ACCRA, Ghana - Ghana picked Michael Essien and Kevin-Prince Boateng in a preliminary 26-man World Cup squad on Monday. Dontari Poe Jersey . The group will be trimmed to a final 23-man squad after a friendly game against the Netherlands on May 31, the Ghana Football Association said. AC Milans Essien and Schalkes Boateng were named after returning to international football last year. They had both asked for time away from the national team in the years after the last World Cup. Ghana captain and striker Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Sulley Muntari were also included and are set to play in their third consecutive World Cups. Ghana was the best-performing African team at the 2010 tournament, reaching the quarterfinals and just missing out on the semifinals after a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay in South Africa. Ghana will play the United States, Germany and Portugal in Group G in Brazil, and opens its campaign against the U.S. in Natal on June 16. Ghana beat the U.S. in the second round of the last World Cup. Coach Kwesi Appiah didnt reveal what his target was for the team that nearly became the first African nation into the last four of a World Cup four years ago. "Once the players are all fit we hope to deliver," Appiah said. "Every coach has a target and l believe in my players and the national team, but l cannot tell where we will get to. The only thing l can say is we will not disgrace Ghanaians." Essien missed the 2010 World Cup through injury and is likely facing his last chance to play at the showpiece in Brazil. Boateng stepped down from national team duties in 2011 but was recalled to Ghanas squad toward the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign late last year. Ghana will play in its third straight World Cup in Brazil. Appiah also picked Marseilles Andre Ayew, Juventus Kwadwo Asamoah and young attacking midfielder Wakaso Mubarak. Defender Jeffrey Schlupp, who plays for Englands Leicester City, was the biggest surprise in the initial squad. The GFA announced Monday that Ghana would play the Netherlands in Rotterdam on May 31 and South Korea in Miami on June 9 in its final World Cup warm-ups before facing Jurgen Klinsmanns U.S. team in Brazil. ___ Provisional squad: Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey, Fatawu Dauda, Stephen Adams. Defenders: Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Harrison Afful, Jeffrey Schlupp, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Jerry Akaminko, Rashid Sumaila. Midfielders: Michael Essien, Rabiu Mohammed, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari, Albert Adomah, Wakaso Mubarak, Christian Atsu, David Accam, Andre Ayew, Afriyie Acquah. Forwards: Asamoah Gyan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Abdul Majeed Waris, Jordan Ayew. Russell Shepard Jersey . Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., had 18 aces in the match. He needed one hour 39 minutes to complete the victory. Taylor Moton Jersey .Y. -- Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was mired in a shooting slump, and his woes coincided with a late-season swoon by the Orange. http://www.officialcarolinapanthersfootball.com/ . GQ Lundqvist quite well.Three rounds, and nearly two months later, will the Kings have the strength to reach the summit of the Empire State to claim the cup?Truer words have never been spoken.ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – The Blue Jays remain hopeful that Jose Reyess and Casey Janssens stints on the disabled list will be brief and with that, roster decisions are looming in the next 10 to 14 days. “Ideally, we wouldnt carry three,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos of the clubs current catching situation. “Its really game-to-game right now.” Dioner Navarro is locked in as the starting catcher and Josh Thole broke camp as the back-up specifically because of his history and comfort level with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Erik Kratz, a late-camp cut, ended up beginning the season with the Blue Jays as Janssens roster replacement. If all else was equal, it would have been Kratz in Tholes spot. The prevailing opinion during spring training was that Kratz would be the backup because, while not a batting average or on-base percentage hitter, Kratz offers a power threat that Thole doesnt. Kratz hit 18 home runs in 375 at-bats playing behind Carlos Ruiz in Philadelphia over the last two seasons. In a pinch-hit at-bat on opening day, his first at-bat as a Blue Jay, Kratz launched a two-run home run over the centre field fence. Thole hit .175/.256/.242 for a .497 OPS last season. A left-handed bat, his insertion into the line-up on days when Dickey lines up against the divisions top left-handers like David Price, CC Sabathia and Jon Lester, creates a significant hole at the bottom of the order. The back-up catcher likely will have to play more this season – Navarro hasnt appeared in more than 89 games since 2009. One wonders if theres wisdom in tying another roster spot to Dickey, one pitcher who throws a specific pitch. “The thing is Josh has had some offfensive success,” said Anthopoulos. Graham Gano Jersey. “I know he didnt have it last year and the second half of the year with the Mets in 2012 but in the past, if you look at it, hes been a .700 OPS guy, he can draw some walks, low strikeout rate, he can put the ball in play and grind out some at-bats.” Anthopoulos cautions against jumping to conclusions, reminding that rosters can be changed in a heartbeat. The Blue Jays could play an 18-inning game, necessitating the recall of a reliever in support of a tired bullpen; somebody else could get hurt. There are a number of variables, a number of possibilities. “Obviously, Josh was the guy who made the team out of spring,” said Anthopoulos. “That hasnt changed at all and well see as the year goes along.” HAPPS ROLE J.A. Happ threw a light side session on Wednesday as he works his way back from a back problem. Hes eligible to come off the disabled list on April 13 and, at the moment, there isnt a spot for Happ in the starting rotation. Anthopoulos hasnt yet approached Happ about being a reliever. “Well deal with all that,” said Anthopoulos. “Hopefully, like anything, we have five starters that are rolling and theyre winning all their games and we have too many starters. Thatd be a great problem to have. Id sign up for that right now. You deal with those things as they come. Everyday something else can happen, in the next 10 days, two weeks. You cant plan that far ahead.” ANTHOPOULOS ISNT SHOPPING FOR INFIELDER A self-explanatory headline. Anthopoulos isnt looking to swing a deal for a middle infielder to support the club while Reyes is out. “We expect Jose to be back somewhat soon,” said Anthopoulos. 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