Brad Evans admits he was fairly disappointed to not make the U.S. National Team roster for last summer’s FIFA World Cup. It served as a source of motivation for the Sounders FC captain.
Evans hopes to represent his country in the CONCACAF Gold Cup this July, and based on Sunday’s news, the 29-year-old is certainly in the mix for Jurgen Klinsmann’s selection.
Klinsmann called him in for Wednesday night’s friendly with Mexico, which is to be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas in front of an expected sellout crowd of 65,000. This is Evans’ second call-up of 2015 – He participated in the first two days of January camp before heading home early due to tendinitis in his knee.
“It’s always an honor to get called in, especially for this game,” Evans said of the Mexico friendly. “The rivalry is so deep-rooted. This is the one that everybody talks about, so I definitely don’t take it lightly. It’s not just a friendly. It’s against your archrival and in front of 60,000 fans, so you’ve got to wear your heart on your sleeve. I’m extremely excited.”
The USA is unbeaten against its archrival since Klinsmann became Head Coach, posting a 2-0-3 record in the team’s five matchups with Mexico since 2011.
Though he did not make the final cut, Evans was part of Klinsmann’s preliminary roster ahead of the World Cup and was vital in the USA reaching the tournament. He started nine of the team’s matches in 2013 and scored the game-winner in a qualifying victory over Jamaica.
Evans, who has amassed 17 total caps for the National Team, said he is unsure what position he will play on Wednesday. He was a mainstay at right back during World Cup qualifying, and thus far for Sounders FC, Evans has started all five matches of the season at centerback.
There’s a chance he could play on the backline with former Sounders teammate DeAndre Yedlin, who was called in by Klinsmann after making his Barclays Premier League debut over the weekend.
No matter where he’s asked to play, Evans is thrilled to be a part of the Mexico friendly.
“I’ve always been a player that will play wherever you need me,” he said. “So if it’s along the backline, it’s along the backline. If I come off the bench in the midfield, I’ll try to do the job.”
Wednesday’s match will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m. PT from the Alamodome. Sounders FC midfielder Gonzalo Pineda is also going to be in San Antonio for the game, as the Mexican international will be featured on FOX’s broadcast.
