Brek Shea is off to a strong start at Stoke after scoring in his first friendly for the Premier League club.

On Tuesday in a closed door friendly against Burnley, Stoke lost 2-1 but Shea provided the team's bright spot when he found the back of the net in his first game for the club.

The United States under-20 national team defeated Jamaica 2-1 on Sunday in their first tune-up friendly ahead of World Cup qualifying.

The American goals were scored by Los Angeles Galaxy forward Jose Villarreal and Santos Laguna midfielder Benji Joya. Both players are expected to be important parts of the team in World Cup qualifying and beyond should the team advance to the World Cup.

US national team midfield Mikkel Diskerud is still technically a free agent but that could be changing this week.

Sources have told YA that the Norwegian-born American is expected to sign with a European club this week.

In a very promising turn of events, US U-20 midfielder Marc Pelosi was added to Liverpool's Europa League roster for the knockout stages.

Also released is that Pelosi will wear number 44 for the tournament.

Could things have been different with Landon Donovan and Captain Carlos Bocanegra in the lineup?

Starters:

Jurgen Klinsmann today announced the roster for the upcoming game against Honduras and here are my thoughts.

No major surprises

Bolton's American defender Tim Ream will have to fight harder for minutes.

Ream has cemented himself as a starting center back since December when Matt Mills went down with a thigh injury. However, new competition may see Ream's starting minutes in jeopardy.

USA played Canada to a drab 0-0 draw on Tuesday night and here are the grades

The American attack was feckless in its attempt to break down the sturdy Canadian bunker, while the US defense was not strenuously tested for much of the match. Continuing a familiar theme in the Klinsmann era, the US dominated possession but failed to generate many dangerous scoring chances. Ultimately, this culmination of the January camp will be viewed as a disappointment to fans hoping to see a variety of players make a strong case for inclusion in the full national team.

The long saga of Brek Shea's transfer to Stoke drawing to a close as deal is now complete pending a physical.

Sources confirmed the deal to YA on Monday night.

American defender Parker Walsh has been added to the roster at Karlsruher SC.

The club was forced to look for a replacement for defender Sebastian Schiek, who has been sidelined for the season with a knee injury. Walsh has signed a contract which will keep him at KSC until the end of the season.