CARSON, Calif. -- Omar Gonzalez is back with the US national team, and he couldn't be happier.
Jurgen Klinsmann included the LA Galaxy center back, who performed admirably in two starts for the Yanks in last year's World Cup, in his 22-man roster announced Sunday for Wednesday's friendly against Mexico in San Antonio (8:30 pm ET, FS1).
“I'm excited,” Gonzalez said after the Galaxy's 1-0 victory Sunday over the Seattle Sounders at StubHub Center. “I haven't been with the national team since, I think, Landon [Donovan]'s last game. It's been a while.
“I'm just ready to get back with the group, put my head down, work hard, and hopefully get a much-needed result.”
Gonzalez's last appearance in a US uniform was in the Oct. 10 friendly last year against Ecuador in East Hartford, Conn., in which Donovan made his farewell appearance with the national team. He asked not to be included in the national team's annual “January camp” this year while recuperating from a long 2014 campaign that lasted into December thanks to the Galaxy's MLS Cup championship run.
The 6-foot-5 Texan, who has 24 caps, made his international debut in an August 2010 friendly against Brazil and made another appearance following the US' 2011 January camp, against Chile in Carson.
He became a regular in 2013, starting 13 of 23 US games that year, including eight World Cup qualifiers, and also appeared in the Gold Cup-winning campaign that year.
He made eight US appearances last year, three in Brazil, where he came on as late substitute in the draw with Portugal in Manaus and then went the distance in a group-finale loss to Germany in Recife and the overtime defeat to Belgium in the round of 16.
Wednesday night's game at the Alamodome would be, if he gets onto the field, his fourth game against Mexico, his parents' homeland. He played the full 90 in both 2014 World Cup qualifiers against El Tri -- a 0-0 draw in Mexico City in March 2013 and a 2-0 win six months later in Columbus -- and in last year's April friendly in Glendale, Ariz., a 2-2 draw.
“Couldn't be bigger [than playing against Mexico], so I'm excited,” he said.
Gonzalez will be cheered on by family, who plan to travel the 250 miles from Dallas to San Antonio for the match. It will be a special day for his father, Adrian.
“It's going to be my dad's birthday on the 15th,” Gonzalez reported, “so, hopefully, I can get him a win.”
