Coach Mauricio Pochettino has made his goalkeeper decision for the United States men’s national team, choosing Matt Freese to start between the posts instead of Matt Turner for Friday’s World Cup clash against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium.
The match will feature several notable lineup decisions for both teams. For the U.S., defender Chris Richards earns a starting spot after recovering from an ankle injury that had sidelined him recently. Captain Tim Ream will anchor the American defense, while the attacking duo of Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic will lead the offensive charge.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro has made his own surprising selection by including Julio Enciso in the starting eleven, despite the player dealing with a recent injury. Enciso’s inclusion could provide a significant offensive spark for Paraguay, which has faced scoring difficulties in their recent outings. Orlando Gill will guard the goal for Paraguay.
This Group D encounter holds special significance as it represents the inaugural World Cup match played on American soil under the tournament’s new expanded 48-team structure.
The complete starting lineups are:
Paraguay: Orlando Gill, Omar Alderete, Juan Jose Caceres, Junior Alonso, Gustavo Gomez, Diego Gomez, Miguel Almiron, Andres Cubas, Damian Bobadilla, Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso
United States: Matt Freese, Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Alex Freeman, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun
