CHICAGO, Ill. (June 27, 2013) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Thursday that goalkeeper Sean Johnson has been selected by U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann as one of the 23 players that will represent the United States in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.
Johnson will report for international duty on July 1 in San Diego. The United States will face Guatemala on July 5 at Qualcomm Stadium at 10:00 p.m. CT (NBC Sports Network/UniMas) as the only tune-up match prior to the tournament.
A Lilburn, Ga. product, Johnson made his international debut Jan. 22, 2011 against Chile at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Johnson earned his first start for the U.S. Men’s National Team and earned the shutout in a 0-0 draw with Canada at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas Jan. 29. The 23-year-old ‘keeper has been capped three times.
Now in his fourth year as a professional, Johnson has started 14 of the Fire’s 15 matches this season and earned his 18th career shutout in a 2-0 win over D.C. United June 2.
In 2012, Johnson appeared in a career-high 31 regular season matches for the Men in Red and recorded five shutouts en route to a 1.24 goals against average that was the lowest in his professional career. Johnson made 108 saves in 2012, including a career-high ten saves against the San Jose Earthquakes July 28.
The U.S. has been drawn into Group C of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup along with Belize, Cuba and Costa Rica. The U.S. will open group play against Belize on July 9 at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore., before traveling to Sandy, Utah, to face Cuba at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 13 in their second group match. The United States finishes the group in East Hartford, Conn., against Costa Rica on July 16 at Rentschler Field.
The U.S. has previously competed in the tournament 11 times, and has four titles to their credit. The winner of the 2013 Gold Cup will compete in a playoff with the winner of the 2015 event for the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3):Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo), DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Oguchi Onyewu (Malaga), Michael Orozco Fiscal (Puebla), Michael Parkhurst (FC Augsburg)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Helsinborg), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Joshua Gatt (Molde FK), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jose Torres (Tigres)
FORWARDS (5): Will Bruin (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Club Tijuana), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
