PREVIEW: U.S. Men’s CP National Team Aims High at 2023 Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile
USA Kicks off Tournament vs. Chile Saturday, Nov. 18 as Team Looks to Improve Upon Bronze Medal Won at 2019 Parapan Am Games

Fresh off a fourth-place finish at last year’s IFCPF World Cup, the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy (CP) National Team tackles its next major competition when it kicks off the 2023 Parapan American Games on Saturday, Nov. 18 against hosts Chile in Santiago. The USA will seek its second-straight medal at the competition after claiming Bronze at the 2019 edition in Lima, Peru.
The Parapan American Games are a 17-sport event for North, Central and South American Olympic Committees in the vein of the Paralympic Games. The six 7-a-side CP teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two finishers meeting for the gold medal and the teams placed third and fourth playing for bronze on Nov. 25.
The 2023 field consists of host Chile and the region’s top five ranked teams from International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) tournaments held in 2022. Four teams are ranked top-10 worldwide: No. 2 Brazil, No. 4 USA, No. 7 Argentina and No. 9 Canada, with Venezuela ranked No. 16 and Chile ranked No. 21.
All games will be played at the 10,000-seat Estadio Bicentennial de la Florida, home to Chilean first division side Audax Italiano. It previously was a venue for the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
2023 PARAPAN AMERICAN GAMES SCHEDULE | ||
Date | Opponent | Kickoff (ET) |
Saturday, Nov. 18 | Chile | 12:30 p.m. |
Sunday, Nov. 19 | Argentina | 12:30 p.m. |
Monday, Nov. 20 | Brazil | 5:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, Nov. 22 | Venezuela | 3 p.m. |
Thursday, Nov. 23 | Canada | 3 p.m. |
Saturday, Nov. 25 | Medal Round | TBD |
Most matches are expected to be streamed live via the Pan Am Sports Channel, with the exact schedule to be confirmed closer to each matchday. Fans can follow along on X @ussoccer_ENT and Instagram @ussoccer_ENT.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE, RESULTS AND STANDINGS
To be eligible for CP Soccer, athletes must be ambulatory and have a diagnosis of non-progressive brain damage that is associated with motor control dysfunction such as Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury or stroke. While these impairments may not be immediately visible, they can impact balance, coordination and muscle function.
The U.S. CP Men’s National Team program has also been referred to as the Paralympic National Team in the past.
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Sean Boyle*^ (Minneapolis, Minn.), 12-Marc Estrella*^ (Bakersfield, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (4): 8-Drew Bremer*^ (East Grand Rapids, Mich.), 13-Josh Brunais*^ (Stafford, Va.), 6-Jacob Kaplan*^ (Morganville, N.J.), 2-Frankie Lowery* (Fort Collins, Colo.)
MIDFIELDERS (4): 7-Adam Ballou*^ (Virginia Beach, Va.), 10-Ben Lindau*^ (Chicago, Ill.), 11-Kevin McCandlish^ (Chesapeake, Va.), 4-Wesley Pincince (Dunbarton, N.H.)
FORWARDS (4): 3-Jacob Crumbley*^ (Fortson, Ga.), 9-Cameron DeLillo*^ (Blandon, Pa.), 14-Shea Hammond*^ (Montclair, N.J.), 5-John Sullivan^ (Tucson, Ariz.)
*-Part of 2019 Parapan Roster; ^-Part of 2022 IFCPF World Cup roster
The concept is the same as the traditional game, and it’s played under the International FA Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, with approved modifications and amendments. Aside from a maximum of seven players (which include a goalkeeper), rather than 11, the basic differences are:
The tie-breakers for the group stage standing are: most points, goal-differential, goals scored and drawing of lots. However, a maximum of 10 goals scored will be allowed to be counted for the purposes of goal difference, (IE, a ‘mercy rule’).