The Kansas City Wizards announced Thursday that three of the team’s players have been selected for National Team duty for international friendlies next week. Forward Teal Bunbury will join the United States for their match in South Africa, defender Roger Espinoza will take part in the Honduran National Team’s friendly against Panama, and Shavar Thomas will be included in the Jamaica squad that takes on Costa Rica. All three games are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 17.
Bunbury was named to the 18-player roster, announced on Thursday, by U.S. National Team Manager Bob Bradley, and will join the U.S. on Friday as they travel to Cape Town, South Africa for the Nelson Mandela Challenge, the United States last scheduled match of the year as they go up against the 2010 World Cup hosts. Bunbury is one of five players on the roster to receive their first invitation to participate in the full U.S. National Team and at age 20, is the fourth youngest player on the roster. Bunbury, who holds dual citizenship for the United States and Canada, will be participating in a U.S. camp for the first time at any level, after previously taking part in Canada’s U-17 and U-20 youth national teams.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity, and its great to get this reward after the hard work that I put in this year,” Bunbury said. “I’m honored and blessed that I will have the chance to showcase myself as a player to Coach Bradley.”
The friendly will be played at 1 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Green Point Stadium and will be televised live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Bunbury, one of three forwards selected by Bradley, is coming off a successful rookie season for Kansas City after being drafted fourth overall by the Wizards in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. The 20-year-old Akron product contributed five goals and two assists in 26 appearances, and also scored in Kansas City’s U.S. Open Cup game in April and recorded an assist in the Wizards historic upset of Manchester United in July.
Espinoza has established himself as a regular member of the Honduras National Team in 2010 and is again among those selected by Juan de Dios Castillo for their friendly against Panama on Wednesday. Espinoza, who started in two games for Honduras during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, has 15 appearances for his country, most recently in a friendly versus Canada in September. The 2008 first round SuperDraft selection out of Ohio State started 25 games for the Wizards this season, and like Bunbury, is a Generation Adidas player.
Thomas will also be in action on Wednesday as Jamaica plays CONCACAF rival Costa Rica in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 29-year-old defender has earned 30 appearances for Jamaica, ranked No. 79 in the latest FIFA rankings, and in his last appearance, he captained his country to a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in October. Jamaica is continuing preparations for the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Cup, to take place later this month in Martinique with a berth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup awaiting the top four finishers. Thomas, an eight-season veteran of MLS, played in 17 games for Kansas City after being re-acquired from Philadelphia in June.
Kansas City Wizards striker Sunil Chhetri, currently on loan to the India National Team, is also involved in international competition this week as India are set to face Kuwait on Sunday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, November 18. Chhetri suffered an ankle injury in training that kept him out of India’s 2-0 loss to Iraq on Thursday but is expected to recover quickly as India prepares for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in January. India has additional friendlies scheduled against local club sides Fujairah on November 24 and Hatta on November 27.
