2/1989	9/0	Potomac, Md.	AS Monaco (France)
Altidore, Josmer	F	6’1”	175	11/6/1989	3/1	Boca Raton, Fla.	Villarreal C.F. (Spain)
Beasley, DaMarcus	M	5'8	145	5/24/1982	80/15	Ft. Wayne, Ind.	Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)
Bocanegra, Carlos	D	6'0	170	5/25/1979	61/10	Alta Loma, Calif.	Rennes (France)
Bradley, Michael	M	6’2”	175	7/31/1987	24/3	Cedar Grove, N.J.	Borussia Moenchengladbach (Germany)
Califf, Danny	D	6'1	175	3/17/1980	20/1	Orange, Calif.	FC Midtjylland (Denmark)
Cherundolo, Steve	D	5'6	145	2/19/1979	50/2	San Diego, Calif.	Hannover 96 (Germany)
Ching, Brian	F	6’1”	195	5/24/1978	30/8	Haleiwa, Hawaii	Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Davies, Charlie	F	5’10”	160	6/25/1986	3/0	Manchester, N.H.	Hammarby IF (Sweden)
DeMerit, Jay	D	6’0”	185	12/4/1979	9/0	Green Bay, Wis.	Watford FC (England)
Dempsey, Clint	F	6’1”	170	3/9/1983	45/13	Nacogdoches, Texas	Fulham FC (England)
Donovan, Landon	F	5'8	148	3/4/1982	104/36	Redlands, Calif.	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Edu, Maurice	M	6’0”	170	4/18/1986	9/0	Fontana, Calif.	Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)
Guzan, Brad	GK	6’4”	210	9/9/1984	9/0	Homer Glen, Ill.	Aston Villa (England)
Hejduk, Frankie	D	5'8	155	8/5/1974	80/6	Cardiff, Calif.	Columbus Crew (MLS)
Howard, Tim	GK	6’3”	210	3/6/1979	34/0	North Brunswick, N.J.	Everton FC (England)
Kljestan, Sacha	M	6’1”	150	9/9/1985	9/0	Huntington Beach, Calif.	Chivas USA (MLS)
Onyewu, Oguchi	D	6’4”	210	5/13/1982	37/4	Olney, Md.	Standard de Liege (Belgium)
Orozco, Michael	D	5’11”	160	2/7/1986	0/0	Orange, Calif.	San Luis (Mexico)
Pearce, Heath	D	5’10”	175	8/13/1984	19/0	Modesto, Calif.	Hansa Rostock (Germany)
Perkins, Troy	GK	6’2”	190	7/20/1981	0/0	Worthington, Ohio	Valerenga IF (Norway)
Szetela, Danny	M	5’11”	172	6/7/1987	2/0	Clifton, N.J.	Brescia Calcio (Italy)
Torres, José Francisco	M	5’5”	134	10/29/1987	0/0	Longview, Texas	Pachuca (Mexico)

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 2/2 SO), Tim Howard (Everton FC: 6/5 SO), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF: 0/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes: 16/2), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland: 2/0), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96: 17/0), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC: 1/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 13/1), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege: 11/0), Michael Orozco (San Luis: 0/0), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 5/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco: 1/0), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 19/4), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach: 5/2), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers: 3/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 3/0), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio: 1/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 0/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal C.F.: 0/0), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo: 9/4), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF: 0/0) Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC: 11/4), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy: 24/8)
*numbers indicate all-time World Cup Qualifying caps/goals

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM STAFF
Head Coach:               Bob Bradley (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Assistant Coach:        Peter Nowak (Naples, Fla.)
Assistant Coach:         Mike Sorber (St. Louis)
Assistant Coach:         John Hackworth (Bradenton, Fla.)
Goalkeeper Coach:      Zak Abdel (Laverne, Calif.)
Fitness Coach:             Pierre Barrieu (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
General Manager:        Pam Perkins (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Trainers:                        Ivan Pierra (Los Angeles)
                                        Justin Shaginaw (Atlanta)
Doctors:                         Bert Mandelbaum (Los Angeles)
Chiropractor:                George Billauer (Los Angeles)
Equipment Manager:  Tim Cook (Hermosa Beach, Calif.)
Videographer:              Alejandro Becker (Hollywood, Calif.)
Press Officer:               Michael Kammarman (Chicago)