USMNT vs. Ghana - Starting XI & Lineup Notes
Pre-Game Coverage: 8 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, MAX, Peacock Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, MAX, Peacock, Fútbol de Primera Radio
LINEUP NOTES
USMNT vs. Ghana
International Friendly
Oct. 17, 2023
GEODIS Park; Nashville, Tenn.
Pre-Game Coverage: 8 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, MAX, Peacock
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, MAX, Peacock, Fútbol de Primera Radio
Social Media: @USMNT on X and Instagram; U.S. Soccer on Facebook, The U.S. Soccer App
Tonight’s USMNT Starting XI vs. Ghana: 1-Matt Turner, 2-Sergiño Dest, 4-Chris Richards, 6-Yunus Musah, 7-Gio Reyna, 10-Christian Pulisic (capt.), 12-Miles Robinson, 15-Johnny Cardoso, 20-Folarin Balogun, 21-Tim Weah, 23-Kristoffer Lund
Substitutes: 18-Ethan Horvath, 3-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 5-DeJuan Jones, 8-Weston McKennie, 9-Ricardo Pepi, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 13-Tim Ream, 14-Luca de la Torre, 16-Kevin Paredes, 17-Alex Zendejas, 19-Joe Scally, 22-Lennard Maloney
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GHANA
- USMNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Christian Pulisic (64), Matt Turner (35), Tim Weah (35), Yunus Musah (31), Sergiño Dest (30), Miles Robinson (26), Gio Reyna (22), Chris Richards (14), Johnny Cardoso (8), Folarin Balogun (6), Kristoffer Lund (3)
- Today’s Starting XI has an average age of 23 years, 191 days. It’s the USMNT’s third youngest lineup of 2023 and the 12th youngest lineup since Gregg Berhalter began his first tenure as head coach in 2019.
- Eight of the Starting XI are age 23 and younger: Chris Richards and Tim Weah (23); Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso and Sergiño Dest (22); Kristoffer Lund (21); Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna (20).
- The lineup averages 24 caps.
- Berhalter makes three changes to the Starting XI that faced Germany on Saturday, inserting defenders Miles Robinson and Kristoffer Lund, as well as midfielder Johnny Cardoso.
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In tonight’s match against Ghana, Yunus Musah starts against the country where both of his parents were born.
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Christian Pulisic captains the USMNT for the 19th time tonight, moving him into a tie with Marcelo Balboa and Landon Donovan for 10th on the team’s all-time captains list. Pulisic sits one back of former teammate Clint Dempsey (20 captaincies) for ninth on the list. The USA is 13-2-3 when he wears the armband.
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Making his team-leading 11th appearance of 2023, Matt Turner ties Arnie Mausser for sixth all-time in caps among USMNT goalkeepers with 35 appearances. Tonight’s match is also Turner’s 16th cap in 18 USMNT matches during FIFA international windows dating back to last September against Japan.
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Johnny Cardoso earns his second career start and first since the 1-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Dec. 18, 2021.
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Defender Kristoffer Lund gets his second start, with his first coming in the 4-0 win against Uzbekistan last month in St. Paul, Minn.
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Almost four years to the day that he announced his commitment to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team, full back Sergiño Dest makes his 30 senior international appearance.
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Center back Chris Richards starts his fourth consecutive match for the USMNT – the longest starting streak in his international career.
- Striker Folarin Balogun starts his sixth consecutive match for the USMNT.
- Chris Richards and Miles Robinson pair in central defense for the fifth time. The duo is 3-1-0 in the four previous matches they have started together.
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Nine of the 11 starters are dual nationals: Folarin Balogun (England, Nigeria), Johnny Cardoso (Brazil), Sergiño Dest (Netherlands, Suriname), Kristoffer Lund (Denmark), Yunus Musah (England, Ghana, Italy), Christian Pulisic (Croatia), Gio Reyna (Argentina, England, Portugal), Matt Turner (Lithuania), and Tim Weah (Jamaica, Liberia).
- Seven players earn their first caps against African opposition: Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, Sergiño Dest, Kristoffer Lund, Gio Reyna, Chris Richards, and Miles Robinson.
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Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Matt Turner and Tim Weah each make their second appearance against an opponent from the Confederation of African Football, having each started the 3-0 win against Morocco on June 1, 2022 in Cincinnati.
- Should he come off the bench today, midfielder Lennard Maloney would earn his USMNT debut, marking the 60th first cap under Gregg Berhalter. That would tie the U.S. manager with Bob Bradley for the second most debuts among USMNT head coaches.
| Head Coach | Debuts | Games Coached |
| Bruce Arena | 89 | 148 |
| Bob Bradley | 60 | 80 |
| Gregg Berhalter | 59 | 63 |
| Lothar Osiander | 51 | 18 |
| Bora Milutinović | 51 | 96 |
- Gregg Berhalter is 39-12-12 record in 63 matches as USMNT head coach and holds both the highest winning percentage (.714) and highest unbeaten percentage (.810) of any manager that has coached eight or more matches.
- Five starters are products of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy with three having come through MLS clubs: Christian Pulisic (PA Classics), Gio Reyna (New York City FC), Chris Richards (FC Dallas), Miles Robinson (FC Boston Bolts), Tim Weah (New York Red Bulls).
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The USMNT is 2-2-0 in four previous matches against Ghana, three of which came at consecutive FIFA World Cups and all which ended with 2-1 scorelines. Ghana took the first two meetings, winning in the 2006 World Cup group stage before an extra time victory in the 2010 Round of 16. The USA got its first win in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup, as well as a friendly victory on July 1, 2017 in East Hartford, Conn.
- Six substitutions are allowed in three different moments. Halftime does not count as a substitution moment.
- Marco Antonio Ortíz of Mexico is the referee for tonight’s match. He has previously officiated one USMNT match, overseeing this summer’s Gold Cup quarterfinal against Canada which the USA won on penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw.