USA add Morris to roster ahead of friendlies vs. Netherlands, Germany
CHICAGO --
Stanford forward Jordan Morris has been added to the U.S. roster for exhibition games at the Netherlands and Germany.
The 20-year-old has made three international appearances and scored in a 2-0 win over Mexico on April 15. He had been with the American under-23 team at the Toulon Tournament in France, and the U.S. Soccer Federation said he met up with the national team on Wednesday in Amsterdam.
The Americans play the Netherlands on Friday in Amsterdam, and Germany next Wednesday in Cologne.
Klinsmann named his initial 22-player roster for the pair of high-profile European friendlies on Sunday afternoon, but he excluded the trio of veteran players for injury and family-related reasons.
Altidore is currently sidelined with a hamstring complaint, while Bedoya is receiving treatment for a knee injury sustained toward the end of the Ligue 1 season. Dempsey misses out on the trip as he awaits the birth of his fourth child in Seattle.
Their absences strip away some of Klinsmann's most dependable performers ahead of the difficult tests against the Dutch (June 5 in Amsterdam) and the Germans (June 10 in Cologne, live coverage on FOX Sports 1), but Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan and New England midfielder Jermaine Jones return to the fold to bolster the ranks.
The onus falls on familiar figures like Guzan, Jones, Michael Bradley and Kyle Beckerman to guide the side through this pair of friendlies, while other players -- including New England forward Juan Agudelo and 1860 Munich forward Bobby Wood -- will receive a chance to impress before Klinsmann names his CONCACAF Gold Cup squad next month.
"Our time since the World Cup has been a transition period which now winds down before the Gold Cup," Klinsmann said in a released statement. "Playing against top teams like Germany and the Netherlands provides valuable experience, especially for the younger players here. More and more they must understand we come to meet these opponents eye to eye. Obviously it's a bit tricky when we are without some of our core players, but that creates a huge opportunity for the guys here to benchmark themselves against some of the best players in the world. "
U.S. under-23 forward Jordan Morris misses out on a place in the squad despite his goal against Mexico in April due to his commitments at the Toulon tournament, while Stoke City defender Geoff Cameron remains out of the pool after missing out on the trip through Denmark and Switzerland.
USA's Roster:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) and William Yarbrough (Club Leon).
Defenders: Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC) and DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur).
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt) and Danny Williams (Reading).
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Jordan Morris (Stanford) and Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy).
FOXSoccer.com's Kyle McCarthy contributed to this report.
