Lineup Notes: U.S. MNT vs. Paraguay - International Friendly


USA vs. Paraguay
International Friendly
March 27, 2018
Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
Live Broadcast: 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, UniMas and UDN

Tonight’s U.S. MNT Starting XI vs. Paraguay: 12-Zack Steffen; 2-DeAndre Yedlin, 3-Matt Miazga, 5-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 19-Jorge Villafaña; 20-Wil Trapp (capt.); 6-Darlington Nagbe, 8-Marky Delgado, 4-Tyler Adams, 10-Kenny Saief; 7-Bobby Wood

Substitutes: 1-Bill Hamid, 9-Cristian Roldan, 11-Tim Weah, 13-Erik Palmer-Brown, 14-Antonee Robinson, 15-Eric Lichaj, 17-Shaq Moore, 18-Andrija Novakovich, 23-Rubio Rubin

  • U.S. MNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): DeAndre Yedlin (50), Bobby (37), Darlington Nagbe (25), Jorge Villafaña (16), Matt Miazga (5), Wil Trapp (4), Tyler Adams (3), Cameron Carter-Vickers (2), Kenny Saief (2), Zack Steffen (2), Marky Delgado (1)
  • Seven of the starting XI are products of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy: Adams and Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Delgado (IMG Academy/Chivas USA), Nagbe (Internationals SC), Steffen (FC Delco/Philadelphia Union), Trapp (Columbus Crew SC), Yedlin (Crossfire Premier/Seattle Sounders FC)
  • The Starting XI’s average cap number (including this match): 13.3 caps
  • The Starting XI’s average age: 23 years 360 days
  • Nine starters are 25 and younger: Trapp, Wood (25); Saief, Yedlin (24); Delgado, Miazga, Steffen (22); Carter-Vickers (20); Adams (19)
  • The most senior player on the roster, DeAndre Yedlin makes his 50th appearance, becoming the 53rd player in MNT history to reach the half-century mark
  • Marky Delgado makes his MNT debut tonight
  • Four players earn their first start for the MNT: Carter-Vickers, Delgado, Saief and Steffen
  • Eight players – including the entire backline -- have represented the U.S. at a youth World Cup: Steffen (2013 U-17; 2015 U-20), Yedlin (2013 U-20), Miazga (2015 U-20), Carter-Vickers (2015 and 2017 U-20), Villafaña (2009 U-20), Trapp (2013 U-20), Adams (2015 U-17; 2017 U-20), Delgado (2015 U-20)
  • Center back partners during the 2015 U-20 World Cup, Miazga and Carter-Vickers will pair in the MNT central defense for the second time. The duo helped hold Portugal scoreless during the second half of a 1-1 draw in Leiria on Nov. 14, 2017.
  • Midfielder Wil Trapp captains the side for the second-consecutive match
  • Veteran midfielder Darlington Nagbe earns his 25th cap and first since October 2017.
  • After leading the MNT with 15 caps in 2017, left back Jorge Villafaña makes his first appearance of 2018.
  • Five starters are based in Major League Soccer, while six play with clubs abroad
  • Five more players starting on the bench have the chance to make their MNT debuts tonight: defenders Erik Palmer-Brown, Shaq Moore and Antonee Robinson, midfielder Tim Weah and forward Andrija Novakovich
  • Teams are allowed six substitutions in tonight’s match.
  • With both teams dressing 20 players, the healthy scratches from the game-day roster are goalkeeper Alex Bono and midfielder Kekuta Manneh. Midfielder Weston McKennie is nursing a groin injury and is also not dressed for the match.
  • The MNT is 3-2-2 all-time against Paraguay. The teams last met in the final group match of the 2016 Copa America Centenario, when the MNT used a first-half strike from Clint Dempsey to earn a 1-0 win in Philadelphia.