The U.S. men’s national team wrapped up its pre-World Cup friendlies with a 3-2 win over Senegal and a 2-1 loss to Germany. Now all attention turns to the tournament's grandest stage, kicking off Friday against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles—the first World Cup on home soil since 1994.
Mauricio Pochettino is expected to stick with the three-back formation he used in recent windows. Matt Freese, who played the full 90 minutes against Germany, appears to have won the goalkeeper battle from veteran Matt Turner.
In defense, 21-year-old Alex Freeman takes the right center back spot, Mark McKenzie slides into the center after Miles Robinson's costly errors, and Tim Ream locks down the left despite his age (38). Chris Richards, the 2025 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, is back from an ankle injury but will likely be eased in rather than started.
The midfield runs through Tyler Adams at the base with Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman ahead of him. Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest handle the wings. Up top, Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun—19 goals last season for AS Monaco—lead the line.