Four players with Sounders ties named to U.S. national team rosters

Clint Dempsey was officially named to United States national team's 23-man roster for a pair of friendlies on March 25 (Denmark) and March 31 (Switzerland). The Seattle Sounders forward was one of six MLS-based players to be called into the team.

The call-up comes at a somewhat inopportune time for Dempsey and the Sounders, who will be visiting 3-0-0 FC Dallas on March 28. Dempsey is off to another fast start, having scored three goals in his first two matches.

The Sounders, meanwhile, could be down several starters for the match. In addition to Dempsey, Marco Pappa is expecte to be called into Guatemala's national team and Micheal Azira was called into Uganda's team. The availability of Tyrone Mears (hamstring) and Osvaldo Alonso (hamstring) is also still in question.

Joining Dempsey in Europe will be three more players with ties to the Sounders: draft pick Tyler Miller, academy product Jordan Morris and DeAndre Yedlin. While Yedlin joins the senior team, Miller and Morris were among the 18 players named to the U23 team that will be training alongside the senior players. In preparation for 2016 Olympics qualifying, the U23 will play the Bosnia U23 team on March 27 before playing Denmark's U23 team on March 31.

Even though the Sounders were unable to sign Miller before he joined Germany's Zweibrücken, they hold his MLS rights for two years. Miller has started Zweibrücken's past two Regionalliga matches, giving up one goal and registering his first shutout. Zweibrücken is currently in last place of the 18-team league.

U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION - Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Cody Cropper (Southampton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon) 
DEFENDERS (8): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers), Brek Shea (Orlando City SC), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur) 
MIDFIELDERS (8): Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Hamburg), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), Danny Williams (Reading), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy) 
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht)

U.S. U-23 MNT ROSTER BY POSITION - Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Charlie Horton (Cardiff City; Cleveland, Ohio), Tyler Miller (Zweibrücken; Woodbury, N.J.) 
DEFENDERS (5): Christian Dean (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; East Palo Alto, Calif.), Juan Pablo Ocegueda (Alebrijes de Oaxaca; Riverside, Calif.), Shane O'Neill (Colorado Rapids; Boulder, Colo.), William Packwood (Birmingham City; Concord, Mass.), Oscar Sorto (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.) 
MIDFIELDERS (5): Fatai Alashe (San Jose Earthquakes; Northville, Mich.), Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake; Garden Grove, Calif.), Benji Joya (unattached; San Jose, Calif.), Ariel Lassiter (LA Galaxy II; Temecula, Calif.), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew; Gahanna, Ohio) 
FORWARDS (6): Alonso Hernandez (Monterrey; El Paso, Texas), Jerome Kiesewetter (Stuttgart; Berlin, Germany), Alfred Koroma Shams (Southlake Carol, Texas), Jordan Morris (Stanford; Mercer Island, Wash.), Mario Rodriguez (Borussia Mönchengladbach; North Hollywood, Calif.), Khiry Shelton (New York City FC; Leander, Texas)