Bob Bradley selects U.S. soccer roster for Slovakia and Denmark games

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Bob Bradley, coach of the U.S. national soccer team, today named a roster of 22 players for friendly games in Europe against two teams that also have qualified for next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

The United States will play Slovakia in Bratislava on Nov. 14 (7 a.m. PST on FSC and Galavision) and Denmark in Aarhus on Nov. 18. The latter game will be the Americans’ 24th and final game of 2009.

Because the Galaxy, the Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake and the Chicago Fire are still involved in the Major League Soccer playoffs, the roster does not include players from those teams. It does, however, include a few surprises, most notably 2009’s MLS leading goal scorer Jeff Cunningham of FC Dallas. Cunningham has not played for the national team since 2005.

Other noteworthy changes include the return of veteran goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann to the squad, as the backup to probable starter Brad Guzan, and the first call-up of FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty. Two Chivas USA players, Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein, are on the roster, which features 12 European-based players and 10 from MLS.

The full roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann and Troy Perkins.

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Steve Cherundolo, Jimmy Conrad, Clarence Goodson, Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Heath Pearce and Jonathan Spector.

Midfielders: Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, Dax McCarty and Robbie Rogers.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Jeff Cunningham and Eddie Johnson.

-- Grahame L. Jones