The United States gets the squad’s final tune-up match before the World Cup, and it is not easy as the UMSNT takes on Germany in Chicago. All eyes are on USA manager Mauricio Pochettino’s decision for the final starting XI ahead of the World Cup.
The USA-Germany game starts at 2:30 p.m. Eastern and fans can watch the match on TBS, HBO Max, Peacock or Telemundo.
Pochettino has treated the other friendlies a bit like an NFL coach does during the preseason as the USMNT manager experimented with different lineups, substitutions and players. With less than one week before the first World Cup match, Pochettino is expected to treat the Germany matchup more like an actual game than a typical friendly.
Here’s what you need to know about the USA-Germany starting lineups.
USA’s Projected Starting XI Lineup for USMNT vs. Germany
Here’s a look at our projected starting lineup for the United States against Germany. We will update this list once the official starting lineup against Germany is revealed.
| POSITION | PLAYER | NUMBER |
| Goalkeeper | Matt Freese | 24 |
| Defender | Antonee Robinson | 5 |
| Defender | Tim Ream | 13 |
| Defender | Alex Freeman | 16 |
| Defender | Sergio Dest | 2 |
| Midfielder | Malik Tillman | 17 |
| Midfielder | Tyler Adams | 4 |
| Midfielder | Weston McKennie | 8 |
| Forward | Christian Pulisic | 10 |
| Forward | Tim Weah | 21 |
| Forward | Folarin Balogun | 20 |
Germany’s Projected Starting XI Lineup vs. United States
Here’s a look at Germany’s projected starting lineup versus the USA, per CBS Sports’ “Call It What You Want.”
| POSITION | PLAYER | NUMBER |
| Goalkeeper | Manuel Neur | 1 |
| Defender | Joshua Kimmich | 6 |
| Defender | Jonathan Tah | 4 |
| Defender | Nico Schlotterbeck | 15 |
| Defender | David Raum | 22 |
| Midfielder | Leon Goretzka | 8 |
| Midfielder | Aleksandar Pavlovic | 5 |
| Midfielder | Lennart Karl | 25 |
| Midfielder | Jamal Musiala | 10 |
| Midfielder | Florian Wirtz | 17 |
| Forward | Kai Havertz | 7 |
Will Chris Richards Play Today vs. Germany?
USMNT star defender Chris Richards is dealing with an ankle injury. The United States have yet to announce a specific return timeline, but Richards will not play versus Germany.
Ahead of the Germany match, Richards was spotted at practice but worked away from the team as the star continues to recover. Pochettino emphasized that the medical staff is waiting to see how Richard’s ankle feels as the World Cup nears.
“I was asking from yesterday, when [he] arrived, to Jesus [Perez, assistant coach] 100 times,” Pochettino said of Richards’ status, per CBS Sports’ Pardeep Cattry. “‘What do you think? What do you think? Which information [do] we have?’ Wait, wait, wait, wait. The answer was, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait.’
“It’s too early. We need to see. The next few days are going to be key to see the possibility, to see if he’s ready or not [for] the World Cup.”
USA vs. Germany Odds: The USMNT is a +410 Underdog
The United States is looking to build on the momentum the team earned with a much-needed victory over Senegal. Christian Pulisic was able to end his goal drought and also posted an assist as well.
The USMNT is a sizable underdog against Germany at +410 to win the match, per FanDuel. Germany sits as a -190 favorite to win the friendly.
Team USA has lost 10 straight matches against European teams. The United States’ last victory against Europe came in 2021 with a 1-0 win versus Bosnia and Herzegovina.
USA vs. Germany Game Today: Starting XI for UMSNT, Start Time & TV Channel