U.S. soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann picks 17 of 23 World Cup vets for Gold Cup

CHICAGO – The U.S. roster for next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup will look a lot like the American team at last year’s World Cup.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann selected 17 of the 23 players he took to Brazil last year, adding goalkeeper William Yarbrough; defenders Ventura Alvarado, Brad Evans (Sounders FC) and Tim Ream; and midfielders Alfredo Morales and Gyasi Zardes.

They replace goalkeeper Tim Howard; defenders DaMarcus Beasley, Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron; and midfielders Julian Green and Jermaine Jones. Howard has taken a year off from the national team; Jones had surgery June 12 for a sports hernia.

U.S. captain Clint Dempsey remained on the roster after being given a three-game suspension last week by Major League Soccer for referee abuse. If MLS had found Dempsey guilty of referee assault, the ban would have been a minimum six club matches and also sidelined him for the start of the Gold Cup.

The Americans won the 2013 Gold Cup and with a repeat title this year would earn a berth at the 2017 Confederations Cup.

After an exhibition against Guatemala on July 3, the Americans open the 12-nation tournament against Honduras four days later in Frisco, Texas.