PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe has been named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for a pair of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Honduras and Panama, it was announced today.
Following Portland’s home match against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, Nagbe, 26, will join the U.S. Men’s National Team for its first qualifying match in 2017, taking on Honduras at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, March 24. Set to begin at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), the match against Honduras will be nationally televised on FS1 and UniMas. Following the contest against Honduras, the USMNT will travel to Panama City, Panama, to face the Panamanian National Team at Estadio Rommel Fernandez on Tuesday, March 28, beginning at 7 p.m. (Pacific). The match against Panama will be broadcast live on beIN Sports and Telemundo. Following the match against Panama, Nagbe will rejoin the Timbers ahead of the team’s home fixture against the New England Revolution on Sunday, April 2.
Playing on the international stage with the United States, Nagbe has earned 12 appearances since 2015, including three caps in the 2016 Copa America Centenario, featuring against Colombia and Argentina. Most recently, Nagbe made two consecutive appearances for the USMNT in friendly matches, starting and playing 90 minutes against Serbia on Jan. 27, before appearing in the team’s 1-0 win against Jamaica on Feb. 3.
Nagbe recorded his first international goal for the U.S. Men’s National Team in a 1-0 victory against Ecuador on May 25, 2016, scoring the game-winning goal in the 90th minute. Nagbe made his debut for the United States during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying on Nov. 13, 2015, playing 26 minutes as a substitute in a 6-1 win against St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo.
The Timbers all-time leader in games played across all eras (since 1975), Nagbe has started and played 90 minutes in both of Portland’s MLS regular-season matches in 2017, recording an assist in the team’s 5-1 win against Minnesota United FC on March 3.
