While Cuba has already been relegated to League B, they still have the opportunity to play spoiler for the USA on Tuesday night, with a draw or win being enough to prevent the USMNT from advancing to June’s knockout round.
History with the USMNT
Dating back to 1947, the series with Cuba is the USMNT’s third-longest against Concacaf nations behind only Canada and Mexico. The USA holds a commanding 11-1-1 advantage against Cuba, with the Caribbean side earning its only victory of the series in that initial match, a 5-2 win during the 1947 North American Football Confederation Championship in Havana.
Since then, the USMNT is on a 12-match unbeaten streak that dates back 70 years to a 1-1 draw during 1950 World Cup Qualifying. The USA has won each of the last 11 meetings with Los Leones del Caribe and has outscored the island nation 45-11 all-time.
Current Roster
Cuba head coach Pablo Elier Sánchez named a 21-player roster for Tuesday’s match. Notably, striker Luis Paradela plays in the United States, featuring for Reno 1868 of the USL Championship.
Goalkeepers (3): Nelson Johnston (Santiago de Cuba), Elier Pozo (Pinar del Rio), Sandy Sánchez (Delfines del Este/DOM)
Defenders (7): Yosel Piedra (USAC/GUA), Erick Rizo (Santiago de Cuba), Dario Ramos (Artemisa), Felipe Hurtado (Santiago de Cuba), Dariel Morejon (Villa Clara), Manuel Cruz (Camagüey), José Almelo (Pinar del Rio)
Midfielders (9): Aricheell Hérnandez (Independiente/DOM), Karel Espino (Artemesia), Aníbal Álvarez (Ciego de Ávila), Jean Carlos Rodríguez (Pinar del Rio) , Lazaro Monzon (Villa Clara), José Pérez (Ciudad Habana), York González, Rolando Abreu (Santiago de Cuba), Randy Reve (Santiago de Cuba)
Forwards (2): Maikel Reyes (Pinar del Rio) Luis Paradela (Reno 1868/USA)