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Sporting KC's Besler and Zusi join USMNT for World Cup qualifiers

Published Aug. 28, 2017 10:52 a.m. ET

Matt Besler (left) and Graham Zusi (right) will join the 26-man roster ahead of Friday's match against Costa Rica.

Sporting Kansas City defenders Matt Besler and Graham Zusi are joining the U.S. Men's National Team for a pair of crucial World Cup qualifiers in CONCACAF's Hexagonal.

Besler and Zusi will join the 26-man roster ahead of Friday's match against Costa Rica. The USMNT will then travel to face Honduras on Sept. 5 in San Pedro Sula.

"I think we're bringing in a good roster, one that has depth in every position and in which all 26 players have been with the National Team in 2017," USMNT head coach Bruce Arena said. "I think we have the right understanding as a group as to what needs to be done, and hopefully we can be successful in these next two games."

The USMNT currently occupies third place in the Hexagonal standings with four World Cup qualifiers still to play between now and Oct. 10. The top three finishers will advance automatically to the 2018 FIFA World Cup next summer in Russia, while the fourth-place team will face an Asian country in a two-legged intercontinental playoff in November with a World Cup berth on the line.

Zusi has logged 53 appearances for the USMNT since 2012. Besler, debuting a year later, has 44 appearances with the national team. Both had also joined the team earlier this year, helping the Americans win the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup in July. The Sporting KC duo started four matches in that tournament.

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