USMNT Starting XI Announced for Costa Rica Match
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has announced the Starting XI for the USMNT's international friendly against Costa Rica on Saturday, January 22, 2025. The match will be played at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and will kick off at 7 p.m. ET.
The Starting XI features eight changes from the lineup that began Saturday's match against Venezuela, with defender Miles Robinson and midfielders Benjamin Cremaschi and Brian Gutiérrez being the only players to retain their spots.
The lineup has an average age of 26 years, 308 days, making it the oldest Starting XI for a USMNT early-year friendly since the lineup that faced Japan on Feb. 10, 2006 in San Francisco (27 years, 332 days).
The roster also averages 17 caps.
Notable Lineup Changes
Robinson will start his first international match at right back, making way for veteran center backs Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman who pair together for the first time since the Round of 16 match against Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ream and Zimmerman partnered centrally in three of the four U.S. matches in Qatar.
Captaining the USMNT for the 14th time tonight, Ream will also earn his 67th cap, equaling the career total of fellow St. Louis native and 1994 World Cup veteran Mike Sorber.
Goalkeeper Zack Steffen earns his first international appearance since March 30, 2022 at Costa Rica, the final match of the USA's successful run in 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. The 29-year-old also becomes the eight USMNT goalkeeper to reach 30 caps.
Robinson and Zimmerman also featured with Steffen in the 2022 qualifying finale, which was also the last meeting between the USA and Costa Rica.
Emeka Eneli and Indiana Vassilev earn their first starts for the USMNT tonight.
MLS Representation
With Eneli and Luna in the lineup, Real Salt Lake leads the list of 10 MLS clubs represented in tonight's Starting XI and are joined by Charlotte FC (Ream), Chicago Fire (Gutiérrez), FC Cincinnati (Robinson), Colorado Rapids (Steffen), Columbus Crew (Jones), Inter Miami (Cremaschi), Nashville SC (Zimmerman), St. Louis CITY (Vassilev), Vancouver Whitecaps (White).
U.S. Soccer Development Academy Products
Eight starters are products of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, with five developed by MLS clubs: Benja Cremaschi (Weston FC, Inter Miami), Emeka Eneli (Columbus Crew), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire), Diego Luna (San Jose Earthquakes), Miles Robinson (FC Boston Bolts), Zack Steffen (Philadelphia Union, FC DELCO), Indiana Vassilev (IMG Academy), Brian White (Players Development Academy).
USA-Costa Rica History
The USA is 19W-17L-6D in 42 all-time meetings with Costa Rica.
The two teams last met in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying finale, which the USA won 2-0.
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