Following a successful summer where Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan held down the fort, Gregg Berhalter returns as permanent USMNT head coach as the United States meet Uzbekistan in a September friendly.
Berhalter's contract expired after the 2022 World Cup, and a domestic violence investigation prompted a full coaching search by U.S. Soccer, but new sporting director Matt Crocker ultimately decided that the 50-year-old incumbent was the best choice to lead the U.S. towards the all-important 2026 FIFA tournament, which they co-host.
Thus, this match represents the start of a new era, the true beginning of the 2026 cycle in earnest. For such a game, Berhalter has called in a strong 24-man squad that features stars like Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun. The roster is only less than fully loaded thanks to injuries to a few key players such as Gio Reyna and Tyler Adams.
The United States has never before faced Uzbekistan, ranked 74th in the world by FIFA. For comparison, the Asian nation fell narrowly 1-0 to Iran in a June fixture, a common opponent that the United States defeated by that same scoreline at the most recent World Cup.
LIVE BLOG: Follow along with highlights & commentary as the USMNT meets Uzbekistan in St. Louis
USA vs Uzbekistan live stream, TV channel
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | TNT, Universo, Telemundo | Fubo, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Universo NOW |
What time does USA vs Uzbekistan kick off?
This international friendly match at CityPark kicks off on Saturday, September 9 at 4:30 p.m. local time in St. Louis.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sat, Sep. 9 | 5:30 p.m. ET 2:30 p.m. PT |
| Canada | Sat, Sep. 9 | 5:30 p.m. ET 2:30 p.m. PT |
| UK | Sat. Sep. 9 | 10:30 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun, Sep. 10 | 7:30 a.m. AEST |
| India | Sun, Sep. 10 | 3 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Sun, Sep. 10 | 5:30 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Sun, Sep. 10 | 5:30 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Sun, Sep. 10 | 5:30 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Sun, Sep. 10 | 9:30 a.m. NZST |
USA vs Uzbekistan projected lineups & team news
Christian Pulisic, who has begun life at AC Milan with a bang, leads the attacking unit for the United States, Gregg Berhalter confirmed before the match. Folarin Balogun will be deployed at striker, but will come off at halftime as he is yet to play at club level this season after securing a move to AS Monaco just days ago. Ricardo Pepi has ridden the bench for much of his early time at PSV, but he will get a chance to shine in the second half.
The most notable absentee for the United States is Gio Reyna, who was not called after only just returning to Borussia Dortmund training, still recovering from a leg fracture suffered on summer Nations League duty. Also unavailable for selection due to injury are Tyler Adams, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Josh Sargent, and Alejandro Zendejas.
It's thought that Inter Miami midfielder Benja Cremaschi will see time in this international window, but he will not start against Uzbekistan, as Berhalter has decided to go with Luca de la Torre in midfield. De la Torre has proven fit enough to start despite pulling up with a slight calf injury, and with Tanner Tessman tipped to be his possible understudy, the Venezia midfielder still could play a part this evening.
Cremaschi's club teammate Drake Callender has been called up to the September U.S. squad but will not take part in this match, only joining camp on Sunday after he plays for Inter Miami on Saturday against Sporting KC.
MORE: Full USMNT roster for September friendlies vs. Uzbekistan and Oman
USA starting lineup (4-3-3): Turner (GK) — Dest, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson — McKennie, Musah, de la Torre — Weah, Balogun, Pulisic.
Uzbekistan's most experienced player is 28-year-old striker Eldor Shomurodov who is at Serie A side Cagliari, on loan from Roma, and captains his international team. He has 37 goals in 66 caps for the White Wolves, including nine in his past 11 appearances, and is one of only two players in this squad to boast double-digit international goals.
The other is playmaker Jaloliddin Masharipov, who was briefly club teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr last season but has yet to find a new home after his contract expired this summer.
There isn't much youth in this Uzbekistan squad, but 22-year-old midfielder Oston Urunov provides some promise, already with 15 international caps and three goals to his name.
Uzbekistan starting lineup (3-5-2): Yusupov (GK) — Ashurmatov, Aliqulov, Eshmurodov— Alijonov, Shukurov, Urunov, Hamrobekov, Sayfiev — Masharipov, Shomurodov.
USA vs Uzbekistan betting odds & lines
As a World Cup knockout-stage participant, the U.S. is understandably favored as they host 74th-ranked Uzbekistan in St. Louis.
The U.S. has tasted defeat just once in four matches against Asian opponents under Gregg Berhalter, dropping a 2-0 friendly result to Japan two years ago in Germany. They beat Qatar in the 2021 Gold Cup and topped Iran at the most recent World Cup, while drawing Saudi Arabia in a pre-World Cup friendly.
Uzbekistan was not far off from World Cup qualification two tournaments ago, failing to reach the playoff stage on goal differential in the 2018 cycle. This past World Cup, they missed out after finishing second behind Saudi Arabia in their second-round group.
| USA win | Draw | Uzbekistan win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | USA -1.5 | UZB +1.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | -350 | +450 | +900 | +130 / -185 | -140 / +100 | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -388 | +402 | +800 | +118 / -185 | -139 / +100 | -118 | -114 |
