Looking beyond the stunning news about (eliminating) Landon Donovan, the U.S.'s 23-player roster is long on youth (and German-Americans) and short on World Cup experience.
Five German-Americans earned a spot, including 18-year-old Julian Green. The son of a U.S. serviceman who was born in Florida and raised in Germany has played just one game in a U.S. jersey. John Brooks, 21, has made just three appearances with the Americans. Timmy Chandler, Jermaine Jones and Fabian Johnson were the other dual-national picks.
Five of Jurgen Klinsmann's final seven cuts were MLS players. Though there are 10 MLS players on the team, a few more were expected. Even so, compared to the 2010 roster which included just four MLS players, the number is significant.
Defender DeAndre Yedlin, 20, has played in just two national team games and earned his spot through his solid MLS play. His Seattle Sounders teammate, Brad Evans, a regular during World Cup qualifying at right back, did not.
Six players on the final roster have been on previous World Cup teams, including five with playing experience, the lowest number since 1990 when the US returned to the World Cup after a 40-year drought. Four years ago in South Africa, then coach Bob Bradley brought six Americans with World Cup playing experience.
The roster wasn't all about youth. MLS veteran Chris Wondolowski, 31, who has a knack for poaching goals, earned a spot after being repeatedly praised by Klinsmann for giving "a 1,000 percent." Midfielder Kyle Beckerman, 32, will also make his World Cup debut, earning praise when paired alongside Michael Bradley, enabling the U.S. star to push forward.
Then there's DeMarcus Beasley who will become the first American to play in four World Cups. (Claudio Reyna and Kasey Keller were each on four World Cup rosters but did not play in all four.) Beasley, who turns 32 on Saturday, is the only defender with World Cup experience but in those three tournaments, he played midfield.