US sets 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster
National team highlighted by 15 MLS players
The tournament kicks off for the defending champions with a Fourth of July match against Grenada at Qwest Field in Seattle. From there, the U.S. will meet Honduras at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on July 8 before wrapping up group play at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. against Haiti.
Logan Pause of the Chicago Fire, Stuart Holden of the Houston Dynamo, Colorado Rapids midfielder Colin Clark, Toronto FC's Sam Cronin, Seattle Sounders FC standout Brad Evans and New England Revolution veteran Jay Heaps will all be looking for their first national team caps.
Four players -- Freddy Adu, Charlie Davies, Heath Pearce and Luis Robles -- carry over from the U.S. squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup, while regular starters Brian Ching and Steve Cherundolo return from injury. Ching, the Houston Dynamo striker, is back after missing the last two FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup with a hamstring strain.
Cherundolo, meanwhile, hasn't played since Oct. 11, 2008 after having hip surgery.
D.C. United's Santino Quaranta returns to the U.S. team looking for his first appearance since Nov. 12, 2005, against Scotland. He also competed in the 2005 Gold Cup, converting one of the penalty kicks in the shootout at Giants Stadium as the U.S. captured the title against Panama.
Quaranta is one of three players to compete in the 2005 Gold Cup, joined by Kansas City Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad and Cherundolo from that squad.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman makes his return to the national team after competing in the 2007 Copa America and is one of just three players in the midfield to have international experience, joining Kansas City's Davy Arnaud and Robbie Rogers of the Columbus Crew.
Also back in the fold for the first time since January 2008 is Conrad, who brings with him 24 career caps that include appearances against Italy and Ghana at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
He is joined in the back by fellow MLS standouts Chad Marshall, a central defender from the Columbus Crew who hasn't been capped since 2005, and New England's Heaps, an 11-year MLS veteran who is seeking his first cap.
FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper, who is tied for third in MLS in scoring with seven goals, is also on the roster, while goalkeeper Jon Busch will remain with the Chicago Fire unless needed due to suspension or injury.
U.S. ROSTER -- CONCACAF GOLD CUP 2009
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF/NOR), Luis Robles (FC Kaiserslautern/GER)
DEFENDERS (7): Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start/NOR), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaellands/DEN), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock/GER)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco/FRA), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF/SWE), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United)
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com
