Johnson, Powell, and Wallace all Called Up for World Cup Qualifiers this Weekend

Ryan Johnson, Alvas Powell, and Rodney Wallace have all been called up to their respective national teams for games on Friday and Tuesday. Although Powell and Johnson have been on the bench recently, Wallace has started every game since his last national team call up, which came in July.

Without Wallace, the Timbers will need to make some adjustments to their formation. The likely answer is to bring in Kalif Alhassan for spot duty on the left, but with Diego Valeri still questionable and Alhassan the go-to replacement for him, we could see a number of different look from the Timbers. Ben Zemanski, Jose Adolfo Valencia, and Sal Zizzo all could slot into various positions for the Timbers as the lineup gets reshuffled.

Wallace will be joining a Coasta Rican side that have already qualified for the World Cup, while Powell and Johnson will be away with Jamaica, who are all but eliminated after only taking four points from their first eight games in qualifying.

All three played should be back for Portland's match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, October 19th.

The Timbers' press release:

THREE TIMBERS CALLED UP FOR INTERNATIONAL DUTY
Ryan Johnson, Alvas Powell, Rodney Wallace get the call for upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that forward Ryan Johnson (Jamaica), defender Alvas Powell (Jamaica) and midfielder/forward Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica) have been called up by their respective national teams for upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers Oct. 11-15.

Johnson and Powell will join Jamaica for a qualifier against the United States on Friday, Oct. 11, at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Mo., at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific); the match will be televised on ESPN. The Reggae Boyz then play host to Honduras on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica; kickoff is 5:30 p.m. (Pacific).

Wallace and Costa Rica visit Honduras on Oct. 11 at Estadio Olimpico José Simón Azcona in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, at 2 p.m. (Pacific). The Ticos then play host to Mexico on Oct. 15, at Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica; kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (Pacific). Costa Rica already has qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

All three Portland players have departed for national team duty and will miss the club’s match against Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday at JELD-WEN Field.

Johnson, 28, has earned 27 caps and scored eight goals for the Jamaica National Team, making his international debut in 2006. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Johnson has appeared in 10 of the Reggae Boyz’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over Guatemala on June 8, 2012. He featured in all three of the team’s qualifiers against Mexico, the United States and Honduras in June and was called up for the qualifiers in September.

Powell, 19, earns his second call-up to the Jamaica National Team since joining the Timbers on loan in late June. The St. Thomas, Jamaica, native has earned six caps with the senior national team, starting in four of Jamaica’s last five World Cup qualifiers. Powell started the Reggae Boyz’s recent World Cup qualifier against Panama on Sept. 6. After representing Jamaica at the U-17 and U-20 levels, Powell made his senior international debut Dec. 10, 2012, during the 2012 Caribbean Cup.

Wallace, 25, has 16 caps and scored three goals for Costa Rica since making his international debut on Sept. 2, 2011. He tallied the game-winner in his debut, contributing to a 1-0 victory over the United States. Born in San José, Costa Rica, Wallace was a member of Costa Rica’s 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad, starting two matches during the tournament. He helped the Ticos win the 2013 Copa Centroamericana in January, appearing in all five games of the tournament and scoring the game-winner in the semifinal against El Salvador.