NOV 12
2:28
PM ET
2:28
PM ET
By Doug McIntyre
Word that German-American right back Timmy Chandler would return to the U.S. national team for Wednesday's friendly at Russia (10 a.m. ET, ESPN2) began trickling out late last week, so it was slightly anticlimactic when U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann named the 22-year-old Nurnberg player to the 20-man roster on Monday for the squad's final match of 2012.
Still, Chandler's official return is big news, mainly because he insists that he's now here to stay.
"I finally feel ready to make the commitment," Chandler, who pulled out of competitions that that would permanently cap-tie him to the U.S. on two separate occasions since debuting for the Yanks in March 2011, told U.S. Soccer's website.
"I understand that a lot of people in the USA may be unsure because they think I have said [I'm committed] in the past. All I can say is that I am clear in my head about the commitment moving forward. This was about me being ready to accept the responsibility of being a part of the national team and everything that goes with it, and now I am ready. I am in 1,000 percent."
If he is, it's a huge coup for Klinsmann's team.
With fellow Bundesliga youngster Fabian Johnson now entrenched at left back, Chandler immediately becomes the heir apparent to 33-year-old Steve Cherundolo on the opposite side. Chandler's speed and crossing ability could also be valuable at right midfield, a position that, given the uncertainty surrounding Landon Donovan's future, could be up for grabs in 2013.
Here are three other takeaways from the latest U.S. squad:
ALTIDORE'S CHANCE
Just 11 days ago, Klinsmann told reporters that he hadn't decided whether he'd summon the AZ Alkmaar striker -- who the coach overlooked for a pair of qualifiers last month -- for this week's game in Krasnodar. The brilliant solo goal Jozy Altidore scored for AZ on Saturday might have helped convince his boss. Altidore has been on a tear for his Dutch team all season, of course, but this particular strike demonstrated just the type of fight and determination Klinsmann wants to see on a consistent basis from the 22-year-old.
"We hope he brings the same energy into our group," Klinsmann told ussoccer.com. "We often forget that Jozy is not a 30-year-old player that you already expect to be kind of perfect and mature."
With only one game to go before Feb. 6, when the Americans kick off the final round of World Cup qualifying in Honduras, this is Altidore's opportunity to show off his renewed commitment and work ethic in training.
GATT, GYAU GET A FIRST LOOK …
Two months after an injury forced Josh Gatt to withdraw from a pair of September World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica, the speedy 21-year-old -- fresh off winning the Norwegian title with Molde on Sunday -- finally gets his chance to impress Klinsmann.
So does Joe Gyau, another lightning-quick winger who plays for German second-tier club St. Pauli.
How much playing time the pair gets Wednesday remains to be seen; Gatt and Gyau are clearly still prospects for the future. Regardless, it's a good introduction to the program for both players before the Hex, ahead of their real chance to make an impression at next summer's Gold Cup.
… AND AGUDELO AND DISKERUD GET ANOTHER
"The door is always open." Klinsmann has repeated that phrase time and again in the 15 months he has led the Yanks, and the return of Juan Agudelo and Mix Diskerud proves it's true. Agudelo, still two weeks shy of his 20th birthday, has had a tough year. He was hurt halfway through the Yanks' doomed Olympic qualifying campaign. Then in May, he was traded from the New York Red Bulls to hapless Chivas USA, the second-worst team in MLS this season, where he managed only three goals in 20 appearances. But his talent remains undeniable, and showing faith in the teenager is a low-risk, high-reward type of calculation by Klinsmann.
Diskerud is less of a reclamation project, but because the central midfielder plays in the program's deepest spot, getting face time with Klinsmann is crucial for him ahead of a busy new year -- as it is for all the youngsters who missed out on London 2012. "Calling in players like Mix Diskerud, Joe Gyau and Joshua Gatt is a clear signal to this generation of players that we are watching you, follow you and want to help you get to the next level," Klinsmann said. "It's important that we give these guys the opportunity to join us."
