CHICAGO — Sunderland midfielder Lynden Gooch has been invited to the U.S. national team training camp for the first time and could make his debut in Friday’s exhibition against Cuba in Havana.
The 20-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, made his Premier League debut on Aug. 13 and has six starts and one substitute appearance this season for the Black Cats.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann also selected in-form striker Jozy Altidore and veteran midfielder Michael Bradley from Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.
Bradley has appeared in 22 matches, registering one goal and four assists for Toronto this season. Bradley has earned 122 caps and scored 15 goals for the United States.
Altidore has nine goals and four assists in 21 matches for Toronto FC season. He has 95 caps and 37 goals for the Americans.
Julian Green, a 21-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder who was on the 2014 World Cup roster, also was among the 23 players selected Sunday. Green has been dressing regularly for Bayern this season but has made just one appearance, as a second-half substitute in a German Cup match in August.
Klinsmann also picked Reading midfielder Danny Williams. He omitted veteran goalkeepers Tim Howard and Brad Guzan in favour of three youngsters: San Jose’s David Bingham, Molde’s Ethan Horvath and Leon’s William Yarbrough. While Howard has been starting for Colorado, Guzan has not played for Middlesbrough since August, assuming a backup role to Victor Valdes.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan was picked after scoring twice last month in his return to the national team after an absence of more than two years.
The Americans have played in Cuba twice before, winning in 1947 and 2008, the latter a World Cup qualifier.
The U.S. also plays New Zealand on Oct. 11 at Washington. The Americans open the final round of World Cup qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region against Mexico on Nov. 11 at Columbus, Ohio, then play four days later at Costa Rica.
Klinsmann expects to make roster changes before the game against New Zealand.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: David Bingham (San Jose), Ethan Horvath (Molde, Norway), William Yarbrough (Leon, Mexico)
Defenders: Steve Birnbaum (D.C.), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Geoff Cameron (Stoke, England), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca, Mexico), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle, England)
Midfielders: Paul Arriola (Tijuana, Mexico), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia), Michael Bradley (Toronto), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland, England), Julian Green (Bayern Munich, Germany), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Danny Williams (Reading, England)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto), Jordan Morris (Seattle), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose), Bobby Wood (Hamburg, Germany)
