5 California Natives Named USMNT World Cup Qualifying Matches

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5 California Natives Named USMNT World Cup Qualifying Matches

California natives David Bingham, Michael Orozco, Steve Birnbaum, Chris Wondolowski, and Gyasi Zardes are five of 26-players who have been named to th

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California natives David Bingham, Michael Orozco, Steve Birnbaum, Chris Wondolowski, and Gyasi Zardes are five of 26-players who have been named to the U.S. Men’s National Team by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for a pair of upcoming semifinal round World Cup Qualifying matches against Guatemala.

The first match will be held on Friday, March 25 in Guatemala City before it returns stateside in a rematch scheduled for Tuesday, March 29 in Columbus. The U.S. currently leads Group C with four points through two matches. World Cup Qualifying started in November with the U.S. picking up a 6-1 win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and then playing Trinidad & Tobago to a scorless draw.

Bingham (Castro Valley, San Jose Earthquakes), Orozco (Orange, Tijuana), Birnbaum (Newport, D.C. United), Wondolowski (Danville, San Jose Earthquakes), and Gyasi Zardes (Hawthorne, LA Galaxy) have all seen international action under Klinsmann. Wondolowski leads the group with 31 caps and is followed by Zardes and Oronzco who have 21 each. Birnbaium has three caps with one goal and Bingham has one cap, which he earned earlier this year.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; WCQ Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (4): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa; 9/0), Tim Howard (Everton FC; 30/0), William Yarbrough (Club Leon; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Ventura Alvarado (Club America; 0/0), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City; 8/0), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United; 0/0), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin; 0/0), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City; 15/1), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey; 4/0), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca; 8/0), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana; 4/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake; 6/0), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes FC; 3/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC; 26/5), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC; 3/0), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC; 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach; 11/1), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers FC; 2/0), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution; 0/0)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC; 28/12), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC; 34/13), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin; 2/1), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy; 2/1)