June 7, 2009

Greenville, S.C. -- Former Furman soccer standouts Ricardo Clark and Clint Dempsey have both been named to the United States National Team’s 23-man roster for this month’s FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, it was announced this weekend by U.S. head coach Bob Bradley.

The squad will depart for South Africa on Monday to begin preparations for its June 15, meeting with world power Italy in Pretoria, South Africa. The U.S. will face Brazil in Pretoria on June 18, before concluding pool play against Egypt on June 21, in Rustenburg.

Clark, a 2002 NSCAA All-American as a Paladin and standout defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo, has registered 19 caps with the full national team. The Jonesboro, Ga., product helped the U.S. qualify for the Confederations Cup by guiding the squad to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title last summer. Clark, earned the start and played a major role in a 2-1 FIFA World Cup Qualifying victory over Honduras Saturday night at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

Dempsey, who started alongside Clark and assisted on Saturday’s match-winning goal, has netted 13 goals in 51 appearances with the United States. The leading scorer in each of the last two seasons for Fulham FC of the English Premier League, Dempsey earned all-america honors as a Paladin before pacing his country to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

FIFA Confederations Cup

United States Schedule

June 15 vs. Italy (ESPN) 2:25 p.m. ET

June 18 vs. Brazil (ESPN2) 9:55 a.m. ET

June 21 vs. Egypt (ESPN2) 2:25 p.m. ET