Avatar und Signatur » coming along. Everything has been positive and go

NEW YORK -- In a sign U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann is unsettled on his defence a month before the World Cup, the Americans selected the mostly untested trio of John Brooks, Timmy Chandler and DeAndre Yedlin on Monday for their 30-man preliminary roster. Chandler, a speedy right back with Nuremberg in Germany, made his U.S. debut in 2011 and balked at playing in 2012 qualifiers. He has not appeared for the Americans since February 2013, when he made his first competitive appearance at Honduras in the opening match of the final round of qualifying. "I think hes a player who can make a difference if hes on his highest level," Klinsmann said. Yedlin, a 20-year-old right back, has made just two international appearances, as a late second-half substitute this year in exhibitions against South Korea and Mexico. Brooks, a 21-year-old central defender, made his debut in August and has just three appearances, in exhibitions against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria and Ukraine. Klinsmann also selected 18-year-old winger Julian Green, who made his national team debut last month. He is among a group of German-Americans on the roster that includes Brooks, Chandler and Fabian Johnson; midfielder Jermaine Jones; and forward Terrence Boyd. "We have two huge talents," Klinsmann said of Green and Yedlin. "It will be interesting to see now how they take that challenge because, obviously, they dont have the experience like other players have." Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley was also named to the roster. Klinsmann omitted several veterans, a group that includes forward Eddie Johnson and midfielder Sacha Kljestan. He selected 11 defenders, 10 midfielders and six forwards who will be evaluated during a two-week training camp that opens Wednesday at Stanford, California. He must submit a 23-man roster to FIFA by June 2, and most teams take eight defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards. Half the players are from Major League Soccer, with four each from Englands Premier League and Germanys Bundesliga. Two are from Mexicos league, and one apiece from Austria, France, Netherlands, Norway and Turkey. Part of Klinsmanns thought process will be deciding whether Geoff Cameron is a right back or central defender, and whether Fabian Johnson is an outside back or a midfielder. "There is going to be a lot of competition. Thats why Jurgen is bringing in 30 rather than cutting it down to 23 right away," said defender Michael Parkhurst, who joined the Columbus Crew this season after an unsuccessful stint in Germany. "I dont know going into camp right now if Im fighting for left back or right back." Many of the defenders thought four years ago to be 2014 candidates werent even in contention, a group that includes Gale Agbossoumonde, Kevin Alston, Jonathan Bornstein, Eric Lichaj, Chad Marshall, Ike Opara, Heath Pearce and Jonathan Spector. In a sign of the lack of progress among youth players, Mix Diskerud and Boyd were the only selections from the 20-man group on the under-23 team that failed to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. The 30-year-old Johnson, a member of the 2006 U.S. roster but among the final cuts in 2010, scored five goals in qualifying for the 2014 tournament: two in a 2-1 win at Antigua and Barbuda in October 2012, the second goal in the 2-0 victory over Panama last June in Seattle, and the first in the clinching 2-0 win over Mexico last September at Columbus, Ohio. "It was a very difficult decision based on what hes done with me the whole time, and not now having that chance at the last moment then is a very tough one on him," Klinsmann said. Johnson has not scored in eight games this season with D.C. United. "While I am disappointed," Johnson said in a statement, "I respect coach Jurgen Klinsmanns decision." Others in the group left off included defenders Edgar Castillo, Michael Orozco and Tim Ream; midfielders Brek Shea, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Torres and Daniel Williams; and forwards Herculez Gomez and Juan Agudelo. Shea scored the only goal last summer in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Panama. As the Americans prepare for their seventh straight World Cup appearance, another interesting competition could come at forward. While Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore appear to be likely starters, Klinsmann said he views Landon Donovan as a striker, and the group going to camp includes Boyd, Aron Johannsson and Chris Wondolowski. Ten players were on the 2010 preliminary roster, including a pair trying for their fourth World Cup: Donovan and left back DaMarcus Beasley. Five players did not appear in any of the 16 qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup: No. 3 goalkeeper Nick Rimando, along with Brooks, Green, Wondolowski and Yedlin. The Americans play exhibitions against Azerbaijan on May 27 at San Francisco; Turkey on June 1 at Harrison, New Jersey; and Nigeria on June 7 at Jacksonville, Florida. They travel the following day to their base camp in Sao Paulo. At the World Cup, they open against Ghana on June 16 at Natal, face Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal six days later in the Amazon rain forest city of Manaus and close the group stage against Germany on June 26 at Recife. "The goal is to try to get out of the group, which gives you the opportunity to get to the knockout stage," said Dempsey, the U.S. captain, "and then the knockout stage anything can happen." NMD Clearance Sale . In the opening game of his fourth-round match at the U.S. Open, the owner of 17 major titles got passed at the net twice, sailed a backhand long, then missed two forehands to get broken. NMD R1 Sale Australia . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/ . - The Clippers have signed guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract. Ultra Boost 4.0 Sale Australia .com) - Novak Djokovic captured a mens Open Era-record fifth Australian Open title on Sunday by defeating rival Andy Murray in the final in Melbourne. NMD CS1 Australia . -- Syracuse was dangerously close to letting another less talented opponent pull off the upset when C.WASHINGTON -- Nationals slugger Ryan Zimmerman, hoping to return before the end of the regular season, took on-field batting practice Tuesday for the first time since injuring his right hamstring. "I need to get back in shape hitting-wise," Zimmerman said before Washingtons game against the Atlanta Braves. "I cant take as many swings as I normally do yet. Im getting fatigued and sore the next day, so thats part of the progression. Its coming along. Everything has been positive and good so far. Were not there yet." Zimmerman suffered a third-degree strain of his right hamstring strain July 22 in Colorado and had missed 44 games entering Tuesday. "Running is the biggest thing," he said. "I dont downplay hitting and throwing. Its not a small thing, but rrunning is going to be the biggest test.dddddddddddd" Zimmerman said a recent MRI was encouraging. He said hes been able to run at about 50 to 60 per cent of full speed. "Ive jogged a couple of times the last few days," he said, "and we really sort of just have to take our time, as frustrating as it is now because were so close." The Nationals want a healthy Zimmerman for the playoffs. They began play Tuesday night with an eight-game NL East lead over the Braves. "I havent done any side-to-side stuff yet," he said. "Obviously being out here on the field, everybodys going to get excited, including me, and were going to have to pump the brakes a little bit and make sure when I come back Im ready to play. Dont want to reinjure it." ' ' '