Besler Called Back to US Team

US Soccer today announced the roster for the men's national team's games coming up during the upcoming international window. Included on the roster after missing out on the Gold Cup is Sporting KC center back and captain, Matt Besler. Besler is called back in for the first time since a friendly against Mexico, where he missed the game because of illness.

Now Besler will join the US for a pair of friendlies, the last for the US team before their Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico in October. The US will play Peru on September 4th in Washington DC before playing Brazil in Foxborough, MA on the 8th.

Besler becomes the third player to be called up for KC during this window, joining Krisztian Nemeth with the Hungarian national team, Marcel de Jong with the Canadian team, and Erik Palmer-Brown with the US U20 team.

That does pose a problem for KC though. While the team is off this coming weekend in MLS play and won't miss any of the players because of that, the team does play the day after the international break ends, September 9th in Portland. With Besler and Palmer-Brown being called up, and Ike Opara still recovering from his Achilles injury, KC looks like they'll be left with just one regular center back with the team, Kevin Ellis. That could definitely cause some problems for KC heading into the game against the Timbers. Hopefully Jalil Anibaba is ready for his return to the lineup after missing time with a thigh strain. If not KC will be relying on Amobi Okugo to return from his injury, or move Chance Myers centrally (a position he played one game last year, the game he ruptured his Achilles).