CHICAGO - Team captain Clint Dempsey and midfielder Alejandro Bedoya were left off the U.S. team roster for exhibitions in Europe against world powers Netherlands and Germany.
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Sunday that Dempsey will remain in Seattle awaiting the birth of his fourth child and Bedoya is recovering from a knee injury. Forward Jozy Altidore also remains sidelined as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
The United States will play the sixth-ranked Netherlands on June 5 in Amsterdam and take on defending World Cup champion Germany on June 10 in Cologne.
These are two of the team's final three exhibitions before starting play July 7 in the Gold Cup against Honduras.
Eight of the players chosen have 10 or fewer international appearances for the U.S. team.
"Playing against top teams like Germany and the Netherlands provides valuable experience, especially for the younger players here," Klinsmann said. "More and more they must understand we come to meet these opponents eye to eye. Obviously, it's a bit tricky when we are without some of our core players, but that creates a huge opportunity for the guys here to benchmark themselves against some of the best players in the world."
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan returns to the team for the first time this year. He missed time in March because of the birth of his first child. Nick Rimando has started all five games this year.
Klinsmann said these games will be important for Guzan because he will be the starter for the Gold Cup.
Another notable part of the roster is Jermaine Jones is listed as a midfielder after struggling on defense for his club team, the New England Revolution.
"He's going to be back in midfield because of the fact that we have so many high-quality center backs," Klinsmann said. "With the discovery of Ventura Alvarado, who won the CONCACAF Champions League with Club America, we think we have a very strong and stable backline and we don't need Jermaine in the center-back role."
Jones left New England's game Sunday night against Los Angeles in the 33rd minute because of a left groin injury. Jones stood and signaled to the bench for medical help, before going to the ground. He was able to slowly walk off under his own power.
The Americans have lost all four matchups against the Netherlands, scoring just one goal in the process. The United States lost to Germany in last summer's World Cup. This is the first meeting between the teams in Germany since Klinsmann coached the Germans to a 4-1 win in Dortmund in 2006.