Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson Make USA Final Squad

Brothers in arms. Evans and Johnson celebrate together at club level

Seattle Sounders Eddie Johnson and Brad Evans have both been selected for the USA 24 man squad to face the Honduran side on February 6th.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named the men he hopes will see the World Cup Qualifying group off to a flying start this morning.

“We want to have a sense of urgency right from the start of the Final Round,” said Klinsmann.

“We have a lot of respect for Honduras, but our message to the team is that we are going there to get three points. One thing we learned from the Semifinal Round is that you have to bring the right mentality to play in the tough games on the road, and I’m confident we are ready to do that.”

Evans, 27, has seven caps for the United States. His last competitive match for the U.S. National Team was against Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on July 11, 2009. Evans started and played 90 minutes in Tuesday’s friendly against Canada.

Although he plays mostly in midfield at his club, the press release lists him as a defender.

Johnson, 28, has 45 caps and 14 goals for the United States. He helped the team advance to the Final Round of qualifying with two goals and one assist in matches against Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala last October. Johnson made his national team debut in 2004. He played 73 minutes in Tuesday’s friendly against Canada. Despite the goalless outcome, Johnson has made the cut.

San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was not so fortunate. Spurs Clint Dempsey, Santos Herculez Gomez and AZ Alkmaar’s Jozy Altidore are the other forwards selected.

Other than the two Sounders, there are just five MLS players with Sporting Kansas supplying two, defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi.

Brad Davis (Houston), Sean Johnson (Chicago) and Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy) are the other three.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (World Cup qualifying Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa – 5/3 SO), Tim Howard (Everton – 22/9 SO), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire – 0/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City – 0/0), Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander – 31/5), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City – 5/0), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana – 0/0), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg – 0/0), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders – 0/0), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy – 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim – 3/0), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg – 3/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Michael Bradley (Roma – 19/5), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo – 0/0), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor – 9/0), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04 – 5/0), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht – 12/0), Jose Torres (Tigres – 9/0), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim – 4/0), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City – 3/0)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar – 17/6), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur – 26/10), Herculez Gomez (Santos – 6/2), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders – 11/10)