Sporting Set to Lose Two to Three Players to US Camp in Two Weeks

On May 13th, US Men's National Team coach, Jurgen Klinsmann has to give his 30 man provisional roster to FIFA ahead of this summer's World Cup. A day later, the US team is set to kick off national team camp in preparation for the World Cup in Brazil. Today, Klinsmann announced that all 30 players on the preliminary roster will participate in the camp.

Originally, Klinsmann said that the camp would only include 26 to 28 players, but today he amended that to include all 30 players named to the preliminary roster.

What this means for Kansas City is that come May 14th KC could be without three players. Two players, Matt Besler and Graham Zusi are definitely going to be included in the 30 man roster and barring an injury both should be included in the 23 man roster for Brazil. The third player, is Benny Feilhaber, who has arguably been Kansas City's MVP through the first nine games of the season (seven league and two CCL).

The day that the US camp is supposed to start, KC is set to host the Philadelphia Union at Sporting Park in a league game. If KC's call ups don't participate in that game, it means there are just two games left before they depart for US camp, this Sunday vs. Columbus and next week vs Montreal. So at most it appears that KC will have just three games left with their US national team players before they depart.

The final 23 man roster is not due until June 2nd. So any player who is called up into the camp will miss at least four games for Kansas City, at Chicago, vs Toronto, vs New York, and DC. In a busy month of May, that's going to be a rough stretch to be without two of Sporting's best players. Defensively, with Ike Opara out for the season, Lawrence Olum will need to step up to replace Besler. In the wing position, the likes of Toni Dovale, Jacob Peterson, Soony Saad, and CJ Sapong will be looked upon t help fill Zusi's spot. In midfield, if Feilhaber gets called up, the likes of Alex Martinez and Jimmy Medranda will be the two expected to really fill the gap.

It's amazing to think how close we already are to KC's US national teamers leaving to prepare for the World Cup.