Former Pirate Clyde Simms Added To U.S. Men's National Team Roster

U.S. Men's National Team manager Bruce Arena has called Clyde Simms (Jamestown, N.C.) and 18 other players into camp to train for the upcoming friendly against England on May 28 in Chicago. Kickoff at Soldier Field is set for 2 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN and Telemundo. Fans can also follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics.

Simms currently plays for D.C. United in the MLS and has played in six games with four consecutive starts. He has recorded four shots, two of which were on goal in 393 minutes of play.

In his first professional season, Simms started 28 of 31 games for the Richmond Kickers of the USL First Division (formerly the A-League). As a midfielder, Simms notched three goals, two of which were game-winners. Simms was the only rookie to be named to the A-League Team of the Week on two occasions during the season. He was honored for his solid play versus the Virginia Beach Mariners on May 31 and also for his game-winning goal over the Charleston Battery on June 12.

Although he has not earned a cap for the U.S. Men's National Team, Simms was the only non-MLS player called into training camp (Jan. 24, 2005) in preparation for the team's first game in the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Simms was a two-time All Conference USA selection (2002-03), three-time captain and a second-team All Colonial Athletic Association (2000) honoree for the Pirates. He ended his career at ECU tied for fifth all-time in games played (72). In his senior season, he started all 17 games, tallying four points (one goal, two assists).

The match against England serves as important preparation for the upcoming qualifiers against Costa Rica (June 4 in Salt Lake) and Panama (June 8 in Panama City). The team will assemble beginning May 22 in Chicago.

The U.S. and England last met at famed Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 7, 1994, a 2-0 win for England that came just one year after the USA's memorable 2-0 win at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., in the build up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Of course, the teams are best remembered for the historic match-up 55 years ago at the 1950 FIFA World Cup in which the United States provided one of the sports biggest upsets ever with a 1-0 win in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The historic victory has been recounted in the feature film The Game of Our Lives, recently released in U.S. theaters.

The U.S. roster for the upcoming qualifiers will be determined following the Memorial Day weekend matches. After the England match, the U.S. will play host for the second time in the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, welcoming Costa Rica on June 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kickoff at Rice-Eccles Stadium is set for 5:30 p.m. MT, and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. The match will be followed by MLS expansion franchise Real Salt Lake hosting FC Dallas at 8 p.m. in the second game of the doubleheader. Four days later, the U.S. travels to face Panama at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast via tape-delay on ESPN2 at 1 a.m. ET and on Telemundo at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT

Following their match with the United States, England will travel to the East Coast to take on Colombia at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., for a game on May 31 at 4 p.m. ET. That match-up is part of a double-header that concludes with the MetroStars hosting the Chicago Fire at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The U.S., along with Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, is competing in the 10-game round-robin World Cup qualifying format through Oct. 12, 2005, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The fourth-place team will compete in a two-game playoff to be held Nov. 12/13 and Nov. 16 against the fifth-place finisher in Asian qualifying.

U.S. Men's National Team Roster v. England
May 28, 2005 – Chicago, Illinois, USA
Friendly
Name P Ht. Wt. DOB C/G Hometown Club
3- Berhalter, Gregg D 6-1 175 08/01/73 38/0 Tenafly, N.J. Energie Cottbus (Germany)
4- Bocanegra, Carlos D 6-0 170 05/25/79 33/5 Alto Loma, Calif. Fulham FC (England)
11- Casey, Conor F 6-1 170 07/25/81 6/0 Gilpin, Colo. FSV Mainz (Germany)
6- Cherundolo, Steve D 5-6 145 02/19/79 24/0 San Diego, Calif. Hannover 96 (Germany)
15- Convey, Bobby M 5-8 150 05/27/83 28/1 Philadelphia, Pa. Reading FC (England)
2- Dempsey, Clint M 6-1 170 03/09/83 5/0 Nacogdoches, Texas N.E. Revolution (MLS)
10- Donovan, Landon M 5-8 148 03/04/82 61/19 Redlands, Calif. Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
12- Gibbs, Cory D 6-3 178 01/14/80 16/0 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Feyernoord (Holland)
1- Hahnemann, Marcus GK 6-3 220 06/15/72 3/0 Seattle, Wash. Reading FC (England)
9- Johnson, Ed F 6-0 170 03/31/84 8/8 Palm Coast, Fla. FC Dallas (MLS)
18- Keller, Kasey GK 6-2 190 11/29/69 78/0 Lacey, Wash. Bor. M'gladbach (Germany)
25- Mastroeni, Pablo D/M 5-10 170 08/26/76 37/0 Phoenix, Ariz. Colorado Rapids (MLS)
20- McBride, Brian F 6-1 170 06/19/72 85/26 Arlington Heights, Ill. Fulham FC (England)
5- O'Brien, John M 5-9 150 08/29/77 21/2 Playa del Rey, Calif. ADO den Haag (Holland)
22- Onyewu, Oguchi D 6-4 210 05/13/82 4/0 Olney, Md. Standard de Liege (Belgium)
14- Ralston, Steve M 5-9 160 06/14/74 17/2 St. Louis, Mo. N.E. Revolution (MLS)
19- Simms, Clyde M 5-10 165 08/21/82 0/0 Jamestown, N.C. D.C. United (MLS)
24- Thornton, Zach GK 6-3 210 10/10/73 8/0 Edgewood, Md. Chicago Fire (MLS)
21- Vanney, Greg D 5-11 169 06/11/74 32/1 Tempe, Ariz. FC Dallas (MLS)

ROSTER BY POSITION
Goalkeepers (3) – Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Zach Thornton (Chicago Fire)

Defenders (6) – Gregg Berhalter (Energie Cottbus), Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Cory Gibbs (Feyenoord), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Greg Vanney (FC Dallas)

Midfielders (7) – Bobby Convey (Reading FC), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John O'Brien (ADO Den Haag), Steve Ralston (New England Revolution), Clyde Simms (D.C. United)

Forwards (3) – Conor Casey (FSV Mainz), Eddie Johnson (FC Dallas), Brian McBride (Fulham FC)

U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM STAFF
Head Coach: Bruce Arena (Fairfax, Va.)
Assistant Coach: Glenn Myernick (Denver)
Assistant Coach: Curt Onalfo (Fairfax, Va.)
Goalkeeper Coaches: Milutin Soskic (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), Phil Wheddon (Monroe, Conn.)