The U.S. men’s national team’s penultimate match of 2025 takes place tonight on the Banks of the Delaware River.
Mauricio Pochettino’s squad takes on Paraguay in the first of two friendlies over the next four days. The USMNT will then close the window on Tuesday in Tampa, Florida against Uruguay.
Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, and Sergino Dest headline Pochettino’s 24-player roster for the match. Haji Wright, Tanner Tessmann, and Max Arfsten will also be seeking minutes while four Philadelphia Union homegrown players are also in the squad.
SBI will be providing coverage of the showdown throughout the day so be sure to stay tuned as we provide updates, and analysis before and after the match.
Here is a rundown of SBI’s pre-match coverage:
- Mauricio Pochettino reiterated that no player “can feel safe” about USMNT World Cup spots. (LINK)
- Folarin Balogun wants the USMNT to “get results” ahead of 2026. (LINK)
- Gio Reyna is “focused, more mature” in his USMNT return. (LINK)
- Sergino Dest “feels good in a different way” as his USMNT push continues. (LINK)
- Brenden Aaronson’s self-confidence is “changing his game”. (LINK)
- Max Arfsten’s breakout 2025 with the USMNT has helped him “become well-rounded”. (LINK)
- Goalkeeper Matt Freese is focused on the present, not the World Cup, in his latest USMNT opportunity. (LINK)
- Timothy Tillman was added to the USMNT roster while Tyler Adams and Sean Zawadzki dropped out due to injuries. (LINK)
SBI’s editorial staff will provide insight and analysis throughout the day in the comments section below. You are welcome to share your own pre-game and in-game thoughts and opinions as well.
Enjoy the Match.
Oops, I did miss something, namely a brawl. /-:
“Flojito el árbitro” … weak ref.
Lots of shrugging of shoulders …
The commentators think Luna showed good character. I missed exactly why, but he’s been active and hardworking, again, it seems to me.
you did
wimps and men as usual in those, you know 😉
just desserts from the ref
Gomez a typical cheap shot wimp and his teammates from Conmebol
LOL
wimps, Gomez a red card wimp, what did I do? won;t even own it. beta
Wow. Did I just see Pepi take 3 lonnnng seconds to fail to find an open net?
“Un error craso” … no kidding.
that was a great performance from Gio Reyna, hope everyone here is happy for him. I know I am
Ohh, a tailgater, now nice. (-: A Shiner, anyone?
Have I missed much? Doesn’t look like it …
Whoops … almost ostentatiously team-spirited there for Gio to try to tee up Dest when he could have just shot.
Gio doesn’t _look_ tired. Except of sitting on the bench, bless his heart.
Nice essay in the Atlantic about the future (or lack thereof) of sports on American TV, by the way.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/sports-streaming-services-basketball/684933/
Oh! Gooool …. Looked nice to me? But I’m not as critical as some of you.
And a pretty good miss just wide left?
.
drop by and talk shit, nice
noted
cheers
@beachbum: I beg your pardon?
Sometimes the atmosphere in here goes over my head. I thought I had dropped by and mildly offered a virtual beer, but if I offended, I apologize.
I’m pleased for Gio too. Nice postgame interview on TNT. He looks happy. (-:
“Ohh, a tailgater, now nice. (-: A Shiner, anyone?
Have I missed much? Doesn’t look like it …”
did I miss something? if I did, excuse me
Paraguay appear to me to generally a bunch of floppers.
Scally not making his case in the first half. Asleep on the goal. Multiple giveaways. How many times did we hear, “the ball swings wide to Scally, and it’s taken away by Paraguay.” He’s where multiple attacks have gone to die.
Roldan not making his case to start. He will likely make the 26 as the “glue” guy for the locker room, but should not get any game time: wide open shot at the 18 and hit it straight at the ‘keeper. He’s got to score, or at least force the goalie to dive and give up a rebound or corner.
I hear you but he was pretty good on that 2nd goal, he’s imperfect but he fits
“wide open shot at the 18 and hit it straight at the ‘keeper.”
There were three or four players between Roldan and the goal and his shot squeezes right by the Paraguayan defender and hit the keeper who was lucky he was standing there because he never saw the shot. It might have made it if he had shot at the keeper’s lower left hand corner but there were bodies in the way too.
Starter doesn’t mean what it used to for the USMNT.
It’s too early to know who our starters, besides Pulisic, will be.
This team is showing it can play well even with a “significant” number of starters missing.
Tonight they were missing CP, Weah, Jedi, Richards, Weston, Tyler, Jonny ; seven guys who could be opening game starters.
We fielded a B team tonight.
At this point,CP is the only lock starter for the World Cup. And that is a good thing.
Is the USSF required to use CONCACAF referees for friendlies? This guy from Guatemala is atrocious.
I believe so.
the CONCACAF ref allowing the CONMEBOL dark arts, par 4 the course, playing through, lol
just typically seeing things a different way out there clearly
Reyna playing the 10, always open
he’s really all over the field, and defensively has also dropped deep at times when needed
at least a yellow
Nah, bruh…CONCACAF referee
haha ok, elbow from behind game on, everyone do it! haha
what’s up man?
what do you think of Poch’s team out there tonight?
cheers!
how about that one on BA, lol? still no in the 38th-39th minute, doing it on purpose before the half, finally a yellow when Arfsten pushed.
man our region is pathetic
I just came here for the referee comments…
well, how about we’re playing a back 3 defensively, Gio the freedom to roam the field, all flanks and thirds. Paraguay keeps going after Scally and he’s going to have to hang in there with Almiron who is a handful. Paraguay happy to sit back and look to counter while fouling in the middle third whenever possible (US fouling right back, Roldan almost a bad one) and I think a more wide open game after the Paraguay counter tries, if unsuccessful, will happen to the US favor ;->
and Poch has seen enough, Scaly off, Freeman on for that matchup with Almiron
since the Freeman sub, Almiron now tucked inside as an adjustment from Alfaro ;->
Almiron cannot fly by Freeman to get the corner like he did on Scally. as predicted, the game opening up favors the US, at least so far, 86th minute. Paraguay will need some bully ball, free kick or corner while pushing #s forward
I do this in my sleep Bac! 😉
anyway, cheers to an old SBI friend
How many remote controls and beer mugs did you throw at the TV tonight??
none! I don’t do that crap, I just observe and predict and I’m usually right 😉
I suck at lots of things Bac, but not this
I like throwing shit at the TV… like John Dutton..
Makes me feel better…
Reyna starts today.
what do you see from him so far out there?
If Giovanni Reyna is truly in camp to be honestly evaluated by Pochettino and his coaching staff, he needs to start or get significant minutes.
We need to stop F*ing around with this kid.
The USMNT needs to know, once and for all, if we can rely on him to produce, against decent competition, or not.
Let’s see how these two games go…..
Who do you think in the pool has shown they can produce against decent competition? Who do you even consider decent competition? These next two games are freindlies. Even if Reyna, Roldan, or any other player is lights out in these games it doesn’t mean they would produce against these teams in meaningful WC games. It’s not whether he can produce against decent competition, it’s whether he is better than the other players in the pool he is competing against.
Tried to respond but didn’t post. Just the summary. It isn’t whether he can produce against decent teams, it is whether he is better than the people in the pool he is competing against. If the coaches think he is better then they will also think he has a better chance of producing against whomever they consider to be a decent opponent for the US.
Now the first post showed up.
Ever heard of peaking too soon? I don’t have a problem with starting Gio but I doubt he’s fit to go 90 minutes.
If he starts, does well and then gets hurt, you’re back to square one.
This camp is about finding out, among other things, whether today’s Gio is worth
investing a little time in or whether he is truly finished.
🤫
Sick of this coach, dude did this for a money grab. Tired of him always having a stank look on his face, like he is getting a whiff of foul smelling farts😡
Over/under Reyna starts at least one of the games?
I wouldn’t bet against it.
This window has made three things abundantly clear:
1) Pochettino, like all other coaches, uses coach speak, aka bullshit, to fit his narrative.
2) The USMNT player pool is severely lacking in the quality of their depth.
3) Pochettino is equally focused on his current responsibilities with the USMNT, as he is with his, and his staff’s, next club gig.