Just 10 of the players who made it to the World Cup last-16 before a 2-1 loss to Belgium are named in the squad, with only one member of the party being drawn from Major League Soccer (Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando). There are four European-based youngsters in the squad -- Bobby Wood (1860 Munich) Emerson Hyndman (Southampton), Joe Gyau (Borussia Dortmund II) Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht). And in a nod to the United States’ own Development Academy, Stanford’s Jordan Morris becomes the first active college player to be named in a squad under Klinsmann. “We have watched Jordan through our Youth National Teams and in the Development Academy for the last couple of years, and he is a very promising player,” Klinsmann explained.
The match in the Czech capital will also be the first following the decision of Howard to take a break from international duty. The man who captured the attention more than any other American in Brazil has said he wants to spend more time with his family and does not want to be considered for selection until fall 2015. Brad Guzan, who has impressed in recent seasons with English Premier League side Aston Villa, will now get a chance to stake his claim to be the No.1. The U.S. will not be in competitive action until the Concacaf Gold Cup on home soil next July and will then host a special centenary edition of South America’s flagship competition, the Copa America, in 2016, around the time qualification begins toward Russia.