Real Salt Lake: Beckerman, Findley added to U.S. roster

SANDY — Once regarded as a shoo-in to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, the U.S. National Team is living dangerously with four qualifying matches remaining.

A pair of Real Salt Lake players might get an opportunity to push the U.S. squad over the top.

Robbie Findley and Kyle Beckerman were two of 24 players named to the U.S. National Team roster in advance of crucial World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago in the coming weeks. The El Salvador match will be played at Rio Tinto Stadium on Sept. 5 in what figures to be a pro-USA crowd. Four days later, the team heads to Trinidad & Tobago for the eighth of its 10 qualifying matches.

For Findley and Beckerman this is their first invitation to a qualifying camp, whereas 17 of the other 22 players were members of the U.S. squad that nearly upset Brazil in the Confederations Cup earlier this summer.

The United States sits in third place in CONCACAF qualifying, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the next summer's World Cup in South Africa. The fourth-place team, currently Mexico, will face South America's fifth-place team, currently Ecuador, for the final berth in the 2010 World Cup.

"Clearly these are very important games in our effort to qualify for 2010 FIFA World Cup," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said in a press release. "As we expected, qualifying in this region is very competitive. Both El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago will be hungry to get points from these matches, and we have an opportunity to position ourselves well to secure a berth for South Africa."

Findley and Beckerman are long shots to start either match, but both are hoping to challenge for a spot on the 18-man, game-day roster for either match.

Beckerman has made nine career appearances with the U.S. National Team, including six earlier this summer in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Most of the U.S. regulars were not called in for the regional tournament, and Beckerman took advantage by having a wonderful tournament and impressing the coaches.

Findley's inclusion in the 24-man roster is quite surprising considering his only other appearance with the U.S. senior squad was as a 90th-minute substitute in a friendly against Switzerland in 2007. He did, however, make several appearances with the under-23 team during qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Outside of banging an open shot off the post in New England last weekend, the 24-year-old Findley has been playing well lately for Real Salt Lake and is coming off a two-goal performance in Wednesday's 4-0 RSL victory over Chivas USA. He's tied for second in Major League Soccer with 10 goals.