USA vs Serbia final score, results: Brandon Vazquez goal not enough to avoid USMNT friendly defeat

Kyle Bonn

USA vs Serbia final score, results: Brandon Vazquez goal not enough to avoid USMNT friendly defeat image

The United States national team put a host of young and inexperienced players on display Wednesday night in a friendly against Serbia as the conclusion of January camp got underway. The result was a 2-1 defeat in Los Angeles.

Those young players learned a valuable lesson about mistakes on the international level, as they were punished for glaring errors before halftime and following the break.

The 90-minute performance probably deserved a result against an equally inexperienced Serbia side, but the hosts were beaten thanks to mistakes that led directly to goals. Brandon Vazquez put the U.S. in front at the half-hour mark with a glorious header, but the Americans fell apart at two key moments.

A free kick just before halftime from Luka Ilic broke a weak U.S. wall and leveled the score. Veljko Simic punished an ugly mistake at the back seconds after the second-half restart.

The U.S. was in charge for most of the second half but couldn't find an equalizer despite the presence of veterans Kellyn Acosta and Paul Arriola off the bench.

Cade Cowell was sensational, standing out above the rest of the squad in his 72 minutes. The 19-year-old winger combined well with Jonathan Gomez on the left flank. Alejandro Zendejas was bright toward the end when moved centrally.

Defeat is difficult to swallow in the first friendly back after the World Cup, but results are less important than the performance, and there are positives to take from these 90 minutes. The U.S. will be back in action Saturday against Colombia as it wraps up January camp.

The Sporting News followed the USA vs. Serbia match live and provided score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.

MORE: Breaking down the candidates for USMNT head coach

USA vs Serbia live score

  1H 2H Final
USA 1 0 1
Serbia 1 1 2

Goals:
29th min — USA — Brandon Vazquez
44th min — SRB — Luka Ilic
46th min — SRB — Veljko Simic

Confirmed lineups:

USA (4-3-3, right to left): 24. Gaga Slonina (GK) — 2. Julian Gressel (Jones, 62'), 3. Walker Zimmerman (Long, 46'), 22. Jalen Neal, 5. Jonathan Gomez — 21. Aidan Morris, 10. Paxton Pomykal (Acosta, 63'), 14. Alan Sonora (Williamson, 58') — 17. Alejandro Zendejas, 8. Brandon Vazquez (Hoppe, 63'), 20. Cade Cowell (Arriola, 73').

Serbia (4-5-1, right to left): 1. Dorde Petrovic (GK — Rosic, 46') — 5. Marko Mijailovic, 3. Nemanja Petrovic, 4. Ranko Veselinovic, 6. Nemanja Stojic — 10. Veljko Simic, 14. Nikola Petkovic (Bijelovic, 81'), 7. Luka Illic (Ivezic, 62'), 8. Mirko Topic (Stulic, 46'), 16. Vladimir Lucic (Pantovic, 62') — 9 Dejan Joveljic.

USA vs Serbia postmatch analysis and storylines

Cade Cowell the star USMNT performer vs. Serbia

Nobody covered themselves in glory quite like Cowell did against Serbia. He was by far the best player on the field for either team, continually cropping up down the left to cause problems, either by cutting inside (which he clearly favors) or by occasionally springing down the flank to send in a cross.

Cowell was extremely unlucky to not have picked out a goal, striking both posts within a matter of seconds. He combined extremely well with Jonathan Gomez on the left; the fullback did well to overlap on several occasions, which allowed Cowell to drift centrally both on and off the ball.

The 19-year-old surely has earned himself more minutes, either against Colombia or beyond, with the national team.

Multiple dual nationals stood out for the USMNT

Several players who have chosen the United States (for now) were exceptional.

Gaga Slonina, who has chosen the United States over Poland, was very good in goal, especially with his two big saves in the first half. He could have done better to set the wall on Serbia's equalizer just before the break, but he'll also know his defenders ultimately parted to allow the shot on frame.

Alejandro Zendejas, who has been heavily courted by Mexico, was exceptional, building in influence as the game went on, especially after he moved more centrally in the final 30 minutes. Jonathan Gomez was solid at left back, and although he showed some defensive vulnerabilities, his attacking combo with Cowell was great.

Goal scorer Brandon Vazquez was also eligible to play for Mexico in the past, but he has finally earned his first U.S. cap.

All in all, it was a great night for dual nationals wearing the U.S. Soccer crest.

Mistakes will be punished at this level

The U.S. was playing against an extremely inexperienced and fringe Serbia team, but the punishment for mistakes was all the same.

Jalen Neal and Jonathan Gomez were caught with their pants down on the second Serbia goal. It's a tough pill to swallow knowing the U.S. probably should have put away more chances up front but were punished in such a way at the back.

Those kinds of brain farts will not fly in any senior international match. It's a valuable lesson for the youngsters and debutants in the U.S. side, one that acting head coach Anthony Hudson will be sure to point out as they switch gears toward the Colombia friendly on Saturday.

USA vs Serbia live updates, highlights, commentary

FULL TIME: USA 1-2 Serbia

It's defeat for Anthony Hudson and a young U.S. side, as the mistakes bracketing halftime were too much to overcome. The United States was on top for most of the second half but failed to get past a stout Serbia back line that repelled every attacking move, especially the gluttony of crosses the U.S. sent into the penalty area.

Cade Cowell's performance was the standout takeaway from this match, and a few other players did well with their roles. It was a tough night for Jalen Neal at the back, but overall there are plenty of positives to take away from this game, and the experience will be valuable for those players on the field.

USA vs Serbia: Second half

88th min: Aidan Morris earns what is a very soft yellow card for giving chase in midfield for a 50/50 ball. Then it's Marko Mijailovic who goes into the book for hacking Jonathan Gomez down on the break. That's how you get your money's worth.

Kellyn Acosta's free-kick delivery is poor as regulation time expires and five minutes of added time is ahead. He was looking for Aaron Long at the far post but it's too deep.

85th min: Nemanja Petrovic picked up the first yellow card of the match for a foul in midfield. Moments later, the U.S. has a penalty shout as Kellyn Acosta springs Alejandro Zendejas, and Petrovic challenges hard, but the referee waves away the protests. It's the right decision, as there wasn't enough in that battle for the ball.

81st min: The U.S. is pouring on the pressure now, largely through horizontal crosses into the box. Serbian defenders are getting to every single delivery though, as U.S. forwards cannot seem to win an aerial duel in the penalty area.

79th min: Chance, USA! The hosts are pouring on the pressure now! DeJuan Jones shreds a defender on the right flank and cuts a ball for Paul Arriola who has his redirected shot saved expertly by Dragan Rosic! The Serbian goalkeeper did very well to stop that shot on the doorstep.

Luka Bijelovic is on for Nikola Petkovic in Serbia's last change.

77th min: Chance, USA! WHOA! The U.S.  Eryk Williamson crops up in midfield, having one effort blocked before taking aim on the rebound and sending a vicious effort just high. That would have been a stunner.

76th min: DeJuan Jones does great work to track back and cut off a Serbia breakaway via substitute Nikola Stulic, who would have been free on goal has Jones not made it back in time and stood firm.

Serbia makes another substitution, bringing on Filip Damjanovic.

74th min: Chance, USA! Finally a shot on goal from all this U.S. possession, but it's a very poor effort from Paul Arriola after exceptional work by Alejandro Zendejas to create the chance via a back-heel. Moments later, Zendejas is at it again, taking it himself from long distance centrally and firing a curler just wide left. He's playing more centrally now, after starting the match out wide.

70th min: The subs put a lid on the game for a bit, but it's back to being open. The U.S. has held the majority of possession since the Serbia goal, but haven't quite been able to produce a chance on net. Jonathan Gomez, who has been solid venturing forward from his left-back position, wins a corner. Two deliveries for Aaron Long result in a second corner for the USMNT, which is cleared.

Paul Arriola enters for Cade Cowell, who was absolutely fantastic in his second USMNT cap.

61st min: Both sides ring the changes on the hour mark. The U.S. brings on Matthew Hoppe at striker, replacing the goalscorer Brandon Vazquez. Also on for the U.S. is DeJuan Jones and Kellyn Acosta, while Julian Gressel and Paxton Pomykal come off. Serbia makes a pair of changes in midfield as well, introducing exciting young defensive midfielder Marko Ivezic.

Hoppe gets right into the action, hearly getting his head to a cross in front of goal and winning a corner.

59th min: Cade Cowell comes close again! He cuts inside this time and takes aim from distance, with his low ripper going just wide right. The 19-year-old San Jose Earthquakes forward is feelin it tonight!

Alan Sonora is brought off for Eryk Williamson.

56th min: Chance, USA! Oh, Cade Cowell deserves a goal, and he's agonizingly denied by the woodwork TWICE! The winger gets free down the left, and his shot beats the goalkeeper but pings the inside of the far post and screams back along the goal line. You can't come closer to scoring without the ball going in!

He has a second bite thanks to sloppy Serbian defending, and then hits the left post this time, ripping from a more central location. How ruthless is that?? So incredibly unlucky!

54th min: The U.S. has gone back to the well attacking down the left, where they had plenty of success before halftime. A good cross on the doorstep from Cade Cowell troubled Dragan Rosic but there was nobody on hand to turn it into the goal.oAlan Sonora then has his pocket picked in midfield, not for the first time.

51st min: Chance, Serbia! The visitors have the ball in the back of the net, but the flag is up and it's ruled out for offside! There was probably a foul in the buildup as well, but the U.S. will consider themselves lucky not to be punished for yet another mistake at the back.

Alan Sonora took far too long on the ball trying to dribble out of pressure, and his ball along the back for Jalen Neal left the U.S. defender in all kinds of trouble. Eventually, Jonathan Gomez had it stolen to leave Serbia free on goal, but it won't count. The start to this half has been extremely sloppy at the back.

46th min: GOAL! SERBIA! It's the worst possible start to the half for the United States, as Serbia goes in front! A speculative logn ball forward is mishandled by the United States defense, with Jalen Neal and Jonathan Gomez failing to communicate, and instead simply gifting it right to Serbia's attacking front. Veljko Simic, who was stonewalled by Gaga Slonina more than once in the first half, finally gets his goal with a clean finish. It's a total mess by the U.S. defense!

Kickoff: The second half is under way as the two sides look to break the deadlock. Aaron Long is on for the United States, taking the place of Walker Zimmerman. Serbia has made a change as well, with Nikola Stulic replacing Mirko Topic.

U.S. acting head coach Anthony Hudson spoke at halftime and said he's happy overall with the U.S. performance in the opening 45 minutes, but that they need "a little more concentration" in the defensive third, and mentioned the crossing "could be better."

HALFTIME: USA 1-1 Serbia

Overall, the United States played well, but has plenty to improve. Serbia held the ball for long stretches of the half, especially early on, something the U.S. will not be used to. The U.S. passing wasn't terribly sharp, and they lost the ball a lot.

Still, Brandon Vazquez's goal was a thing of beauty, and the U.S. countered with pace and venom on numerous occasions. Cade Cowell was the best U.S. player by a mile, and Vazquez will be happy with his header, although he should have had another about 10 minutes earlier. Overall, the U.S. was probably the better side, but only just, and it's level at the break.

USA vs Serbia: First Half

45+1 min: What the heck? The U.S. is working a great attack just outside the top of the penalty area, as Cade Cowell cuts inside, but play is stopped because...there's another ball on the field? Somehow a second ball just ends up resting at the top of the 18-yard box. No clue where it came from, very CONCACAF-y!

44th min: GOAL! SERBIA! Paxton Pomykal fouls Dejan Joveljic on the edge of the penalty area, and it gifts Serbia a dangerous free-kick. Gaga Slonina sets the wall, but not well enough, as Luka Ilic's delivery goes through and past Slonina, tucked inside the near post. That's a frustrating way to concede before halftime!

40th min: Chance, USA! How did that not go in?! A U.S. corner came to Cade Cowell on the far post, and he awkwardly manages to send it laterally across the face of goal. Incredibly, FOUR U.S. players all failed to make contact with the ball, as all four of them swung and missed. They'd struggle to recreate that again if they tried!

36th min: Chance, Serbia! SLONINA'S DONE IT AGAIN! Veljko Simic is causing all kinds of problems down Serbia's left flank, and he gets free from a tight angle for a driven effort, but once again Slonina is there for the stop! The young goalkeeper has been big so far. Julian Gressel, however, has been carved to pieces defensively on that side of the field.

31st min: Chance, Serbia! WHAT A SAVE SLONINA! It's a double save for the 18-year-old, putting his body on the line! Serbia brings it up the field with pace, and Veljko Simic has a great effort from close range, but he scuffs it and Slonina makes an awkward stop. The ball pops up into the air and Luka Illic attacks it on the goal mouth, but Slonina, still on the ground, manages to get his hand up and put Illic off.

Slonina looks to have taken a kick to the head in the process of the second save, and receives treatment. He's up and ok after stretching his neck out a bit.

29th min: GOAL! USA! Brandon Vazquez opens his account with a sensational header! A rare attack from the right flank for the United States sees Julian Gressel float one in to the near post, and Vazquez attacks it with ferocity, leaping with his back to goal and flicking a header inside the far post. It's a pinpoint effort and beats Dorde Petrovic! Has the U.S. found another striker candidate?

26th min: Cade Cowell is having an unbelievable first half. On the ball wide left, he goes laterally along the end line and puts Marko Mijailovic in a spin cycle, leaving the Serbian on his backside. He cuts back to Paxton Pomykal but the delivery is just inches off target and the move ends on the turnover.

24th min: Chance, USA! The United States cannot hold the ball, but they are countering with ferocity. Aidan Morris absolutely mugs Mirko Topic (to be honest, it was a clear foul), and he starts the break. Nobody steps to Morris, with a three-on-two advantage on the counter, and the young midfielder takes it himself and rips one looking for the top-right corner. Dorde Petrovic makes a great save!

22nd min: The U.S. comes close again as a wonderful curling cross from Cade Cowell to the doorstep just floats agonizingly over the head of a leaping Brandon Vazquez.

19th min: Chance, USA! Serbia with a very long spell of possession that lacks incisiveness but frustrates the U.S. a bit. It ends without a shot and the U.S. immediately breaks right down the Serbian throats. Alan Sonora brings it across the midway line and feeds a streaking Cade Cowell, who rips a curler that comes very close to picking out the top-right corner. Cowell has been the best U.S. player so far by a significant margin. So close!

13th min: Chance, USA! A hideous turnover by Serbia at the back nearly gifts the hosts the opening goal. Serbia goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic, put under pressure by Alejandro Zendejas and Brandon Vazquez, gives it to Cade Cowell who crosses with a horizontal cutback to Vazquez just shaded left of the penalty spot.

The FC Cincinnati man takes aim with the goal to shoot at, but scuffs his shot well wide right. It's a very poor miss from Vazquez, who could use a good match in front of goal to give himself a chance at future minutes up front.

11th min: Jonathan Gomez gets forward down the U.S. left flank but again there's no service into the attackers. Cade Cowell had tucked inside but Gomez's cross was fired way too hard for him to collect. Brandon Vazquez has had little come his way.

7th min: The U.S. can't get out of its own half. Serbia can build forward into the attacking third with ease, but the United States are struggling to pass through the Serbia midfield. A rare venture forward down the left flank ends as Cade Cowell misfires with a cross horizontally along the top of the penalty area that's easily cut out.

Serbia then go back the other way and work it straight into the U.S. penalty area, only seeing their move fizzle out after a dummy in the 18-yard box sees the ball trickle to Gaga Slonina without anyone there to meet it. They're turning the screw early.

4th min: Chance, Serbia! Attacking down their left this time, Serbia win a corner conceded by Alan Sonora who has no choice but to put it out of play. The delivery is a vicious one, headed at the near post by Nemanja Stojic who produces a stunning glancer across the face of goal. Gaga Slonina barely gets his fingertips to it, and then the follow up from close range is blocked. The Europeans have looked very dangerous early on!

2nd min: Serbia look much sharper than the United States here early, pinging passes around and causing problems early down their right flank. The U.S. squad looks nervous and off balance here early on. The left-back Jonathan Gomez mis-plays a pass out of play.

Kickoff: The match is finally under way (it technically had a 10:07 pm ET kickoff) as the United States looks to finish off January camp with 180 sharp minutes on the field. The first 90 of those are tonight, with 90 more to come on Saturday against Colombia. The turnout tonight is reportedly less than ideal.

USA vs Serbia: Pre-match commentary, analysis, and more

1 min to kick: This match is technically scheduled to kick off at 7:07 p.m. PT / 10:07 p.m. ET. As the players warmed up on the pitch, HBO Max broadcast had a cool feature where the studio crew interviewed Walker Zimmerman while mic'd up down on the field.

8 mins to kick: With this match nearly under way, here's a look at how the January camp translates to future time with the USMNT. To give you an idea of what this camp is meant to accomplish, only one player in the starting lineup, the man with the armband tonight, has more than one international cap prior to kickoff tonight.

22 mins to kick: This January camp is all about giving young and inexperienced players a chance to shine on the national stage. Still, it's tough for many of these players to break into the fold on a more regular basis, as there is already a well-established pecking order. Here's a larger breakdown of the possible USMNT 2026 World Cup roster, and a few of the players on the roster tonight make an appearance.

40 mins to kick: Full-back Julian Gressel has been waiting a long time for this moment. A very, very long time. At 29 years old, Gressel becomes the oldest player to earn his first international cap for the United States since Chris Pontius in 2019. Older players don't often break their way into the regular fold terribly often, but like Vazquez at striker, full-back is a position of little depth for the United States, and it's absolutely feasible that Gressel earns more minutes with a good performance.

53 mins to kick: With all the uncertainty surrounding the striker position for the USMNT, this is a big chance for Brandon Vazquez. The FC Cincinnati forward was in great form last season, scoring 18 goals in 33 matches and nearly forcing his way into the U.S. World Cup squad, but Gregg Berhalter chose against calling Vazquez in, saying it was difficult to integrate a new player so close to the World Cup.

Now, Vazquez gets his chance, earning his first international cap at 24 years old. It's a huge chance for him, as four years is a very long time and there are not a ton of options up front for the United States. If he earns more opportunities, it could very well pave a pathway towards a spot on the 2026 roster.

66 mins to kick: Gaga Slonina is a really exciting young prospect for the United States. With his start tonight he becomes the youngest-ever goalkeeper to start for the USMNT at 18 years 255 days, passing the great Tony Meola.

Slonina was heavily recruited by Poland, as his family moved from the European nation to the United States when he was little, but he ultimately chose the United States. He has since been outspoken about his connection to the U.S. who took him and his family in and gave him a life of opportunity.

73 mins to kick: USMNT fans will get to see Alejandro Zendejas from the start tonight. He was trotted out before the media in yesterday's pre-match press conference and faced a heavy line of questioning regarding his status as a U.S. national team player and the possibility that he could switch to Mexico.

Zendejas was consistently non-committal when asked multiple times about his international future, repeating over and over that he is just "enjoying the moment" and prefers not to think too far ahead. He would have to complete a one-time switch to represent Mexico, having been a U.S. youth international in the past. He has already represented Mexico at the senior international level in two friendlies, which led to a fine from FIFA as his paperwork had not been properly filed, meaning he is still a U.S. international unless that switch is officially completed.

Acting USMNT head coach Anthony Hudson was full of praise not just for Zendejas but also for his club side Club America who were gracious in releasing him for international duty. Hudson made it sound like they were not expecting him to be available for camp.

79 mins to kick: The USMNT lineup is out slightly early, and it's quite close to what we had predicted. Walker Zimmerman is the only regular to get the start, while the rest of the lineup is a mix of young and inexperienced talent. That's not a surprise, as this game against a fringe Serbia roster will be the best chance for those players to see time, while the regulars will likely get the minutes against a stronger Colombia squad in a few days.

Full lineup notes below.

90 mins to kick: In its first game domestically since his passing, the United States has honored journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly while covering the World Cup, with an empty chair and spot in the press box at BMO Stadium. A very nice tribute for a man that meant so much to so many.

105 mins to kick: With Gregg Berhalter not taking charge of January camp, I broke down who some of the possible candidates for USMNT head coach could be if Berhalter is not retained. There's also a piece laying out why the national team should or shouldn't retain Berhalter (sporting reasons only, written prior to public knowledge of the domestic violence incident) as well as an explainer of the saga between Gregg Berhalter and the Reyna family that brought his domestic violence investigation to light.

READ MORE: USMNT coach candidates | Retain or release Berhalter? | Berhalter & Reyna saga explained

120 mins to kick: This January camp is about the kids, and the next generation of talent earning a chance to be in the spotlight, but there is still plenty of talk around the stars of the U.S. squad, who are all competing in Europe amidst the January transfer window.

Weston McKennie is in the news recently, as the USMNT midfielder has developed into a quality player and is wanted by clubs in the Premier League. According to several reports, Arsenal and Leeds United are both chasing McKennie this January hoping to cut a deal in the wake of the scandal that cost Juventus a 15-point deduction in the standings and likely a shot at a Champions League place next year.

USA vs Serbia lineups, team news

Fans would be excited to see young midfielder Paxten Aaronson in action, but the way Hudson spoke about him in the pre-match press conference, it would appear his time has not quite yet come, and he's not yet in the lineup. Instead, the more experienced Paxton Pomykal gets a look in the attacking midfield role, ahead of Aidan Morris and Alan Sonora.

Up front, this will be a chance for Brandon Vazquez to impress, a moment he's been waiting quite a while for, overlooked for the World Cup roster despite his great goalscoring form in MLS last season. Matthew Hoppe will need to wait a bit to see his name called at the striker position.

Walker Zimmerman starts and captains the side as the only veteran in the lineup. Exciting young goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, who chose the U.S. over Poland and recently made a big move to Chelsea, gets the start in goal.

USA confirmed starting lineup (4-3-3): Slonina (GK) — Gressel, Zimmerman, Neal, Gomez — A. Morris, Pomykal, Sonora — Zendejas, Vazquez, Cowell.

There are very few options for Serbia head coach Dragan Stojkovic with a roster of just 17 players.

MLS fans will recognize the presence of Dejan Joveljic who was exceptional for the LA Galaxy through the middle of last season, scoring 11 goals, with nine of those coming between late May and late August. He is the most-capped player on the Serbian roster with two appearances.

27-year-old Velko Simic captains the side on his first cap, which isn't something you see terribly often. A player to watch off the bench is 21-year-old rising star Marko Ivezic, serving as captain of Serbian side Vozdovac and playing key minutes at defensive midfield this season. It's a bit surprising that Ivezic was not named in the starting lineup.

Serbia confirmed starting lineup (4-5-1): D. Petrovic (GK) — N. Petrovic, Veselinovic, Stojic, Mijailovic — Illic, Topic, Lucic, Simic, Petkovic — Joveljic.

USA vs Serbia live stream, TV channel

  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • TV channel (Spanish): Universo
  • Streaming (English): HBO Max
  • Streaming (Spanish): fuboTV, Peacock, Telemundo App

The USA vs. Serbia international friendly will be available to watch in English on HBO Max, the first USMNT match following the exclusive rights deal with Turner Sports, which runs through 2030.

The match is also available in Spanish on Universo, which is streamed via fuboTV. The stream can also be accessed by subscribers to NBC streaming platform Peacock.

Just a few days later, the U.S. will take on Colombia from Dignity Health Sports Park, the home of LAFC's rival the LA Galaxy. That match will be shown in English on TNT, as Turner Sports will air select games on its cable properties throughout the year.

USA vs Serbia rosters, squads

Because this match does not fall during a designated FIFA international window, clubs do not have to release players for international duty.

Therefore, both teams have deployed a fringe roster that does not feature many star players on either side, with European-based players mostly absent.

USA squad vs. Serbia, Colombia

The U.S. squad for this match is incredibly young with a sprinkle of established veterans like Walker Zimmerman, Paul Arriola, and Kellyn Acosta alongside recognizable names Sean Johnson and Aaron Long. But besides those mainstays, there is a host of young talent fans will be excited to watch take the field.

Highly touted Gabriel "Gaga" Slonina, who just moved to Chelsea at 18 years old, is part of the squad and should get a look. Fellow teenager Paxten Aaronson, the younger brother of Leeds United and USMNT star Brenden Aaronson, is also on the roster after recently moving to German side Eintracht Frankfurt.

There is also plenty of talk surrounding forward Alejandro Zendejas, who accepted this call-up from the United States as he looks to make a decision on whether to represent the USA or Mexico. Appearing in these two friendlies would not cap-tie Zendejas to the United States, as only competitive fixtures can serve such a purpose, but a positive camp experience would go a long way in swaying his decision away from the southern neighbors. Having represented the United States at the youth level, Zendejas would need to complete a one-time switch to Mexico in order to be eligible to play for El Tri.

Position Player Age Club USA Caps
GK Roman Celentano 22 FC Cincinnati 0
GK Sean Johnson 33 Unattached 10
GK Gaga Slonina 18 Chelsea (ENG) 0
DEF Jonathan Gomez 19 Real Sociedad (SPA) 1
DEF Julian Gressel 29 Vancouver Whitecaps 0
DEF DeJuan Jones 25 New England Revolution 0
DEF Aaron Long 30 LAFC 29
DEF Jalen Neal 19 LA Galaxy 0
DEF Sam Rogers 23 Rosenborg (NOR) 0
DEF John Tolkin 20 NY Red Bulls 0
DEF Walker Zimmerman 29 Nashville SC 37
MID Paxten Aaronson 19 Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 0
MID Kellyn Acosta 27 LAFC 55
MID Aidan Morris 21 Columbus Crew 0
MID Paxton Pomykal 23 FC Dallas 1
MID Alan Sonora 24 Unattached 0
MID Eryk Williamson 25 Portland Timbers 4
FWD Paul Arriola 27 FC Dallas 48
FWD Cade Cowell 19 San Jose Earthquakes 1
FWD Jesus Ferreira 22 FC Dallas 16
FWD Matthew Hoppe 21 Middlesbrough (ENG) 6
FWD Emmanuel Sabbi 25 Odense (DEN) 0
FWD Brandon Vazquez 24 FC Cincinnati 0
FWD Alejandro Zendejas 24 Club America (MEX) 0

Serbia squad vs. USA

With the European league season in full swing, Serbia had few options for players to call in given that nearly all of their regulars are in the middle of their club season.

Only three total players on the entire roster have earned a prior senior international cap, and nobody has more than two caps to their name.

A host of players are from mid-table Serbian Superliga clubs Vozdovac, TSC Backa Topola, Cukaricki, and Vojvodina who are all significantly behind the top two clubs Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade in the title fight. A few players are also based in North America, which allowed for their availability in this match, as it takes place outside a normal FIFA international window.

Below is the full released roster for Serbia in the January, 2023 match against the United States.

Position Player Age Club Serbia Caps
GK Dorde Petrovic 23 New England Revolution 1
GK Dragan Rosic 23 Radnicki Nis 0
DEF Filip Damjanovic 24 Vozdovac 0
DEF Marko Mijailovic 25 Vozdovac 0
DEF Nemanja Petrovic 30 TSC Backa Topola 0
DEF Nemanja Stojic 25 TSC Backa Topola 0
DEF Ranko Veselinovic 23 Vancouver Whitecaps 1
MID Luka Bijelovic 21 Spartak Subotica 0
MID Luka Ilic 23 TSC Backa Topola 0
MID Marko Ivezic 21 Vozdovac 0
MID Vladimir Lucic 20 Cukaricki 0
MID Milos Pantovic 20 Vozdovac 0
MID Nikola Petkovic 19 Cukaricki 0
MID Veljko Simic 27 Vojvodina 0
MID Mirko Topic 21 Vojvodina 0
FWD Dejan Joveljic 23 LA Galaxy 2
FWD Nikola Stulic 21 Radnicki Nis 0

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.