The U.S. men’s national team faces off with rivals Mexico next week as one European player and several MLS-based players earn their latest opportunities in Anthony Hudson’s squad.
Sergino Dest, Jesus Ferreira, and Caleb Wiley headlined Hudson’s 23-player roster for April 19th’s Continental Clasico in Glendale, Arizona. Wiley joins goalkeepers Drake Callender and Roman Celentano, and fellow defender Joshua Wynder as the four players seeking their first senior caps.
“We are delighted with the group we have put together. Anytime you get to play against your closest rivals it’s a special opportunity, and we have players who understand what this rivalry is all about and are ready to compete in the Allstate Continental Clásico,” USMNT head coach Anthony Hudson said. “It’s another chance to build on the progress we have made in the last four years and prepare for the defense of our two Concacaf titles this summer.”
Jordan Morris and Jesus Ferreira are both back in USMNT duty after strong starts to their respective MLS seasons. Morris’ eight goals have him atop the MLS Golden Boot race while Ferreira has four tallies of his own.
Aidan Morris and Caleb Wiley have also impressed in MLS this season, with both players contributing three goals apiece for their teams.
Several of the players from the 2022 World Cup roster will also return to USMNT duty including defenders Walker Zimmerman and DeAndre Yedlin, and midfielder Kellyn Acosta.
The USMNT is unbeaten in its last four meetings with Mexico, including topping El Tri in the 2021 Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup Finals. The USMNT will also face El Tri in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League semifinals this June, with the winner taking on Canada or Panama in the tournament final.
Here is a closer look at the USMNT roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Sean Johnson (Toronto FC/CAN; 11/0)
DEFENDERS: Sergiño Dest (AC Milan/ITA; 24/2), Aaron Long (LAFC; 31/3), Julian Gressel (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 2/0), Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati; 22/1), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; 17/1), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United; 0/0), Joshua Wynder (Louisville City; 0/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami; 77/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 39/3)
MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 57/2), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 32/0), James Sands (New York City FC; 7/0), Alan Soñora (FC Juárez/MEX; 2/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 16/0)
FORWARDS: Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; 50/10), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; 2/0), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 17/7), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 51/11), Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati; 2/1)
I get the U20/Olympic age players being here, 2 GKs in particular. Williamson tearing an ACL means another MF was added. I get that also. 4 RBs and 3 1/2 DMs,?!! Acosta is the half. A. Morris, (who has the closest skill set to Captain Adams), Sands, Yueill all play the 6, plus Acosta who is the backup 6 for the National team, though we see him more at the 8. You have Dest, (who isn’t playing regularly) & Moore (WC squad RBs). Gressel & Yedlin why? Yedlin has 77 caps. (A lot) We have enough vets. Pick 2 and be done with it. 3 CFs?!! – JMo, Vasquez, Jesus. I hope this means we see Jesus as a 10, or LM, next to Acosta with Aiden. If it’s 2 DMs it’ll be Acosta & Roldan w/ Jesus. I hope the players know they’ll be at home with a majority away crowd. American El Tri fans are going to outnumber US fans by a large margin. It may be a friendly, or a cash grab, or not worth watching, I don’t care, I’m going to be paying attention. This scrimmage is v El Tri, their fans will be watching and so will I. Only match for the US until summer.
I think Morris is a wing in this lineup (unless Hudson has another formation change up his sleeve). If Ferreira is used as a CF then I’d hope for a Sonora (10) with Aidan and I guess Acosta (really wish Tim Tillman was here instead). Morris plays more as an 8 for Columbus (mostly because they play such a high line there are no 6s) 3g 1a thru 7 matches. With Jordan Morris on LW Ferreira CF and Arriola RW. With so many RBs will Dest play RW?
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This is basically the MLS All-Star game from the last two seasons without the international slots. MLS vs LigaMx
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Would have liked to see Ledezma, Parks, Ebobisse but I’m not raging about it.
I’d personally switch Jesus and Morris. Morris leads MLS this season in scoring (though I’ll admit he was helped bigly by one four-goal game), but I’ve always liked him a lot better as a CF than a wing. Contrariwise – especially since we know Dest is going to be making runs up and down the right side – I think Ferreira could be at his best as a tucked-in right winger. I’d like to give him a look there. This allows the stouter Jordan Morris to bang up high against Mexican defenders, and frees up Ferreira to make those runs off the ball we like so much from him. The dude is fast and we sometimes forget just how fast. (Actually if memory serves only Cade Cowell was faster in MLS.)
Ferreira isn’t going to turn a lot of heads in Europe or feature for the USMNT as a 9…he needs to figure out his best actual position and go from there. Because Ferreira does have a bunch of plus attributes and he needs to play to them.
if this idjit caretaker has the bright idea of swapping dest over left, mexico has been The Team at exposing dest can’t defend left side. gressel, yedlin, moore, perhaps. not dest.
that dest is available for an off window friendly in the US in april is basically my response to the “sign for a big club” folks tied in a bow.
it’s a waste of time. one game. entirely possible lineup is something like:
seanjohn (33)
dest Z (29) long (30) moore
acosta (27) roldan (27) yeuill (26)
morris (28) ferreira arriola (28)
why even bother scheduling this game to run that out. that’s not even a B team, that’s 80% a list of players who will be pastured by the real coach. that’s guys who stunk in qatar or couldn’t even make the team. amorris stunk in january.
i wouldn’t mind it if it was more the experimental end but this is like not just conservative but pointlessly so. i don’t see this unit winning the game. i don’t see the interesting players seeing the field much more than 30′. i don’t see what you gain from doing this other than sending a message that you’re doubling down on the favorite players from the ancien regime which is pretty much well on its way to being fired. for example, yes, i get you like yeuill by now. why?
#1 goal is to make a lot of cash
#2 goal is to promote the cooperation between FMF and USSF
#3 goal is to promote domestic leagues since its not an international window
#4 goal get some game time for players on the fringes that may be needed for depth at GC
-Finding influential players for the next 12 months is not the goal for USSF.
– Bringing in 20 newbies for two days of training followed by a game then sending them home isn’t going to really show much of anything either. Even if the lineup you described would be incredibly disappointing.
-Don’t sleep on Aiden Morris
Don’t agree with you at all. All of these players except Yuell could easily be in the long list of 35 for any coach. Some are virtually guaranteed to be on such a list – Acosta, Morris, Long, Dest, Johnson, Roldan, Arriola
I actually think in a double pivot Yueill could thrive. Not on the first team but as a B team or 20th field guy on a roster. His athleticism held him back in the lone 6 spot but with another guy to cover he could be useful. I think he was probably the replacement when Williamson blew his knee again.
Overall this is pretty much the expected roster. Hudson pulled the old Berhalter move by calling up 4 Right Backs.
Don’t think we really need to see Jackson Yueill at this point. Why not bring in a Josh Atencio?
Julian Gressel over DeJuan Jones is laughable.
I understand this is a one off game, but come on.
Hey I don’t know if our coaching staff knows but there is a pretty good LB playing for Pachuca in Liga MX …. Mexican-America Mauricio Isais. Just pointing that out. Oh and he is garnering La Liga teams interest.
Isais has stated he hasn’t heard from us soccer at all. Last I looked LB is still a position of need in depth.