Sounders likely to lose three players when USMNT opens camp on May 14

That the Seattle Sounders will lose a few players for this summer's World Cup has been a well-known possibility for quite some time. But with Jurgen Klinsmann's decision to open training camp on May 14 -- and to call in 30 players -- the Sounders stand to be hit even harder than previously expected.

Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said he fully expects to lose Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans and quite possibly DeAndre Yedlin ahead of the May 17 game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

"He's bringing in 30 to cut down eventually to 23," Schmid said. "That's not an unusual situation. A lot of international teams bring in more than 23 because players are done with league, so they don't want to bring somebody in for that camp and someone gets hurt and he's been on vacation in Mallorca for two weeks or something. Our guys are a little different because they're in midseason so they're playing.

"He's bringing them in and there's probably going to be a final decision for him and a cut down. It's going to be a very intense month of May for maybe not all 30 players, but probably 20 of them."

Of the Sounders getting the call, Yedlin is probably the longest shot and it's not out of the question that he could be returned to the Sounders in time for the May 31 match against Real Salt Lake or the June 7 match against the Chicago Fire. Sounders who make the final World Cup roster will miss at least four matches and as many as seven, depending on how far the United States advances.

One player who the Sounders probably won't lose is Chad Marshall, but not because he's undeserving.

"Marshall is a good enough center back in comparison to the other center bakcs that he deserves consideration," Schmid said. "Unfortunately the train is pretty far away from the station at this point. It's a little bit about if [Klinsmann] wants to alter the group at this stage and that probably hurts Chad as much as anything. From a standpoint of quality, he has a right to be in discussion."

The only other Sounder who is in any kind of World Cup consideration might be Obafemi Martins. But Schmid said the Nigerian national team has not contacted the Sounders since Martins played for Nigeria in a friendly last year, making his call to the World Cup a long shot.