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Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman is one of 26 players summoned by U.S. men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann for the upcoming World Cup qualifying series against Guatemala. The 33-year-old defensive midfielder was part of the USMNT's road World Cup qualifiers last November against St. Vincent (6-1 win) and Trinidad & Tobago (0-0 draw), but did not play.
With Jermaine Jones serving a six-game MLS suspension for an altercation with an official last postseason, it's possible Beckerman could be featured in the March 25 match in Guatemala City and the return leg in Columbus, Ohio, on March 29.
In the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying semifinal stage, the U.S. is striving for one of two berths in the Hexagonal — the region's final that features six countries. Trips to the Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City haven't always been cakewalks, either.
During the last five World Cup qualifiers, the U.S. has only emerged victorious on one occasion: A 1-0 win in Aug. 2008.
"The goal is we would like to beat them in Guatemala City and then beat them as well in Columbus in front of our fans," Klinsmann said on USSoccer.com. "That will give us six points and will virtually qualify us already for the next round. This is the objective and we will do everything possible to get that done."
Beckerman has 51 career senior team caps with the U.S. The longtime RSL midfielder was part of last summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup roster that finished a disappointing fourth place. After making a 12th Gold Cup appearance against Honduras last July, he became the American with the second-most tournament appearances ever. The summer prior, Beckerman started all three group stage matches at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
RSL left back Demar Phillips will also be part of World Cup qualifiers the following week as the 32-year-old defender was called into the Jamaican national team for its home-and-home series against Costa Rica. Jamaican hosts Costa Rica on March 25 in Kingston and face Los Ticos in San Jose on March 29. Phillips has 62 career caps with Jamaica, including 12 goals.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
U.S. roster by position (Club; WCQ Caps/Goals)
• Goalkeepers (4): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa; 9/0), Tim Howard (Everton FC; 30/0), William Yarbrough (Club Leon; 0/0)
• Defenders (9): Ventura Alvarado (Club America; 0/0), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City; 8/0), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United; 0/0), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin; 0/0), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City; 15/1), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey; 4/0), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca; 8/0), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana; 4/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland; 0/0)
• Midfielders (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake; 6/0), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes FC; 3/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC; 26/5), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC; 3/0), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC; 0/0), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach; 11/1), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers FC; 2/0), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution; 0/0)
• Forwards (5): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC; 28/12), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC; 34/13), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes; 0/0), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin; 2/1), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy; 2/1)