The U.S. men’s national team’s quest of reaching the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals gets underway on Thursday in Kingston.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men face off with Jamaica in the first leg of the two-legged quarterfinal series. It will mark the first competitive matches for the USMNT under Pochettino, as they seek to repeat as tournament winners next Spring.
Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, and Cameron Carter-Vickers might be among the absentees from the squad, but Pochettino will still have plenty of top players to choose from.
Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson, and Aidan Morris are among the in-form players in the squad while Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, and Cade Cowell also aim to be in the starting lineup.
Tim Weah, who is riding a strong run of form, is suspended for the first leg following his red card against Panama in last summer’s Copa America.
Jamaica, who is unbeaten under new manager Steve McLaren, haven’t beaten the USMNT since 2019. The Reggae Boyz will certainly bring speed and physicality to the mix as they seek an upset win at home.
With the USMNT hoping to put one foot into the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals, here is the starting lineup we would deploy against Jamaica on Thursday:
GOALKEEPER
Who should start: Matt Turner
Matt Turner has only featured once for Crystal Palace since arriving on a season-long loan spell from Nottingham Forest. However, he still remains the USMNT’s No. 1 option at goalkeeper.
Turner will certainly face competition from Zack Steffen and Patrick Schulte this window, but expect the veteran shot-stopper to retain his starting spot.
DEFENDERS
Who should start: Joe Scally, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Antonee Robinson
Antonee Robinson and Joe Scally are the USMNT’s top two full back options while Sergino Dest remains sidelined.
Robinson is enjoying a productive first half of the season with EPL side Fulham, most recently helping the Cottagers to back-to-back London Derby victories. The left back remains the best option for Pochettino at the position and the No. 2 in CONCACAF behind Alphonso Davies.
Scally has continued chugging along with Borussia Moenchengladbach, seeing minutes mainly at right back. With Dest out through the rest of the calendar year, expect to see Scally in both matches, bearing any injury.
Centerback remains up for grabs in the USMNT squad and SBI went with a mix of options against Jamaica. Tim Ream remains a veteran leader in the squad and has played against many of Jamaica’s forwards in the past.
Paired with the versatile Mark McKenzie, I expect the USMNT to stand strong against the Reggae Boyz’s dynamic attack.
Chris Richards is back in camp, but after only recently returning to the Crystal Palace squad from injury, I don’t expect him to feature in the first leg.
Auston Trusty hasn’t relinquished his spot in the Celtic starting lineup after joining from Sheffield United. However, the tall centerback might have to wait for his chance to impress Pochettino later in this window.
MIDFIELDERS
Who should start: Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson
Tyler Adams is not in the USMNT squad, but expect to see familiar faces leading the way for Pochettino.
Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie have grown into a strong 1-2 pair alongside one another. Both have delivered important performances at times for the USMNT and at club level this season.
With the USMNT aiming to dictate the tempo against Jamaica, Musah and McKennie will be tasked with holding possession and dominating against their CONCACAF counterparts.
Brenden Aaronson brings familiarity to the mix and is known for his tireless running and pressing of opposing defenders. Aaronson also has been able to find pockets of space in-and-around the 18-yard box, making it tough for opponents to defend him for 90 minutes.
Malik Tillman, Aidan Morris and Johnny Cardoso will all be seeking opportunities as they ride individual good runs of form into camp. Expect to see them off the bench in some fashion over the two legs.
FORWARDS
Who should start: Cade Cowell, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic
The absences of Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent, and Haji Wright will open the door for Ricardo Pepi to start at the No. 9 position on Thursday.
Pepi has enjoyed a strong start with PSV, scoring goals in multiple competitions, and also fending off club legend Luuk De Jong at times. Normally known for his super-substitute abilities, Pepi should get the nod over Brandon Vazquez at the No. 9 on Thursday.
Christian Pulisic’s form has calmed a bit at AC Milan but it won’t stop him from being a key attacker for the USMNT. Pulisic’s playmaking and goalscoring abilities will certainly be on Jamaica’s to-do list to stop.
Expect to see Pulisic out wide left as he continues to play a leading role for the attacking unit.
Cade Cowell and Alex Zendejas will challenge for opportunities at right wing, especially with Tim Weah suspended for the first leg. Cowell’s verticality gives him an edge over Zendejas at this time.
Vazquez’s inclusion comes due to the injuries to Wright and Sargent. The physical striker could be used off the bench against a tiring Jamaica backline, but I don’t expect him to edge Pepi for the starting job this time.
The USMNT should have more than enough attacking threats to get past Jamaica, but a bunkered down backline could make it tough for the Americans to run away with either leg.
What do you think of our projected lineups? Which would you start? Who are you most excited to see play? Are there any doubts you have?
Share your thoughts below.