2022 Concacaf World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Canada - Starting XI, Lineup Notes, TV Channels & Start Time
USMNT vs. Canada, presented by Volkswagen
2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying – Final Round Match No. 2
Sept. 5, 2021
Nissan Stadium; Nashville, Tenn.
Live Broadcast: 8 p.m. ET on FS1, UniMás and TUDN
Kickoff: 8:12 p.m. ET
Social Media: @USMNT on Twitter and Instagram; @ussoccer on Facebook , The U.S. Soccer App
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CANADA
• The lineup averages 20 caps overall and nine in official competition.
• Gregg Berhalter makes six changes to the Starting XI that faced El Salvador on Thursday, inserting Kellyn Acosta, John Brooks, Sebastian Lletget, Jordan Pefok, Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson.
• Cleared after testing positive for COVID last month, Christian Pulisic returns to the lineup for the first time since the Nations League Final in June and will captain the USMNT for the sixth time tonight. The USA is 4-1-0 when Pulisic wears the armband.
• After coming off the bench to make their World Cup qualifying debut Thursday in El Salvador, both Jordan Pefok and Antonee Robinson earn their first WCQ starts tonight.
• Goalkeeper Matt Turner comes into the match having given up just one goal – which was a penalty kick – in his eight previous caps. Turner has kept clean sheets in five consecutive games and hasn’t conceded a goal in his last 506 minutes of play.
• Miles Robinson and John Brooks will partner in central defense for the first time.
• Six starters are age 24 and younger: Antonee Robinson and Miles Robinson (24); Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic (22); Brenden Aaronson and Sergiño Dest (20)
• Midfielder Kellyn Acosta will appear in a 16th consecutive match for the USMNT. The only player to feature in every match during 2021, Acosta’s streak dates back to Dec. 9, 2020 vs. El Salvador.
• Sebastian Lletget makes his 14th appearance of 2021 and earns his first World Cup Qualifying start since March 24, 2017 against Honduras. Lletget scored the opening goal in that match before being removed due to injury.
• Jordan Pefok earns his second career start and first since the USA’s 2-1 win against Northern Ireland on March 25 in Belfast.
• The lone uncapped player on the roster, Ricardo Pepi would become the second youngest player to appear for the USMNT in a World Cup Qualifier should he debut in tonight’s match (18 years, 248 days).
• Substitute DeAndre Yedlin is the only player in tonight’s U.S. squad carrying a yellow card.
• Gio Reyna has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and has been ruled out of the matches against Canada and Honduras. He suffered the injury during the 0-0 draw against El Salvador on Sept. 2 in San Salvador
• Weston McKennie has not been included in today’s squad following a violation of team policy.
• Teams may dress up to 23 players and are allowed a total of five substitutions in three different moments throughout the match.
• Oshane Nation (Jamaica) is the referee for tonight’s match. He has officiated three previous USMNT matches: the 2-1 win against Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League Semifinal (June 3, 2021), 1-0 win against Costa Rica (Feb. 1, 2020) and 3-0 win against Bolivia (May 28, 2018).
