The U.S. men’s national team will seek a winning start to the Mauricio Pochettino-era on Saturday when Panama opposes them in the first of two October friendlies this month.
Q2 Stadium will play host to Saturday’s CONCACAF showdown, which will be the second USMNT-Panama meeting of 2024. Panama defeated the USMNT 2-1 in Copa America group stage play last summer, but the Americans will certainly have revenge on their minds with Pochettino beginning his spell as head coach.
Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun, and Tim Weah are among the absentees for the USMNT due to respective injuries.
However, several familiar faces are back in international action including Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson.
With the USMNT hoping to kick off the Pochettino-era with a bang, here is the starting lineup we would deploy the against Panama on Saturday:
GOALKEEPER
Who should start: Zack Steffen
Pochettino has already expressed his concern in Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath’s roles at club level, opening the door for veteran Zack Steffen to get his first opportunity in quite a while.
Steffen has played regularly this year for the Colorado Rapids following his return from Manchester City. The former Columbus Crew standout will be seeking his first cap since 2023.
Turner and Horvath could fight for opportunities this window but expect Pochettino to potentially go with the hot hand.
Patrick Schulte is also an option after remaining the Crew’s No. 1 goalkeeper in MLS this season.
DEFENDERS
Who should start: Joe Scally, Miles Robinson, Mark McKenzie, Antonee Robinson
The absences of Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers will lead to a new pairing at centerback for the USMNT.
Miles Robinson has remained a consistent performer for FC Cincinnati and brings strong aerial abilities to the field. Robinson has previously been on the outside, but due to Richards and…
Source link : https://sbisoccer.com/2024/10/who-should-start-for-the-usmnt-vs-panama
Author : Larry Henry Jr
Publish date : 2024-10-08 18:00:00
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