USMNT Looks To Pull Even With Canada In Concacaf Nations League Away Fixture In Toronto

CHICAGO (Oct. 14, 2019) – Following a comprehensive 7-0 win against Cuba on Friday night, the U.S. Men’s National Team heads north to take on Canada on Tuesday, Oct. 15 where a win would see the side pull level with les Rouges in the Concacaf Nations League A, Group A table. Pre-game coverage of Canada-USA begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN2, UniMás and TUDN, with kickoff to follow at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Fans can also follow along via U.S. Soccer’s official Facebook, Twitter (@USMNT) and Instagram (@USMNT) accounts.

USA DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC; 62/0), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 8/0), Zack Steffen (Fortuna Düsseldorf/GER; 16/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 9/0), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 13/2), Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact/CAN; 11/0), Matt Miazga (Reading/ENG; 18/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 37/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 59/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC/CAN; 150/17), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 12/2), Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 16/6), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 33/14), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC; 17/0), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 20/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 4/0)

FORWARDS (6): Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 29/5), Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake; 4/0), Tyler Boyd (Beşiktaş/TUR; 8/2), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC; 36/7), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 10/3), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC; 53/10)

USMNT ROUTS CUBA 7-0 FRIDAY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The U.S. Men’s National Team opened Concacaf Nations League play in impressive fashion, routing Cuba 7-0 on Friday night at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The side used a hat trick from Weston McKennie and a Jordan Morris strike inside the first 13 minutes to put the game away early. Morris then forced an own goal not long after the hour mark, before Josh Sargent gave the side a 6-0 halftime lead. Captaining the team for the third time, Christian Pulisic recorded his 14^th goal and first from the penalty spot in the 62^nd minute, capping the scoring and sending the USMNT north to Canada with its largest margin of victory of the Gregg Berhalter era.

RECORDS TIED AND SET VS. CUBA

With three goals inside 13 minutes, USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie recorded the fastest hat trick from the start of a game in team history. It was also the second-fastest in minutes spanned, coming in just one minute behind Brian McBride, who tallied three goals in 12 minutes in a 4-0 Gold Cup quarterfinal victory against El Salvador on Jan. 27, 2002.

With a trio of assists, Jordan Morris became just the third player in USMNT history to achieve the record of three in a match, tying Cobi Jones (Nov. 14, 1993 vs. Cayman Islands) and Landon Donovan (April 1, 2009 vs. Trinidad & Tobago and July 21, 2013 vs. El Salvador).

Finally, the USMNT’s six first-half goals in the match set a new record for goals in a half among matches which goal times are recorded (going back to at least 1968). Interestingly, the previous record of five goals all came in the second half of matches.

BERHALTER APPROACHING 10-WIN MILESTONE

Friday’s 7-0 victory against Cuba also marked Gregg Berhalter’s ninth as USMNT head coach.

Set to manage his 16^th match on Tuesday against Canada, a win would see Berhalter become the second-fastest USMNT manager to achieve double-digit victories after only Bob Bradley, who achieved his 10^th win in his 11^th match as head coach in 2007.  

MILES ROBINSON DEPARTS CAMP WITH HAMSTRING INJURY

The USMNT roster was reduced to 24 players on Saturday with defender Miles Robinson returning to Atlanta United FC after suffering a left hamstring strain in training following Friday night’s win against Cuba. Robinson was summoned to camp earlier in the week as an injury replacement for Walker Zimmerman who suffered a concussion in LAFC’s regular season finale.

With the departure, the USMNT roster stands at 24 players heading into Tuesday’s match against Canada. Teams are allowed to dress 23 players for Concacaf Nations League games (20 field players and three goalkeepers).

CNL PROVIDES COMPETITION, PREP FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Normally at this point of the cycle, the USMNT would still be playing friendlies in preparation for the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying. With the advent of the Concacaf Nations League, the team is now getting competitive matches in a home-and-away format that can replicate what the team will experience come the final round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup which begins next September.

“This is competitive soccer,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said about the new competition. “For us, it’s playing away games and playing home games that leads to a result in a tournament format which is important. World Cup qualifying is an absolutely crucial event, and these games will help prepare us. Any time there is a trophy on the line and in the inaugural Nations League tournament [there is], we want to put ourselves in a position to win.”

LEAGUE A, GROUP A

Drawn into Nations League A, Group A, the USMNT closes out the year with home and away matches against Canada and Cuba. Those countries faced off during the September window, with Canada earning a 7-0 win on Sept. 7 in Toronto before a 1-0 victory in Cuba’s “home” match on Sept. 10 in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. With those results, the USMNT will have the goal of equaling Canada’s six points by the end of the October window.

 

Results/Schedule:

Sept. 7            Canada 6-0 Cuba       Toronto, Canada
Sept. 10          Cuba 0-1 Canada       Georgetown, Cayman Islands
Oct. 11            USA 7-0 Cuba            Washington, D.C.
Oct. 15            Canada vs. USA         Toronto, Canada
Nov. 15           USA vs. Canada         Orlando, Fla.
Nov. 19           Cuba vs. USA             Georgetown, Cayman Islands

(x) - notes qualification to the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup      
Click here for full Concacaf Nations League Standings       

RESULT IN CANADA QUALIFIES USMNT FOR GOLD CUP

Another benefit of the Concacaf Nations League is the role it serves as a qualification tournament for the Concacaf Gold Cup. For the first time in tournament history, all 16 participants at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup will have gone through a qualification process that begins with the current edition of the Nations League. In League A, the top two teams from each group automatically qualify for the next edition of the confederation championship Coming off Friday’s 7-0 win against Cuba, the USMNT can officially book its place to the 2021 Gold Cup with a win or draw on Tuesday against Canada, who were the first team to officially qualify for the tournament thanks to Friday’s result.

WHAT IS THE NATIONS LEAGUE?

Similar to the recently launched UEFA Nations League, Concacaf’s version was created to maximize the quality, quantity and frequency of competitive matches for all of the confederation’s 41 Member Associations. Following a qualifying tournament that concluded earlier this year, teams were placed into one of three Leagues: A, B and C. From there, teams were drawn into groups within their specific leagues, with each group providing a home-and-away format which runs during the course of the September, October and November FIFA international dates in 2019. At the end of the round-robin competition, the League A and B teams which finish last in their groups will be relegated to the lower league, while the group winners in Leagues B and C will be promoted to the higher league for the next edition of the competition.

• READ: Five Things to Know on the Nations League

Additionally, the four group winners from League A will advance to the Knockout Round where a semifinal and final will be played during the June FIFA international dates to crown the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League champion. The semifinal matchups will place the No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 and No. 2 seed vs. No. 3.

The tournament has major implication on future competitions as well. With Concacaf changing its World Cup qualifying format for the 2022 cycle, the top six teams in the FIFA World Rankings come June 2020 will advance straight to the region’s final round of qualifying, while those outside will have to play a longer, drawn out format for the chance to go to Qatar in 2022. The Nations League also will serve as qualifying for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup.

2019 USMNT RESULTS/SCHEDULE

(9-4-2; 30 GF, 11 GA)

USA-CANADA NOTES

• The USA and Canada meet for the 34^th time on Tuesday, with the USMNT holding a 14-8-11 all-time advantage.

• The USMNT holds a slim 7-6-4 edge in competitive matches against les Rouges and is 3-6-2 in away matches.

• The USA is 0-2-1 all-time in games played in Toronto, with the last meeting ending in a 0-0 draw on June 3, 2012 at BMO Field.

• The USMNT won the last meeting, using a late Jozy Altidore header to earn a 1-0 victory on Feb. 5, 2016 in Carson, Calif.

• The side is unbeaten in its last 17 contests with Canada, going 9-0-8 since last falling 2-0 in a friendly on April 2, 1985 in Vancouver.

USA ROSTER NOTES

• The roster has an average age of 25 years, 168 days and 24 caps.

• Sixteen players represent 14 different Major League Soccer clubs, while eight hail from sides in Europe: England (4), Germany (3), Turkey (1).

• With an appearance on Tuesday, Toronto FC Michael Bradley will become the first USMNT player to appear in an away match at his current home club stadium (BMO Field).

• Midfielder Weston McKennie’s hat trick on Friday vs. Cuba doubled his overall USMNT total to six goals. Five of those have come during 2019, putting the midfielder second in goals this year behind only Christian Pulisic (6).

• Jordan Morris’ three assists against Cuba put him in the team lead with five in 2019 and seven overall in his career.

• Defender Reggie Cannon registered his first international assist with the helper on McKennie’s 13^th minute goal on Friday night.

• Josh Sargent tallied his third career international goal in the 40^th minute of Friday’s match.

• Goalkeeper Brad Guzan recorded his 19^th career clean sheet in his 62nd appearance for the USMNT.

• Having last appeared for the side in March, defender DeAndre Yedlin returned to the USMNT this month after recovering from a groin injury which required surgery in May.

• Having registered three goals and two assists across 27 matches during his rookie season, 18-year-old midfielder Brenden Aaronson is the lone newbie on the USMNT roster.

• Nine players on the roster have already collected double-digit caps in 2019: Zardes (13); Arriola and Roldan (12 each); Long, Lovitz, Morris and Ream (11 each); Pulisic and Steffen (10 each).

• Seven players have the chance to collect their first competitive, non-confederation championship appearances for the USMNT: Aaronson, Baird, Johnson, Lima, Long, Steffen and Trapp

• Six players on the roster are age-eligible for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo: Aaronson, Cannon, McKennie, Pulisic, Robinson, Sargent, Yueill.

CANADA ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade/SRB; 47/0), Maxime Crépeau (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; 2/0), Jayson Leutwiler (Blackburn Rovers/ENG; 3/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Samuel Adekugbe (Vålerenga/NOR; 9/0), Juan Córdova (Huachipato/CHI; 2/0), Derek Cornelius (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; 10/0), Amer Didić (FC Edmonton; 0/0), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC; 2/0), Kamal Miller (Orlando City SC/USA; 2/0), Steven Vitória (Moreirense/POR; 12/1)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Scott Arfield (Rangers/SCO; 17/2) Stephen Eustáquio (Cruz Azul/MEX; 0/0), Liam Fraser (Toronto FC; 0/0), Mark-Anthony Kaye (LAFC/USA; 12/0), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC/CAN; 29/4), Samuel Piette (Montreal Impact/CAN; 44/0), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps FC/CAN; 25/1)

FORWARDS (5): Lucas Cavallini (Puebla/MEX; 15/10), Jonathan David (Gent/BEL; 10/11), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich/GER; 16/4), Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City/WAL; 26/9), Liam Miller (Kilmarnock/SCO; 8/0)

IN FOCUS: CANADA

• Canada sits 75^th in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking.

• Formerly Canada’s Women’s National Team head coach, John Herdman was appointed to lead the Men’s Team in January 2018 and has compiled a 9-2-0 record in that time and a 5-2-0 mark in 2019.

• Canada began Nations League A, Group A play last month with two victories vs. Cuba, winning 6-0 on Sept. 7 in Toronto and 1-0 on Sept. 10 in Georgetown, Cayman Islands.

• Canada did not play earlier in the October window, putting full preparation towards Tuesday’s match against the USA.

• Canada is 10-1-7 since beginning play at BMO Field in 2007 and are in the midst of a 15-match and eight-year unbeaten run at the Toronto venue.

• Les Rouges come into Tuesday’s match with a six-game shutout streak at BMO Field and have conceded just once in their last 13 matches at the stadium.

• Nine players on the roster feature for clubs in Major League Soccer.

• USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley is teammates with the trio of Jonathan Osorio, Liam Fraser and Richie Laryea at Toronto FC.

• USMNT defender Daniel Lovitz is also teammates with Samuel Piette with the Montreal Impact.

• Canada defender Doneil Henry will serve a one-match suspension on Tuesday after picking up a red card in Canada’s 1-0 win against Cuba on Sept. 10.