National team coach Bruce Arena has chosen a veteran 27-man roster for next month’s World Cup soccer qualifiers with Trinidad and Tobago as well as Mexico, with nine players coming off European clubs and six getting their first call-up of Arena’s six-month tenure as the U.S. coach.
The U.S., fourth in the six-team CONCACAF standings four games into the 10-match qualifying tournament, will play the Caribbean team on June 8 in Commerce City, Colo., then fly to Mexico City for a showdown with the unbeaten group leaders on June 11.
Players began reporting for training in Denver on Sunday, ahead of next Saturday’s exhibition game with Venezuela in suburban Salt Lake City.