Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Gutierrez has been selected to the Chile Men’s National Team for a pair of international friendlies against Argentina and Honduras, the Football Federation of Chile announced today.
Chile head coach Reinaldo Rueda has named Gutierrez to a 24-man roster as La Roja prepare to face South American powerhouse Argentina at 9 p.m. CT on Sept. 5 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles before visiting Honduras at 8:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 10 at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula.
Before then, Gutierrez will be available for selection Saturday when Sporting Kansas City hosts rivals Houston Dynamo in a pivotal Western Conference matchup at Children’s Mercy Park. That game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT and tickets are available at SeatGeek.com. Fans can also catch the action live on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports GO, ESPN 94.5 FM and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.
Gutierrez, 29, has played a leading role for Sporting in a standout second season at the club. He leads the side in starts (31) and appearances (32) across all competitions and boasts a team-best 10 MLS goals to go with two assists. The Chilean has recorded three braces in 2019, most recently striking twice in a 3-2 road win at Seattle Sounders FC on Aug. 4, and has become the fourth midfielder in club history to tally 10 goals in a single regular season.
Gutierrez earned his first of 35 senior caps in 2010. The versatile midfielder notably competed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and helped Chile lift the 2015 Copa America title as champions of South America. Gutierrez was named to La Roja’s roster for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and most recently represented his country in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Ecuador in October 2017. He joined La Roja during the FIFA international break last October but did not feature in friendlies against Peru and Mexico.
Chile are No. 14 in the latest FIFA rankings and claimed back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016 before finishing fourth at the continental tournament this summer in Brazil. Gutierrez is one of three MLS players on the current squad alongside Houston Dynamo defender Jose Bizama and Colorado Rapids forward Diego Rubio, who was teammates with Gutierrez at Sporting in 2018.
Gutierrez is one of six Sporting players who have been summoned for duty during September’s FIFA window. The list also includes Hungarian duo Botond Barath and Krisztian Nemeth, Liechtenstein defender Nico Hasler, Scotland forward Johnny Russell and United States U-17 standout Gianluca Busio.
