The U.S. men’s national soccer team is preparing for their biggest competition of 2023 as they face off against Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals on Thursday, June 15, in Las Vegas. The USMNT secured their spot in the semifinals by topping Grenada and El Salvador back in March 2023 to wrap up group stage play in the Nations League. Their opponent, El Tri, similarly finished top of their group to advance to this stage.
Interim head coach BJ Callaghan will be leading the team as the U.S. Soccer Federation continues to search for a permanent boss. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun are the leading names on the roster for the Nations League semifinal against Mexico. However, Tyler Adams will be out injured.
If the USMNT wins, they will qualify for the final on Sunday, June 18, against either Canada or Panama. Defeat would see them slotted into the third-place match, also happening on Sunday.
The USA confirmed a 23-man roster for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Mexico and the subsequent final or third-place match. Newly committed Arsenal frontman Folarin Balogun is the most eye-catching name on the USMNT roster this summer. Balogun, who is just 21 years old, was among the top scorers in the French top flight this past season, bagging 21 goals for Reims while on loan. He committed to the United States over England in May and was immediately brought into the senior side for this international window.
There are a host of key players who fans will notice are not on the roster. The most notable absence is midfielder and captain Tyler Adams, who is still recovering from his season-ending hamstring injury suffered back in mid-March. Also missing is Tim Ream, who, like Adams, suffered a season-ending injury in Premier League play. Finally, another defender not on the roster is Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The USA topped a group consisting of El Salvador and Grenada to reach the semifinal stage. Based on the total points earned during the group stage, those four semifinalists were seeded, and goal differential was the first tiebreaker. The U.S. boasted 10 points and a +12 differential, making them the top seed, while Mexico was fourth and last seed with eight points, pitting the two together. The other semifinal will feature Canada and Panama, who finished as the No. 2 and 3 seeds.
The USMNT is ready to take on Mexico and secure their spot in the CONCACAF Nations League final. With Balogun making his debut, and Pulisic and McKennie leading the charge, the USMNT has a strong chance of success. Fans will be eagerly watching to see if they can come out on top and take home the trophy.
