LINEUP NOTES: U.S. MNT vs. Costa Rica - 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal
Everything you need to know about the starting XI that will face Costa Rica in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal (10 p.m. ET - FS1, Univision, UDN).
USA vs. Costa Rica
2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal
July 22, 2017
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Live Broadcast: Coverage at 10 p.m. ET on FS1, Univision and UDN
Today’s U.S. MNT Starting XI vs. Costa Rica: 2-Jorge Villafaña 3-Omar Gonzalez, 5-Matt Besler, 8-Jordan Morris, 19-Graham Zusi, 20-Paul Arriola, 23-Kellyn Acosta, 24-Tim Howard, 25-Darlington Nagbe, 26-Michael Bradley (capt.), 27-Jozy Altidore
Substitutes: 12-Bill Hamid, 29-Jesse Gonzalez, 4-Matt Miazga, 7-Chris Pontius, 9-Gyasi Zardes, 10-Joe Corona, 13-Dax McCarty, 15-Eric Lichaj, 16-Justin Morrow, 18-Juan Agudelo, 21-Matt Hedges, 28-Clint Dempsey
Referee: Joel Agular (El Salvador)
Assistant Referee #1: Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
Assistant Referee #2: William Torres (El Salvador)
Fourth Official: César Ramos (Mexico)
- Bruce Arena makes five changes from the lineup that started against El Salvador, inserting Kellyn Acosta, Matt Besler, Jordan Morris, Jorge Villafaña and Graham Zusi vs. Costa Rica.
- U.S. MNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Michael Bradley (135), Tim Howard (117), Jozy Altidore (106), Graham Zusi (52), Omar Gonzalez (44), Matt Besler (43), Jordan Morris (21), Darlington Nagbe (18) Kellyn Acosta (12), Paul Arriola (10), Jorge Villafaña (10).
- U.S MNT Starting XI Gold Cup Cap Numbers (including this match): Michael Bradley (19), Tim Howard (12), Jozy Altidore (9), Omar Gonzalez (8), Graham Zusi (6), Matt Besler (6), Jordan Morris (5), Kellyn Acosta (4), Paul Arriola (4), Jorge Villafaña (3), Darlington Nagbe (2).
- The Starting XI’s average cap number (including this game): 51.6 (overall) and 7 (Gold Cup)
- Earning his 135th cap, Michael Bradley moves past Jeff Agoos and into a tie for third with Clint Dempsey on the U.S. MNT’s all-time appearance list.
- Following his assist in Wednesday’s win vs. El Salvador, Bradley sits tied with Cobi Jones for second on the U.S. MNT’s all-time assist list with 22. He’s also tied with Alejandro Bedoya and Eric Wynalda for second on the team’s Gold Cup assist list with six.
- Bradley is the lone player in the U.S. MNT starting XI to score against Costa Rica, tallying the first goal in a 2-2 World Cup Qualifying draw against Los Ticos on Oct. 14, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
- Jorge Villafaña makes his team-leading 10th appearance of 2017 as well as his first appearance in the Gold Cup Knockout Round.
- Earning his second start of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Jordan Morris becomes the sole U.S. player to appear in all five tournament matches.
- Kellyn Acosta and Michael Bradley pair in central midfield for the second time this year, with the first coming in the USA’s 1-1 World Cup Qualifying draw at Mexico on June 11.
- Center back Matt Besler is the lone player on the roster that took part in the USA’s last visit to AT&T Stadium, a 3-1 win vs. Honduras in the Gold Cup Semifinals on July 24, 2013.
- Dallas Metroplex products Omar Gonzalez (Dallas) and Kellyn Acosta (Plano) each earn starts near their hometown tonight.
- Besler and Gonzalez pair in central defense for the second time at this year’s Gold Cup and first since the 1-1 draw vs. Panama in the tournament opener on July 8.
- Jordan Morris and Jozy Altidore pair up front for the second time and first since a 1-0 friendly win against Canada on Feb. 5, 2016 vs. Canada.
- The USA is 14-15-6 all-time vs. Costa Rica and 13-6-4 on U.S. soil.
- The U.S. holds a 6-0-1 edge vs. Los Ticos in Gold Cup play.
- Saturday’s match marks the second Semifinal meeting between the two teams, coming 24 years and one day after the first when the USA used Cle Kooiman’s Golden Goal to earn a 1-0 extra time win vs. Costa Rica on July 21, 1993 at The Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
- A Bruce Arena-led U.S. MNT also defeated Los Ticos 2-0 in the Gold Cup Final on Feb. 2, 2002 at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
- Arena led the team to a 4-3-2 record in nine meetings with Costa Rica during his first tenure in charge.
- Having gone 7-0-5 since Arena returned as head coach, the team’s current 12-match unbeaten streak is now the longest to start a U.S. MNT head coaching tenure, besting Bob Bradley’s 11-game, 10-0-1 mark set when he began in 2007.