With Brad Evans still nursing a calf injury suffered earlier this month, USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has decided he needs to make a roster move.
In Evans’ place comes on the roster for the Mexico friendly comes Tony Beltran, US Soccer has announced.
Beltran has two USMNT caps, and was a part of last year’s Gold Cup winning team as well as the squad that played to a sleep-inducing 0-0 draw with Canada in January.
The 26-year-old only played a half against Canada, but had himself a pretty good game.
Klinsmann attended Real Salt Lake’s 3-0 win over Toronto this weekend, and apparently informed Beltran of his selection after the match. The 26-year-old made Richard Farley’s “All-Snub” team for the Mexico roster.
(MORE: MLS’s best not-selected/All-Snub US Squad)
Just as it’s a happy moment for Beltran, the miss from Evans is disappointing. With the match taking place in his home state of Arizona, he will be unable to play in front of his home fans and could miss out on his chance to impress Klinsmann.
While he would still factor heavily into the World Cup squad, Evans could be in hot water for the starting spot with Geoff Cameron playing very well for Stoke City abroad.
(MORE: Can Geoff Cameron bump Brad Evans as first choice USMNT right back?)
So now, with Evans on the sidelines, it’s a chance for a dark horse candidate to make his mark. He would figure to get a good amount of playing time, jockeying with Michael Orozco, Michael Parkhurst, and youngster DeAndre Yedlin for the 90 minutes at right-back.