This afternoon, the US Men’s National Team (USMNT), currently ranked 32nd in the Elo ratings, will take on Canada, ranked 29th, marking their first match since exiting the Copa América and the first since the departure of former manager Gregg Berhalter. Earlier this week, a poll was conducted to gather readers’ preferences for the starting lineup, with 559 responses collected.
Tim Weah will not participate in this match due to suspension from a red card received against Panama.
The players available for selection include:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Diego Kochen (Barcelona Atletic), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)
DEFENDERS (8): Auston Trusty (Celtic FC), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Haji Wright (Coventry City)
Readers’ selected lineup has been influenced by Gio Reyna’s late injury news, which shifted the expected lineup. Initially, Reyna was projected to start instead of Josh Sargent, prompting either Reyna or Malik Tillman to be positioned on the right wing with Pulisic on the left. With Reyna out, Sargent became the preferred choice, narrowly edging out Haji Wright by just 46 votes.
Analyzing the polling trends reveals that Matt Turner has experienced a drop in support, now 34 points lower since Copa América—the lowest since the team’s 5-1 loss to Colombia before the tournament. Still, no rival goalkeeper managed to surpass him, with Columbus Crew’s Patrick Schulte being the nearest contender.
The current camp is special as several key players are absent, highlighting the depth options available. Readers overwhelmingly favored Chris Richards as the first-choice center-back, while the competition for the second spot was tight among Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and veteran Tim Ream. With both starting fullbacks unavailable, Joe Scally was almost unanimously chosen, and there was a close call between Caleb Wiley and Kristoffer Lund for the left-back position.
The forward line highlights the depth of the team, as Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna are all unavailable. Yunus Musah and Johnny Cardoso were clear selections in the front three, while Malik Tillman fills out the midfield. If Reyna had been ruled out earlier, it’s likely Tillman’s selection percentage would have been higher.
Christian Pulisic is set for the front three, with the choices for the remaining spots being between Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent, and Haji Wright. Wright appears to be a solid option for the wide role opposite Pulisic, potentially allowing Balogun to take the center-forward position.
Fans are encouraged to share their thoughts on the selected lineup and discuss which players they are looking forward to seeing in action.