USMNT Faces Uruguay In Final Match Before Concacaf Nations League

CHICAGO (Sept. 9, 2019) – The U.S. Men’s National Team plays its final match before beginning Concacaf Nations League play when they take on fifth-ranked Uruguay on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Coverage of USA-Uruguay begins at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, Univision and TUDN

Fans can also follow along via U.S. Soccer’s official Facebook, Twitter (@USMNT) and Instagram (@USMNT) accounts.

USA DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (2): 12-Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas; 0/0), 1-Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC; 60/0)

DEFENDERS (8): 20-Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 7/0), 18-Sergiño Dest (Ajax/NED; 1/0), 2-Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 7/0), 3-Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 12/2), 16-Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact/CAN; 9/0),) 13-Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 35/1), 22-Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC; 1/0), 4-Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 11/2)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 17-Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 10/2), 24-Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas; 0/0), 7-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 15/0), 6-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 20/0), 14-Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 2/0)

FORWARDS (5): 27-Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake; 3/0), 21-Tyler Boyd (Besiktas/TUR; 6/2), 11-Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 34/5), 19-Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 8/2), 9-Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 52/10)

HOMETOWN HEROES

Tuesday’s match marks the homecoming for two members of the USMNT in Tim Ream and Josh Sargent. Both products of famed U.S. Soccer Development Academy youth club St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Ream also played collegiately for Saint Louis University before beginning an 11-year professional career that has seen him land as a constant on the back line with English Championship club Fulham.

Sargent was a star in the last U-17 Residency Class at Bradenton, captaining that team to the quarterfinals of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India just months after winning the Silver Boot as the youngest member of the U.S. squad at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea Republic. The 19-year-old is now in his second season with German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, having decided to join the club in part because he said the town reminded him of St. Louis. Prior to coming into camp, Sargent scored his first goal of the new season to help Bremen to a 3-2 win against Augsburg. 

PLAYERS DEPART

Following Friday’s match against Mexico, the U.S. Men’s National Team roster was reduced to 20 players as John Brooks, Sean Johnson, Weston McKennie, Alfredo Morales, Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen were released back to their clubs on Saturday morning.

McKennie, Pulisic and Steffen went the full 90 minutes in Friday’s match against Mexico, while Morales left the match with an injury in stoppage time. Having experienced right groin tightness during the week, Brooks did not dress for the match, while Johnson was an unused substitute against Mexico.

USA ROSTER NOTES

• The USMNT roster for the match against Uruguay has an average age of 25 years, 22 days.

• A veteran of two FIFA World Cups and 60 caps to his credit, goalkeeper Brad Guzan returns to the USMNT for the first time since November 2018. The 34-year-old leads all MLS goalkeepers with 12 clean sheets in 2019.

• Part of the U.S. team that ran to the quarterfinals of this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, defender Sergiño Dest and midfielder Paxton Pomykal join Atlanta United FC center back Miles Robinson in the midst of their first USMNT camps.

• Pomykal and FC Dallas teammate Jesse Gonzalez are the two U.S. players looking for their first caps in Tuesday’s match vs. Uruguay.

• With his debut against Mexico, Dest is the third player born in the new millennium to appear for the USMNT.

• Having bagged 11 goals for Columbus Crew SC in 2019, forward Gyasi Zardes tops the MLS goal scoring chart among U.S.-based players.

• Six players are age-eligible for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo: Cannon, Dest, Pomykal, Robinson, Sargent and Yueill.

USMNT FALLS 3-0 TO MEXICO

The U.S. Men’s National Team opened the September window against Mexico in a rematch of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup Final play two months prior. With an emphasis towards progressing in the principles of building out of the back and breaking lines, the USMNT showed flashes of positive moments while learning some tough lessons in the 3-0 defeat on Friday. At 24 years, 150 days, the USMNT starting XI was the youngest put out by head coach Gregg Berhalter in 2019, and despite the result the USA’s approach received praise from Mexico players Hector Moreno and Jonathan Orozco.

DEBUTS EARNED

The match served as the time for two USMNT debuts. Fresh off a strong beginning to the season with Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax, 18-year-old Sergiño Dest started at left back, becoming the third player born in the new millennium to appear for the USMNT. Atlanta United FC center back Miles Robinson also made his debut, coming on for Walker Zimmerman in the 58^th minute. The two players brought the total number of debuts in 2019 to 12, a tally that can still rise during this camp if the FC Dallas duo of Jesse Gonzalez or Paxton Pomykal play on Tuesday against Uruguay.

MOVING UP THE RANKS

Two players from the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup are getting their first sniff at the senior team level, with Berhalter calling on defender Sergiño Dest and midfielder Paxton Pomykal. Joining a long history of children of American servicemen overseas, the Dutch born Dest is earning minutes with the first team at Ajax, last year’s semifinalists in the UEFA Champions League. A product of the FC Dallas Academy, Pomykal has started 20 games in MLS this season, by far the most of his four-year career, tallying two goals and five assists.

2019 USMNT RESULTS/SCHEDULE (8-4-1)

Date	Opponent	Result	Location	Goal Scorers
Jan. 27	vs. Panama	3-0 W	Glendale, Ariz.	Mihailovic, Zimmerman, Ramirez
Feb. 2	vs. Costa Rica	2-0 W	San Jose, Calif.	Lletget, Arriola
March 22	vs. Ecuador	1-0 W	Orlando, Fla.	Zardes
March 26	vs. Chile	1-1 D	Houston, Texas	Pulisic
June 5	vs. Jamaica	0-1 L	Washington, D.C.	-
June 9	vs. Venezuela	0-3 L	Cincinnati, Ohio	-
June 18	vs. Guyana^	4-0 W	St. Paul, Minn.	Arriola, Boyd (2), Zardes
June 22	vs. Trinidad & Tobago^	6-0 W	Cleveland, Ohio	Long (2), Zardes (2), Pulisic, Arriola
June 26	vs. Panama^	1-0 W	Kansas City, Kan.	Altidore
June 30	vs. Curaçao^	1-0 W	Philadelphia, Pa.	McKennie
July 3	vs. Jamaica^	3-1 W	Nashville, Tenn.	McKennie, Pulisic (2)
July 7	vs. Mexico^	0-1 L	Chicago, Ill.	-
Sept. 6	vs. Mexico	0-3 L	East Rutherford, N.J.	-
Sept. 10	vs. Uruguay	-	St. Louis, Mo.	-
Oct. 11	vs. Cuba#	-	Washington, D.C.	-
Oct. 15	at Canada#	-	Toronto, Canada	-
Nov. 15	vs. Canada#	-	TBD	-
Nov. 19	vs. Cuba#	-	Georgetown, Cayman Island	-
^-indicates Concacaf Gold Cup; #-indicates Concacaf Nations League

USA-URUGUAY NOTES

• The USA and Uruguay meet for the seventh time on Tuesday, with the sides holding an even 2-2-2 record.

• The game is the first meeting in 17 years, with the USA defeating Uruguay 2-1 in the teams’ last meeting behind goals from Tony Sanneh and DaMarcus Beasley in a Send-Off Series ahead of the World Cup on May 12, 2002 in Washington, D.C.

• The country of Uruguay has served as the backdrop for two historic moments in USMNT history – the team’s third place finish at the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as a 3-0 upset victory against Argentina and ultimate fourth-place finish at Copa America ’95.

URUGUAY ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Martīn Campaña (Independiente/ARG; 3/0), Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray/TUR; 113/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Martín Caceres (Fiorentina/ITA; 94/4), Sebastián Coates (Sporting Lisbon/POR; 36/1), José Giménez (Atlético Madrid/ESP; 55/8), Giovanni González (Peñarol; 5/0), Diego Laxalt (Torino/ITA; 20/0), Marcelo Saracchi (RB Leipzig/GER; 4/0), Gastón Silva (Independiente/ARG; 19/0), Matías Viña (Nacional; 1/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus/ITA; 24/0), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo/BRA; 24/3), Brian Lozano (Santos Laguna/MEX; 3/0), Nahitan Nández (Cagliari/ITA; 28/0), Lucas Torreira (Arsenal/ENG; 20/0), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid/ESP; 15/2), Matías Vecino (Inter Milan/ITA; 36/3)

FORWARDS (5): Maxi Gómez (Valencia/ESP; 13/2), Darwin Nuñez (Almeria/ESP; 0/0), Cristhian Stuani (Girona/ESP; 49/8), Brian Rodriguez (LAFC/USA; 1/0), Jonathan Rodriguez (Cruz Azul/MEX; 17/3)

IN FOCUS: URUGUAY

• Uruguay sits fifth in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking.

• La Celeste are managed by Oscar Tabarez, who has led the National Team since 2006.

• Under Tabarez’s direction, Uruguay has qualified for each of the last three World Cups, advancing to the knockout round every time and finishing fourth overall in 2010.

• Tabarez also led Uruguay to the 2011 Copa America title in Argentina.

• Nineteen-year-old forward Brian Rodriguez is teammates with USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman at LAFC.