Wake Forest Athletics
Michael Parkhurst Called Up to U.S. National Team
2/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 23, 2012
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CHICAGO, Ill. - U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann announced a roster of 21, including former Wake Forest All-American Michael Parkhurst, for the side's February 29 match against four-time World Cup Champion Italy in Genoa.
The match is set for a 2:45 p.m. ET kickoff and will be televised on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Galavision.
The upcoming fixture with Italy takes place on the first FIFA international fixture date of 2012, which allowed Klinsmann to select all available players.
"We're looking forward to having all the European-based players back in the roster and picking up where we left off with them from the Slovenia game," Klinsmann said. "I'm excited about getting everybody together and challenging a world-class team like former World Cup winner Italy on their home soil. I think we have put a very competitive roster together.
The U.S. has collected three consecutive victories, including a pair of shutout wins against Venezuela and Panama to open the 2012 campaign. Parkhurst spent January with the national team and was capped for the 10th time in his career last month versus Venezuela.
"It's a highly competitive midfield, no doubt about it. Now we have two center backs coming into the picture in Geoff Cameron and Michael Parkhurst who want to challenge the established guys," said Klinsmann. "Obviously losing Gooch (Oguchi Onyewu) was a bummer, but we expect that he'll be back and ready to go this summer and we have Clarence Goodson step in who has done very well at Brondby."
Parkhurst was a member of the Wake Forest men's soccer team from 2002-04. A starter in all 62 games he played, Parkhurst was twice named all-South Region and was a first-team All-America choice by Soccer America in 2004. He was also named a second-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2003 and 2004.
Parkhurst also represented the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics and was named the 2007 MLS Defender of the Year during his four year tenure with the New England Revolution. He now plays professionally in Denmark as a key defender for FC Nordsjaelland, which has won the Danish Cup in two consecutive years.
He earned his first cap for the U.S. in a match against Trinidad and Tobago in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
