The U.S. men’s national team gets its 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign started Thursday with the first of 14 qualifying matches, a meeting vs. El Salvador. The game in San Salvador is the first of three qualifiers in seven days as the USA looks to get off to a good start after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The Americans have a dominant all-time record against El Salvador (18-1-5) and they are undefeated in three qualifiers played in El Salvador. But the Salvadorans are on the rise under their American head coach, Hugo Perez, who defended the USMNT’s colors 73 times.
The USMNT will have to kick off its bid to qualify for the World Cup without its star (Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic) and starting goalkeeper (Manchester City’s Zack Steffen), who both stayed back in the hope of being fit enough to play against Canada on Sunday. Pulisic is regaining his fitness after sitting out for a prolonged period following a positive COVID-19 test. Back spasms forced Steffen to sit out.
WATCH: USA vs. El Salvador on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)
Sporting News will be watching the USA vs. El Salvador match live and providing updates, observations and highlights throughout the 90 minutes from the Estadio Cuscatlan:
USMNT vs. El Salvador live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| El Salvador | 0 | — | — |
| USA | 0 | — | — |
Goals:
(All times Eastern)
13th min.: Two straight corners for El Salvador and Adams is shaken up after a header clearance.
11th min.: Tyler Adams with a late tackle which probably deserved a yellow, but ref decides to give the U.S. captain a talking to instead.
9th min.: What a chance for the USA! Miles Robinson wide open in the box on a Gio Reyna set piece and his header goes high
5th min.: A Yedlin cross from the right goes off Brenden Aaronson who was crashing the box and it nearly bounces over the ‘keeper.
5th min.: The match started off with five minutes of fireworks.
3rd min.: Gio Reyna with a shot that hits the side netting. But he’s ruled offside.
1st min.: We’re off. USMNT attacking early.
10:06 p.m.: The El Salvador anthem will give you chills:
10 p.m.: Time for anthems. USA first.
Tyler Adams can kinda sorta low-key sing a little bit?
What can’t he do
— Joseph Lowery (@joeclowery) September 3, 2021
9:26 p.m.: These fans are going to be into it:
9:22 p.m.: A nugget on the U.S. captain for today:
Tyler Adams is the #USMNT captain tonight, the youngest USMNT captain in a World Cup qualifier in the modern era.
No surprise at all. He has the perfect mentality to lead the squad into a hostile environment, and it has felt destined for a while that he would wear the armband
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) September 3, 2021
8:47 p.m.: Things keep getting weireder:
Weston McKennie taking selfies with the home fans as he ends his walk of the field. Don’t think I’ve seen that in a road qualifier before. #usmnt
— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) September 3, 2021
8:22 p.m.: Things are already getting weird in CONCACAF qualifying:
USA vs. El Salvador starting lineups
Berhalter revealed that Pulisic and Steffen did not travel with the team. He confirmed that New England goalkeeper Matt Turner will take Steffen’s place between the posts. Konrad de la Fuente takes the place of Pulisic in the starting lineup. The center back pairing is Tim Ream and Miles Robinson.
USMNT starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 1-Matt Turner-GK — 2-Sergino Dest, 13-Tim Ream, 12-Miles Robinson, 22 DeAndre Yedlin — 11-Brenden Aaronson, 4-Tyler Adams, 8-Weston McKennie — 20-Konrad de la Fuente, 9-Josh Sargent, 7-Gio Reyna
USMNT subs (12): Ethan Horvath-GK, George Bello, John Brooks, Mark McKenzie, Walker Zimmerman, James Sands, Antonee Robinson, Kellyn Acosta, Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Lletget, Jordan Pefok, Ricardo Pepi
El Salvador coach Hugo Perez will have eight players available for selection who ply their trade in the USA or Canada, including Alex Roldan, who could get to face his brother and Seattle Sounders teammate, USMNT midfielder Cristian Roldan. Houston Dynamo central midfielder Darwin Ceren is coming off a recent knee injury. We’ll see how long he can go.
El Salvador starting lineup (4-4-2, left to right): 1-Mario Gonzalez-GK — 13-Alexander Larin, 5-Ronald Rodriguez, 4-Eriq Zavaleta, 21-Bryan Tamacas — 12-Marvin Monterroza, 6-Narciso Orellana, 7-Darwin Ceren, 15-Alex Roldan — 17-Jairo Henriquez, 11-Joaquin Rivas
El Salvador subs (12): 22-Kevin Carabantes-GK, 18-Yonatan Guardado, 2-Lizandro Claros, 19-Denis Pineda, 16-Juan Barahona, 23-Melvin Cartagena, 10-Amando Moreno, 20-Enrico Duenas, 9-Walmer Martinez, 3-Roberto Dominguez, 14-Erik Rivera, 8-Joshua Perez
How to watch USA vs. El Salvador
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 2
- Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
- TV channel: CBS Sports Network (CBSSN)
- Spanish-language TV: Universo
- Stream: fuboTV, Paramount+, Telemundo Deportes app
The USMNT will play its first of 14 qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup on Thursday at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador in front of an expected 29,000 fans. The match will be carried by CBS Sports Network (English) and Universo (Spanish) in the USA.
Both CBSSN and Universo are streamed on fuboTV (free 7-day trial).
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