Bafana Bafana
Bafana to face youthful USA
2010-11-12 07:45
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Miami - United States coach Bob Bradley will take a young and experimental team to South Africa for next week's friendly against Bafana Bafana with six uncapped players named in an 18-man squad.
New York Red Bulls' 18-year-old striker Juan Agudelo and Estoril defender Gale Agbossoumonde, who will be 19 next week, are the first two products of the US's new development academy to come into the squad for the November 17 game.
The pair join Celtic goalkeeper Dominic Cervi, Red Bulls defender Tim Ream, Norway-born midfielder Mikkel Diskerud and Kansas City Wizards striker Teal Bunbury in the squad for the first time.
"This game is a good opportunity to look at some different players and assess their place in the pool as we continue to build for the next cycle," said Bradley.
"With our immediate focus on the (CONCACAF) Gold Cup next summer, this game in many ways is just as much the start of 2011 as it is the end of a great year," he added.
Five members of the US World Cup squad return to South Africa for a game which is viewed as being a part of the US's push to host the World Cup in 2022.
The match is officially for the Nelson Mandela Challenge, an annual one-off event which began in 1994 and has seen South Africa face opponents like Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands and Nigeria
Including the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which the United States reached the final, the Americans will play their 12th game on South African soil in three years.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (Celtic), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Defenders: Gale Agbossoumonde (Estoril Praia), Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabaek), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Teal Bunbury (Kansas City Wizards), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)