USMNT vs Ghana – Starting XI, Lineup Notes and Start Time – US Soccer

INSTRUCTIONS ON INSTALLATION
USMNT vs. Ghana
Internationally friendly
Oct 17, 2023
GEODIS Park; Nashville, Tennessee.
Pregame coverage: 8:00 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, MAX, Peacock
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, MAX, Peacock, Fútbol de Primera Radio
Social media: @USMNT on X and Instagram; US Soccer on Facebook, the US Soccer app

Today’s USMNT starting lineup against Ghana: 1-Matt Turner, 2-Sergiño Dest, 4-Chris Richards, 6-Yunus Musah, 7-Gio Reyna, 10-Christian Pulisic (Capt.), 12-Miles Robinson, 15-Johnny Cardoso, 20-Folarin Balogun, 21 -Tim Weah, 23-Kristoffer Lund

Substitutes: 18-Ethan Horvath, 3-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 5-DeJuan Jones, 8-Weston McKennie, 9-Ricardo Pepi, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 13-Tim Ream, 14-Luca de la Torre, 16-Kevin Paredes , 17-Alex Zendejas, 19-Joe Scally, 22-Lennard Maloney

GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GHANA

• USMNT starting XI squad numbers (including this game): Christian Pulisic (64), Matt Turner (35), Tim Weah (35), Yunus Musah (31), Sergiño Dest (30), Miles Robinson (26), Gio Reyna ( 22), Chris Richards (14), Johnny Cardoso (8), Folarin Balogun (6), Kristoffer Lund (3)

• Today’s starting eleven has an average age of 23 years and 191 days. It is the USMNT’s third-youngest roster in 2023 and the 12th-youngest roster since Gregg Berhalter began his first term as head coach in 2019.

• Eight of the starting eleven are 23 years old and younger: Chris Richards and Tim Weah (23); Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso and Sergiño Dest (22); Kristoffer Lund (21); Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna (20).

• The lineup includes an average of 24 international matches.

• Berhalter makes three changes from the starting lineup that played against Germany on Saturday, adding defenders Miles Robinson and Kristoffer Lund and midfielder Johnny Cardoso.

• Christian Pulisic captains the USMNT for the 19th time tonight, joining Marcelo Balboa and Landon Donovan for 10th place on the team’s all-time captain list. Pulisic is ninth on the list behind his former teammate Clint Dempsey (20 captaincy). The USA is 13-2-3 when he wears the armband.

• With his 11th appearance in 2023, Matt Turner joins Arnie Mausser as the sixth USMNT goalkeepers of all time with 35 appearances. Tonight’s game also marks Turner’s 16th cap in 18 USMNT games during FIFA’s international windows, dating back to last September against Japan.

• Defenseman Kristoffer Lund is making his second appearance, his first coming in a 4-0 win over Uzbekistan last month in St. Paul, Minnesota.

• Forward Folarin Balogun starts his sixth consecutive game for the USMNT.

• Chris Richards and Miles Robinson play in central defense for the fifth time. The duo is 3-1-0 in the four previous games they have started together.

• Nine of the eleven starters are dual nationals: Folarin Balogun (England, Nigeria), Johnny Cardoso (Brazil), Sergiño Dest (Netherlands, Suriname), Kristoffer Lund (Denmark), Yunus Musah (England, Ghana, Italy), Christian Pulisic (Croatia) , Gio Reyna (Argentina, England, Portugal), Matt Turner (Lithuania) and Tim Weah (Jamaica, Liberia).

• Seven players will play their first international match against African opponents: Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, Sergiño Dest, Kristoffer Lund, Gio Reyna, Chris Richards and Miles Robinson.

• Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Matt Turner and Tim Weah are each making their second appearance against Confederation of African Football opponents, having each started in the 3-0 win over Morocco in Cincinnati on June 1, 2022.

• Should he come off the bench today, midfielder Lennard Maloney would make his USMNT debut, marking his 60th first cap under Gregg Berhalter. This would give the US coach the second-most debuts among USMNT head coaches along with Bob Bradley.

• Gregg Berhalter has a record of 39-12-12 in 63 games as USMNT head coach and holds both the highest winning percentage (.714) and highest unbeaten percentage (.810) of any manager who has coached eight or more games.

• Five starters are products of the US Soccer Development Academy, three of whom came via MLS clubs: Christian Pulisic (PA Classics), Gio Reyna (New York City FC), Chris Richards (FC Dallas), Miles Robinson (FC Boston Bolts), Tim Weah (New York Red Bulls).

• The USMNT is 2-2-0 in four previous games against Ghana, three of which came at consecutive FIFA World Cups and all ended 2-1. Ghana took part in the first two meetings, winning the group stage of the 2006 World Cup before an extra-time win in the 2010 round of 16. The United States picked up its first win in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, as well as a friendly win July 1, 2017 in East Hartford, Connecticut.

• Six substitutions are permitted at three different times. Half-time is not considered a substitution time.

• Marco Antonio Ortíz from Mexico is the referee for today’s game. He previously officiated a USMNT game and this summer officiated the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Canada, which the U.S. won on penalties after a 2-2 draw.