2022 Concacaf World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Honduras - Starting XI, Lineup Notes, TV Channels & Start Time

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying – Final Round Match No. 3

Sept. 8, 2021

Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano; San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Live Broadcast: 10:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+, Telemundo and Universo

Kickoff: 10:30 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 HONDURAS | WCQ HISTORY VS. HONDURAS
• With an average age of 23 years, 85 days, tonight’s Starting XI is tied for the youngest USMNT lineup in official competition with the Starting XI that faced Martinique in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup on July 15, 2021. It’s also the youngest USMNT lineup in World Cup qualifying during the modern era (1988-present). The previous youngest was 23 years, 190 days on Oct. 12, 2005 against Panama – a match played after the USMNT had already qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
• Gregg Berhalter makes five changes to the Starting XI that faced Canada on Sunday, inserting George Bello, Mark McKenzie, Ricardo Pepi, James Sands and Josh Sargent.
• Ricardo Pepi will make his senior team debut tonight. At 18 years, 242 days, Pepi becomes the second youngest USMNT player to appear in a World Cup Qualifier, after only Christian Pulisic (17 years, 193 days) who also made his debut in a qualifier on March 29, 2016 vs. Guatemala.
• Mark McKenzie makes his first appearance since the Nations League Final on June 6, while George Bello and James Sands earns their first caps since the Gold Cup Final on Aug. 1.
• Christian Pulisic captains the USMNT for the second straight match and sixth time overall. The team is 4-1-1 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 makes his eighth consecutive start and comes into the match having conceded just two goals in nine overall appearances.
• Kellyn Acosta will appear in a 17th consecutive match for the USMNT. The only player to feature in all 16 matches in 2021, Acosta’s streak dates back to Dec. 9, 2020 vs. El Salvador.
• Kellyn Acosta and Christian Pulisic are the only two starters who appeared in the USA’s last WCQ visit to Honduras, a 1-1 draw on Sept. 5, 2017. Both were instrumental in Bobby Wood’s late equalizer that day, with Pulisic earning a free kick 25 yards from goal, before Acosta’s ensuing take smacked off the cross bar before Wood poked it home from close range.
• Christian Pulisic, along with substitutes Sebastian Lletget and Jordan Pefok have all scored against Honduras. Lletget scored the opener and Pulisic registered a goal and two assists in the USMNT’s 6-0 World Cup Qualifying win against Los Catrachos on March 24, 2017 in San Jose. Pefok scored a 90 minute winner in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal on June 3, 2021.
• Starters Tyler Adams and John Brooks and substitutes Jordan Pefok and DeAndre Yedlin come into tonight’s match on caution watch. If any of the four are shown a yellow card against Honduras, they will be suspended for the USA’s next qualifying match against Jamaica on Oct. 7 in Austin, Texas.