By OkayGoal
The U.S. Men’s National Team’s busy fall international break continues on Tuesday with a second CONMEBOL opponent providing a stern test.
Chile awaits Mauricio Pochettino’s side in St. Louis, Missouri as both teams continue a busy international slate. It will be the first head-to-head matchup between the two nations in over seven years, with plenty changed for both.
The Americans will be full of confidence following a 4-1 home win over Peru on Saturday, a match in which Pochettino handed out 11 senior debuts. Justin Ellis and Julian Hall both scored in their first senior national team appearances while Cavan Sullivan, Peyton Miller, and Mathis Albert were also among the debutants in the match.
Malik Tillman and Sebastian Berhalter also added goals in the match, delivering strong shifts as two of the more experienced players in the squad. Matt Freese and Diego Kochen each got one half of action at Inter.com Stadium as Pochettino used all 11 of his substitutes in the match.
Cole Campbell and Brian Schwake are the two players still seeking their USMNT debuts and both could make them on Tuesday night. Chris Richards, Sergino Dest, and Damion Downs are also expected to see time after not playing against Peru.
It will be intriguing to see how Pochettino lines up his squad at Energizer Park on Tuesday, knowing that there will still be two additional friendlies to come over the next week.
Chile is coming off a 1-0 loss to Canada at BMO Field on Saturday, falling to a first-half Jonathan David goal.
Nicolas Cordova’s squad saw Lucas Cepeda and Gabriel Suazo both sent off in the match, with Cepeda seeing a straight red card and Suazo earning a second yellow card after halftime. Cordova used a total of 17 players in the match as he tries to get Chile back on track after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ranked No. 49 in the world, Chile will rely on the experience of Paulo Diaz, Marcelino Nunez, and Dario Osorio to earn a positive result against the USMNT.
The Chileans have won five of their last eight matches in all competitions and will be tough for the Americans to break down, despite being on road soil.
Still, after a strong showing against a stingy Peru side on Saturday, the USMNT be favored to keep the confidence rolling.