As Mauricio Pochettino makes his debut as USMNT head coach, all eyes will be on his first starting lineup in charge of the side.
A number of U.S. regulars are missing, but the national team will press on with new beginnings on Saturday, October 12, against Panama, the team that dealt the damaging blow at this past summer’s Copa America.
Regardless of those absent like Tim Weah, Tyler Adams and Chris Richards, the star of the side remains Christian Pulisic, who is in electric form with AC Milan and will bring his strong start to the 2024/25 season back with him to North America.
Get the latest team news and predicted lineups below.
USA vs. Panama lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
USA team news
There are a host of USMNT regulars absent for this October international break, making life difficult on Mauricio Pochettino in his first camp. Sergino Dest continues to recover from his ACL tear just before the summer, and Tyler Adams will return soon from his back injury but isn’t quite ready for international duty yet.
Chris Richards does not appear due to a hamstring injury suffered days before the roster release, Gio Reyna has yet to return from his latest muscle injury picked up in USMNT training last month, and Cameron Carter-Vickers picked up a slight injury just before the break.
Tim Weah withdrew from the squad as he’s not quite ready to return from his hamstring injury, and Folarin Balogun and Johnny Cardoso were both pulled as well after suffering new injuries, with Balogun dislocating his shoulder just before leaving for camp.
USA predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Turner (GK) — Scally, M. Robinson, Ream, A. Robinson — McKennie, Morris, Musah — Pulisic, Sargent, Wright.
Full USA squad:
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner, Zack Steffen.
Defenders: Marlon Fossey, Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty.
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Gianluca Busio, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessman, Malik Tillman.
Forwards: Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Brandon Vazquez, Haji Wright, Alejandro Zendejas.
Panama team news
Midfielder Jovani Welch, who filled in for suspended Adalberto Carrasquilla in the Copa America defeat to Colombia, is absent from the Panama roster because of a broken leg.
Veteran defender Fidel Escobar missed the Copa America with a muscle injury but has returned to the fold, along with captain Anibal Godoy who also was absent this summer with an injury. Players to be dropped from the fold after the Copa America include veteran goalkeeper Luis Mejia, midfielder Cesar Yanis, and forward Ismael Diaz.
Panama predicted XI (3-4-3, right to left): Mosquera (GK) — F. Escobar, Cordoba, Miller — Murillo, Carrasquilla, C. Martinez, Davis — Blackman, Fajardo, Barcenas.
Full Panama squad:
Goalkeepers: John Gunn, Orlando Mosquera, Cesar Samudio.
Defenders: Ivan Anderson, Jose Cordoba, Eric Davis, Fidel Escobar, Edgardo Farina, Roderick Miller, Michael Murillo, Jiovany Ramos.
Midfielders: Abdial Ayarza, Yoel Barcenas, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Anibal Godoy, Freddy Gondola, Kahiser Lenis, Cristian Martinez.
Forwards: Cesar Blackmon, Jose Fajardo, Eduardo Guerrero, Tomas Rodriguez.
What time does USA vs. Panama kick off?
This international friendly match kicks off at 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, October 12, at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Here’s how that time translates across the time zones in North America:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Sat, Oct. 12 | 9 p.m. ET |
| Central Time | Sat, Oct. 12 | 8 p.m. CT |
| Mountain Time | Sat, Oct. 12 | 7 p.m. MT |
| Pacific Time | Sat, Oct. 12 | 6 p.m. PT |
USA vs. Panama live stream, TV channel
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024
- Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
- TV channel: TNT, Telemundo, Universo
- Streaming: Sling, Fubo, Peacock
The USMNT friendly against Panama can be accessed in a number of ways. The English-language broadcast of this match will be on TNT, which can be streamed on Sling.
A Spanish-language broadcast can be found on either Telemundo or Universo, both of which can be accessed on Fubo, who are offering a free trial for new users. It can also be found on Peacock, as NBCUniversal places much of the company’s Spanish-language content on their streaming platform.
