The US men’s national team will look to continue their strong performance to open the June international window when they continue World Cup preparations with an international friendly against Uruguay at Sporting Kansas City‘s Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday.
The Americans were the clear better side throughout a 3-0 friendly win over Morocco in Cincinnati on Wednesday, with Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah and Haji Wright scoring for the US.
But Uruguay – ranked No. 13 in the FIFA World Rankings, two spots above the USMNT – should offer a step up in class, boasting a roster studded with stars like Edison Cavani, Diego Godin and Federico Valverde.
This will be the second of four games in the two-week June window, with Concacaf Nations League fixtures against Grenada and El Salvador to follow.
Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s visit from La Celeste.
How to watch and stream
When
Where
- Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas
Manager Gregg Berhalter had one of the strongest squads of his tenure at his disposal on Wednesday night, and it showed in an impressive and comprehensive victory against a well-respected African World Cup qualifier.
Aaronson, Weah, Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams all started together in the American midfield – a luxury not always afforded to Berhalter in qualifying due to various injury issues. Weston McKennie came off the bench in his first action for the US since early February after working back from a broken bone in his foot.
Wright’s goal from the penalty spot in his national team debut gave Berhalter another option to think about in the still-wide-open battle for the center forward role.
Fullback Joe Scally also made his senior international debut, which the former New York City FC homegrown earned after a productive first season with Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga.
Grading on a curve for size, Uruguay just might be the most impressive footballing nation on the planet.
With a population of 3.5 million, Uruguay have been a perennial World Cup contender since they hosted and won the first edition of the tournament in 1930. They haven’t won it all since 1950, but they’ve finished fourth three times since (most recently in 2010) and reached the quarterfinals on two more occasions, including in 2018 in Russia.
The current squad remains a talented one with players dotting the rosters of top clubs throughout Europe, but is also one in transition. Five of their most-used players during the marathon that is CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying are over the age of 30, including 35-year-olds Godin and striker Luis Suarez. (The latter has been left out of the June camp to focus on a likely move to a new club.)
There’s also two faces familiar to MLS fans.
Former Inter Miami CF manager Diego Alonso was hired in December to take the helm of the squad following a four-match losing run in qualifying run that jeopardized a string of three consecutive World Cup appearances. Alonso inherited no small feat in following the remarkable 15-year tenure of Oscar Tavarez, but righted the ship to the tune of four consecutive qualifying victories while securing a spot in Qatar with one match still to play.
Former LAFC winger Diego Rossi is also in Alonso’s current squad.
