Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Michael Bradley (148), Gyasi Zardes (49), Tim Ream (33), Christian Pulisic (29), Paul Arriola (26), Zack Steffen (13), Weston McKennie (12), Walker Zimmerman (10), Aaron Long (9), Nick Lima (7), Tyler Boyd (5)
Today’s Starting XI has an average age of 25 years, 296 days and 31 caps.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter utilizes the same starting XI that began the first two group stage matches – a 4-0 win vs. Guyana (June 18 in St. Paul) and 6-0 win vs. Trinidad & Tobago (June 22 in Cleveland).
Starting XI Gold Cup Cap Numbers (including this match): Bradley (23), Zardes (14), Arriola (8), Ream (7), Pulisic (4), Boyd, Lima, Long, McKennie, Steffen and Zimmerman (3 each).
Twenty-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic captains the USMNT for the second time tonight, having previously worn the armband in the team’s 1-0 defeat to Italy on Nov. 20, 2018. Pulisic is the ninth different player to captain the side in the USA’s 10 matches this year.
Steffen and the back line of Lima, Long, Zimmerman and Ream have yet to concede a goal in 180 minutes on the field together during the Gold Cup.
Long and Zimmerman partner in central defense for the fifth time in 2019. The pairing has also yet to concede a goal, contributing to four clean sheets in a 3-0 win vs. Panama (Jan. 27 in Glendale, Ariz.), 2-0 win vs. Costa Rica (Feb. 2 in San Jose, Calif.), 4-0 win against Guyana (June 18 in St. Paul, Minn.) and 6-0 win against Trinidad & Tobago (June 22 in Cleveland).
Michael Bradley makes his 23rd Gold Cup appearance, tying Kasey Keller for third on the USMNT’s all-time tournament caps list.
With four goals on the year, Gyasi Zardes leads the USMNT in scoring in 2019, with his three goals also pacing the team at the Gold Cup.
Eight players in the starting XI have contributed either a goal or assist in the tournament so far: Zardes (3 goals), Arriola (2 goals, 1 assist), Pulisic (1 goal, 2 assists), Boyd (2 goals), Long (2 goals), Bradley, Lima and McKennie (1 assist each).
Arriola and Zardes also make their team-leading ninth appearances of 2019.
Pennsylvania natives Christian Pulisic (Hershey) and Zack Steffen (Downingtown) both start in their home state tonight.
CAUTION WATCH: Should Weston McKennie receive a yellow card tonight, he would miss the team’s potential semifinal match.
Substitutes Jozy Altidore (May 29, 2010 vs. Turkey) and Omar Gonzalez (July 19, 2017 vs. El Salvador) have previously scored at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
The USMNT is 1-0-1 all-time against Curaçao. The two previous matches came in 1984, as part of qualification for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
The USMNT is 9-0-1 all-time in Gold Cup Quarterfinal matches and 24-7-5 in Knockout Round games at the tournament.
This is the USA’s third appearance at Lincoln Financial Field in a Gold Cup Quarterfinal. The MNT defeated Panama 2-1 in extra time during the 2009 edition and downed El Salvador 2-0 at this stage in the 2017 tournament.
The winner of USA-Curaçao will face Jamaica in the semifinal on Wednesday, July 3 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
