USA national team boss Juergen Klinsmann has dropped Landon Donovan from his World Cup squad.
The German tactician has named his 23-man roster for Brazil 2014 which does not include the nations all-time leading goalscorer Donovan who has featured in three previous World Cups.
LA Galaxy forward Donovan has scored 57 goals for the US and starred at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups but his MLS form this season has been well below par.
Klinsmann's initial 30-man preliminary squad was trimmed on Thursday with Klinsmann cutting seven players including Donovan, Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana) and Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna).
"It's an exciting moment when you have narrowed the roster down as a coaching staff, and these 23 players that you've chosen can focus now purely on Brazil," Klinsmann said.
"We can go into more specific things about technical approaches, and about the opponents. For the players, it's very important to know that they are now part of it and they can relax and know they are on the list going to Brazil and taking it from there. After almost 10 days of work right now, we thought the point has come to make the decision."
The US, who will be captained by Clint Dempsey, take on Ghana in Natal on June 16 in their opening Group G World Cup fixture before meeting Portugal in Manaus on June 22 and then Klinsmann's native Germany in Recife on June 26.
23-man USA squad for World Cup
Goalkeepers
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa) Tim Howard (Everton) Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders
DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla) Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City) John Brooks (Hertha Berlin) Geoff Cameron (Stoke City) Timmy Chandler (Nurnberg) Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy) Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach) DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders)
Midfielders
Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake) Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes) Michael Bradley (Toronto FC) Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo) Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg) Julian Green (Bayern Munich) Jermaine Jones (Besiktas) Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards
Jozy Altidore (Sunderland) Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders) Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar) Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
