The United States will close its 2023 January training camp with a pair of friendlies against quality international opposition as games against Serbia and Colombia cap two full weeks of practices.
As these two matches do not fall during a FIFA-sanctioned international window, the U.S. roster is made up of mostly domestic-based players and young talents whose clubs agreed to release them. European-based players are largely excluded with many of the USMNT stars in the middle of their club seasons.
With that, fans will be hoping to see the next wave of talent looking to burst onto the senior scene as the team gears up for a critical four-year World Cup cycle ahead of the 2026 tournament on home soil.
The acting U.S. head coach is assistant Anthony Hudson as U.S. Soccer reviews the status of World Cup head coach Gregg Berhalter amidst his expired contract and an investigation into a past domestic violence incident.
The Sporting News will be following the USA vs. Serbia match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
MORE: Breaking down the candidates for USMNT head coach
USA vs Serbia live score
1H | 2H | Score | |
USA | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Serbia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Goals:
29th min — USA — Brandon Vazquez
44th min — SRB — Luka Ilic
46th min — SRB — Veljko Simic
Confirmed lineups:
USA (4-3-3, right to left): 24. Gaga Slonina (GK) — 2. Julian Gressel (Jones, 62′), 3. Walker Zimmerman (Long, 46′), 22. Jalen Neal, 5. Jonathan Gomez — 21. Aidan Morris, 10. Paxton Pomykal (Acosta, 63′), 14. Alan Sonora (Williamson, 58′) — 17. Alejandro Zendejas, 8. Brandon Vazquez (Hoppe, 63′), 20. Cade Cowell (Arriola, 73′).
Serbia (4-5-1, right to left): 1. Dorde Petrovic (GK — Rosic, 46′) — 5. Marko Mijailovic, 3. Nemanja Petrovic, 4. Ranko Veselinovic, 6. Nemanja Stojic — 10. Veljko Simic, 14. Nikola Petkovic (Bijelovic, 81′), 7. Luka Illic (Ivezic, 62′), 8. Mirko Topic (Stulic, 46′), 16. Vladimir Lucic (Pantovic, 62′) — 9 Dejan Joveljic.
USA vs Serbia live updates, highlights, commentary
USA vs Serbia: Second half
88th min: Aidan Morris earns what is a very soft yellow card for giving chase in midfield for a 50/50 ball. Then it’s Marko Mijailovic who goes into the book for hacking Jonathan Gomez down on the break. That’s how you get your money’s worth.
Kellyn Acosta’s free-kick delivery is poor as regulation time expires and five minutes of added time is ahead. He was looking for Aaron Long at the far post but it’s too deep.
85th min: Nemanja Petrovic picked up the first yellow card of the match for a foul in midfield. Moments later, the U.S. has a penalty shout as Kellyn Acosta springs Alejandro Zendejas, and Petrovic challenges hard, but the referee waves away the protests. It’s the right decision, as there wasn’t enough in that battle for the ball.
81st min: The U.S. is pouring on the pressure now, largely through horizontal crosses into the box. Serbian defenders are getting to every single delivery though, as U.S. forwards cannot seem to win an aerial duel in the penalty area.
79th min: Chance, USA! The hosts are pouring on the pressure now! DeJuan Jones shreds a defender on the right flank and cuts a ball for Paul Arriola who has his redirected shot saved expertly by Dragan Rosic! The Serbian goalkeeper did very well to stop that shot on the doorstep.
Luka Bijelovic is on for Nikola Petkovic in Serbia’s last change.
77th min: Chance, USA! WHOA! The U.S. Eryk Williamson crops up in midfield, having one effort blocked before taking aim on the rebound and sending a vicious effort just high. That would have been a stunner.
76th min: DeJuan Jones does great work to track back and cut off a Serbia breakaway via substitute Nikola Stulic, who would have been free on goal has Jones not made it back in time and stood firm.
Serbia makes another substitution, bringing on Filip Damjanovic.
74th min: Chance, USA! Finally a shot on goal from all this U.S. possession, but it’s a very poor effort from Paul Arriola after exceptional work by Alejandro Zendejas to create the chance via a back-heel. Moments later, Zendejas is at it again, taking it himself from long distance centrally and firing a curler just wide left. He’s playing more centrally now, after starting the match out wide.
Alejandro Zendejas looks better in a central role with the way this USMNT wants to play.
He was one of the best 8’s in Liga MX w/ Necaxa.
I actually think he can fight for first team minutes as an ‘8’.
Winger position is a bit “loaded”. 🫠#FutbolAmericas
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) January 26, 2023
70th min: The subs put a lid on the game for a bit, but it’s back to being open. The U.S. has held the majority of possession since the Serbia goal, but haven’t quite been able to produce a chance on net. Jonathan Gomez, who has been solid venturing forward from his left-back position, wins a corner. Two deliveries for Aaron Long result in a second corner for the USMNT, which is cleared.
Paul Arriola enters for Cade Cowell, who was absolutely fantastic in his second USMNT cap.
61st min: Both sides ring the changes on the hour mark. The U.S. brings on Matthew Hoppe at striker, replacing the goalscorer Brandon Vazquez. Also on for the U.S. is DeJuan Jones and Kellyn Acosta, while Julian Gressel and Paxton Pomykal come off. Serbia makes a pair of changes in midfield as well, introducing exciting young defensive midfielder Marko Ivezic.
Hoppe gets right into the action, hearly getting his head to a cross in front of goal and winning a corner.
59th min: Cade Cowell comes close again! He cuts inside this time and takes aim from distance, with his low ripper going just wide right. The 19-year-old San Jose Earthquakes forward is feelin it tonight!
Alan Sonora is brought off for Eryk Williamson.
56th min: Chance, USA! Oh, Cade Cowell deserves a goal, and he’s agonizingly denied by the woodwork TWICE! The winger gets free down the left, and his shot beats the goalkeeper but pings the inside of the far post and screams back along the goal line. You can’t come closer to scoring without the ball going in!
He has a second bite thanks to sloppy Serbian defending, and then hits the left post this time, ripping from a more central location. How ruthless is that?? So incredibly unlucky!
The posts deny Cade Cowell TWICE ❌ pic.twitter.com/yWqbqFFHNk
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 26, 2023
54th min: The U.S. has gone back to the well attacking down the left, where they had plenty of success before halftime. A good cross on the doorstep from Cade Cowell troubled Dragan Rosic but there was nobody on hand to turn it into the goal.oAlan Sonora then has his pocket picked in midfield, not for the first time.
nw51st min: Chance, Serbia! The visitors have the ball in the back of the net, but the flag is up and it’s ruled out for offside! There was probably a foul in the buildup as well, but the U.S. will consider themselves lucky not to be punished for yet another mistake at the back.
Alan Sonora took far too long on the ball trying to dribble out of pressure, and his ball along the back for Jalen Neal left the U.S. defender in all kinds of trouble. Eventually, Jonathan Gomez had it stolen to leave Serbia free on goal, but it won’t count. The start to this half has been extremely sloppy at the back.
46th min: GOAL! SERBIA! It’s the worst possible start to the half for the United States, as Serbia goes in front! A speculative logn ball forward is mishandled by the United States defense, with Jalen Neal and Jonathan Gomez failing to communicate, and instead simply gifting it right to Serbia’s attacking front. Veljko Simic, who was stonewalled by Gaga Slonina more than once in the first half, finally gets his goal with a clean finish. It’s a total mess by the U.S. defense!
Serbia take the 2-1 lead just 45 seconds into the second half 😱 pic.twitter.com/Rmo5v06yR1
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 26, 2023
Kickoff: The second half is under way as the two sides look to break the deadlock. Aaron Long is on for the United States, taking the place of Walker Zimmerman. Serbia has made a change as well, with Nikola Stulic replacing Mirko Topic.
U.S. acting head coach Anthony Hudson spoke at halftime and said he’s happy overall with the U.S. performance in the opening 45 minutes, but that they need “a little more concentration” in the defensive third, and mentioned the crossing “could be better.”
Beard in the building!
🫡 @brendanhunting pic.twitter.com/mxXfBijHAc
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
HALFTIME: USA 1-1 Serbia
Overall, the United States played well, but has plenty to improve. Serbia held the ball for long stretches of the half, especially early on, something the U.S. will not be used to. The U.S. passing wasn’t terribly sharp, and they lost the ball a lot.
Still, Brandon Vazquez’s goal was a thing of beauty, and the U.S. countered with pace and venom on numerous occasions. Cade Cowell was the best U.S. player by a mile, and Vazquez will be happy with his header, although he should have had another about 10 minutes earlier. Overall, the U.S. was probably the better side, but only just, and it’s level at the break.
Total international caps in this USMNT-Serbia friendly tonight:
Walker Zimmerman: 38
The other 21 starters on the field combined: 28
We are watching spring training, but that can be cool.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) January 26, 2023
USA vs Serbia: First Half
45+1 min: What the heck? The U.S. is working a great attack just outside the top of the penalty area, as Cade Cowell cuts inside, but play is stopped because…there’s another ball on the field? Somehow a second ball just ends up resting at the top of the 18-yard box. No clue where it came from, very CONCACAF-y!
44th min: GOAL! SERBIA! Paxton Pomykal fouls Dejan Joveljic on the edge of the penalty area, and it gifts Serbia a dangerous free-kick. Gaga Slonina sets the wall, but not well enough, as Luka Ilic’s delivery goes through and past Slonina, tucked inside the near post. That’s a frustrating way to concede before halftime!
Luka Ilić sneaks it through the wall to level it for Serbia 🎯 pic.twitter.com/XLlIu2XL0k
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 26, 2023
40th min: Chance, USA! How did that not go in?! A U.S. corner came to Cade Cowell on the far post, and he awkwardly manages to send it laterally across the face of goal. Incredibly, FOUR U.S. players all failed to make contact with the ball, as all four of them swung and missed. They’d struggle to recreate that again if they tried!
36th min: Chance, Serbia! SLONINA’S DONE IT AGAIN! Veljko Simic is causing all kinds of problems down Serbia’s left flank, and he gets free from a tight angle for a driven effort, but once again Slonina is there for the stop! The young goalkeeper has been big so far. Julian Gressel, however, has been carved to pieces defensively on that side of the field.
31st min: Chance, Serbia! WHAT A SAVE SLONINA! It’s a double save for the 18-year-old, putting his body on the line! Serbia brings it up the field with pace, and Veljko Simic has a great effort from close range, but he scuffs it and Slonina makes an awkward stop. The ball pops up into the air and Luka Illic attacks it on the goal mouth, but Slonina, still on the ground, manages to get his hand up and put Illic off.
Slonina looks to have taken a kick to the head in the process of the second save, and receives treatment. He’s up and ok after stretching his neck out a bit.
THIS KID GAGA 👀 pic.twitter.com/4gZYi2YuEn
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
29th min: GOAL! USA! Brandon Vazquez opens his account with a sensational header! A rare attack from the right flank for the United States sees Julian Gressel float one in to the near post, and Vazquez attacks it with ferocity, leaping with his back to goal and flicking a header inside the far post. It’s a pinpoint effort and beats Dorde Petrovic! Has the U.S. found another striker candidate?
. @Brvndonv becomes the 59th #USMNT player to score in his debut 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TbP0ay82DS
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
26th min: Cade Cowell is having an unbelievable first half. On the ball wide left, he goes laterally along the end line and puts Marko Mijailovic in a spin cycle, leaving the Serbian on his backside. He cuts back to Paxton Pomykal but the delivery is just inches off target and the move ends on the turnover.
Cade Cowell is having a hell of a first 25 minutes in a #USMNT shirt.
Easily the best USA player on the field so far.
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) January 26, 2023
24th min: Chance, USA! The United States cannot hold the ball, but they are countering with ferocity. Aidan Morris absolutely mugs Mirko Topic (to be honest, it was a clear foul), and he starts the break. Nobody steps to Morris, with a three-on-two advantage on the counter, and the young midfielder takes it himself and rips one looking for the top-right corner. Dorde Petrovic makes a great save!
let ‘er rip, @AidanZMorris pic.twitter.com/1nLZpzBInK
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
22nd min: The U.S. comes close again as a wonderful curling cross from Cade Cowell to the doorstep just floats agonizingly over the head of a leaping Brandon Vazquez.
19th min: Chance, USA! Serbia with a very long spell of possession that lacks incisiveness but frustrates the U.S. a bit. It ends without a shot and the U.S. immediately breaks right down the Serbian throats. Alan Sonora brings it across the midway line and feeds a streaking Cade Cowell, who rips a curler that comes very close to picking out the top-right corner. Cowell has been the best U.S. player so far by a significant margin. So close!
Soñora + Cowell linking up 🔗 pic.twitter.com/2pgNPYkKiE
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
13th min: Chance, USA! A hideous turnover by Serbia at the back nearly gifts the hosts the opening goal. Serbia goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic, put under pressure by Alejandro Zendejas and Brandon Vazquez, gives it to Cade Cowell who crosses with a horizontal cutback to Vazquez just shaded left of the penalty spot.
The FC Cincinnati man takes aim with the goal to shoot at, but scuffs his shot well wide right. It’s a very poor miss from Vazquez, who could use a good match in front of goal to give himself a chance at future minutes up front.
.@Brvndonv providing danger early! ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/OB5EBW5XOL
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
11th min: Jonathan Gomez gets forward down the U.S. left flank but again there’s no service into the attackers. Cade Cowell had tucked inside but Gomez’s cross was fired way too hard for him to collect. Brandon Vazquez has had little come his way.
7th min: The U.S. can’t get out of its own half. Serbia can build forward into the attacking third with ease, but the United States are struggling to pass through the Serbia midfield. A rare venture forward down the left flank ends as Cade Cowell misfires with a cross horizontally along the top of the penalty area that’s easily cut out.
Serbia then go back the other way and work it straight into the U.S. penalty area, only seeing their move fizzle out after a dummy in the 18-yard box sees the ball trickle to Gaga Slonina without anyone there to meet it. They’re turning the screw early.
Nervy start from USMNT. A lot of youngsters trying to impress and over thinking at the moment. Hopefully they settle down as game goes on.
— Danny Higginbotham (@Higginbotham05) January 26, 2023
4th min: Chance, Serbia! Attacking down their left this time, Serbia win a corner conceded by Alan Sonora who has no choice but to put it out of play. The delivery is a vicious one, headed at the near post by Nemanja Stojic who produces a stunning glancer across the face of goal. Gaga Slonina barely gets his fingertips to it, and then the follow up from close range is blocked. The Europeans have looked very dangerous early on!
I see Gaga Slonina already getting active #USMNT
— Drake Hills (@LiveLifeDrake) January 26, 2023
2nd min: Serbia look much sharper than the United States here early, pinging passes around and causing problems early down their right flank. The U.S. squad looks nervous and off balance here early on. The left-back Jonathan Gomez mis-plays a pass out of play.
Kickoff: The match is finally under way (it technically had a 10:07 pm ET kickoff) as the United States looks to finish off January camp with 180 sharp minutes on the field. The first 90 of those are tonight, with 90 more to come on Saturday against Colombia. The turnout tonight is reportedly less than ideal.
Few minutes away from the start of USMNT vs Serbia at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, not exactly a good turnout so far pic.twitter.com/cuahejdPDb
— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) January 26, 2023
USA vs Serbia: Pre-match commentary, analysis, and more
1 min to kick: This match is technically scheduled to kick off at 7:07 p.m. PT / 10:07 p.m. ET. As the players warmed up on the pitch, HBO Max broadcast had a cool feature where the studio crew interviewed Walker Zimmerman while mic’d up down on the field.
Get you a man who can do both.@thewalkerzim chats with the @hbomax crew 𝙒𝙃𝙄𝙇𝙀 warming up in LA 🎙 pic.twitter.com/a7lIkg7jS4
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
8 mins to kick: With this match nearly under way, here’s a look at how the January camp translates to future time with the USMNT. To give you an idea of what this camp is meant to accomplish, only one player in the starting lineup, the man with the armband tonight, has more than one international cap prior to kickoff tonight.
Thirty players have debuted or earned their 2nd cap during #USMNT’s first camp of a calendar year & later make a WC roster. All but Zimmerman in tonight’s starting XI will earn 1st or 2nd cap. Who are your picks to make 2026 U.S. WC roster? And start? https://t.co/R8CCQoKlwp
— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) January 26, 2023
22 mins to kick: This January camp is all about giving young and inexperienced players a chance to shine on the national stage. Still, it’s tough for many of these players to break into the fold on a more regular basis, as there is already a well-established pecking order. Here’s a larger breakdown of the possible USMNT 2026 World Cup roster, and a few of the players on the roster tonight make an appearance.
What’s the next step after the #USMNT departs 2022 #FIFAWorldCup?
Look ahead to 2026, of course.
With #USA set to host, I took a very early look at what the 2026 USMNT roster & lineup could look like @sportingnews.
4 years is a VERY long timehttps://t.co/BRsfU00UGe
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) December 3, 2022
40 mins to kick: Full-back Julian Gressel has been waiting a long time for this moment. A very, very long time. At 29 years old, Gressel becomes the oldest player to earn his first international cap for the United States since Chris Pontius in 2019. Older players don’t often break their way into the regular fold terribly often, but like Vazquez at striker, full-back is a position of little depth for the United States, and it’s absolutely feasible that Gressel earns more minutes with a good performance.
29-40 – At 29 years, 40 days, Julian Gressel is the oldest player to earn his first @USMNT cap since Chris Pontius (29 years, 262 days) in January 2017, also against Serbia. Debut. pic.twitter.com/kX0SFagVor
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) January 26, 2023
53 mins to kick: With all the uncertainty surrounding the striker position for the USMNT, this is a big chance for Brandon Vazquez. The FC Cincinnati forward was in great form last season, scoring 18 goals in 33 matches and nearly forcing his way into the U.S. World Cup squad, but Gregg Berhalter chose against calling Vazquez in, saying it was difficult to integrate a new player so close to the World Cup.
Now, Vazquez gets his chance, earning his first international cap at 24 years old. It’s a huge chance for him, as four years is a very long time and there are not a ton of options up front for the United States. If he earns more opportunities, it could very well pave a pathway towards a spot on the 2026 roster.
“It’s an honor to be part of this group.”@Brvndonv earns first cap with USMNT.
— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) January 26, 2023
66 mins to kick: Gaga Slonina is a really exciting young prospect for the United States. With his start tonight he becomes the youngest-ever goalkeeper to start for the USMNT at 18 years 255 days, passing the great Tony Meola.
Slonina was heavily recruited by Poland, as his family moved from the European nation to the United States when he was little, but he ultimately chose the United States. He has since been outspoken about his connection to the U.S. who took him and his family in and gave him a life of opportunity.
Slonina on picking the #USMNT over Poland: says “my heart was American” and says he wants to “reward” the country for taking him and his family who knew little English when they arrived. “I want to win trophies with this country.”
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) January 24, 2023
73 mins to kick: USMNT fans will get to see Alejandro Zendejas from the start tonight. He was trotted out before the media in yesterday’s pre-match press conference and faced a heavy line of questioning regarding his status as a U.S. national team player and the possibility that he could switch to Mexico.
Zendejas was consistently non-committal when asked multiple times about his international future, repeating over and over that he is just “enjoying the moment” and prefers not to think too far ahead. He would have to complete a one-time switch to represent Mexico, having been a U.S. youth international in the past. He has already represented Mexico at the senior international level in two friendlies, which led to a fine from FIFA as his paperwork had not been properly filed, meaning he is still a U.S. international unless that switch is officially completed.
Acting USMNT head coach Anthony Hudson was full of praise not just for Zendejas but also for his club side Club America who were gracious in releasing him for international duty. Hudson made it sound like they were not expecting him to be available for camp.
#USMNT January camp head coach Anthony Hudson is speaking ahead of tomorrow’s friendly vs. Serbia.
Says it was “shocking” and “amazing” that Club America released Alejandro Zendejas for international duty. Seemed genuinely surprised it came together.
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) January 24, 2023
79 mins to kick: The USMNT lineup is out slightly early, and it’s quite close to what we had predicted. Walker Zimmerman is the only regular to get the start, while the rest of the lineup is a mix of young and inexperienced talent. That’s not a surprise, as this game against a fringe Serbia roster will be the best chance for those players to see time, while the regulars will likely get the minutes against a stronger Colombia squad in a few days.
Full lineup notes below.
90 mins to kick: In its first game domestically since his passing, the United States has honored journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly while covering the World Cup, with an empty chair and spot in the press box at BMO Stadium. A very nice tribute for a man that meant so much to so many.
For Grant. 💙 https://t.co/fejtF24Mxc pic.twitter.com/NlN1FDz37N
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
105 mins to kick: With Gregg Berhalter not taking charge of January camp, I broke down who some of the possible candidates for USMNT head coach could be if Berhalter is not retained. There’s also a piece laying out why the national team should or shouldn’t retain Berhalter (sporting reasons only, written prior to public knowledge of the domestic violence incident) as well as an explainer of the saga between Gregg Berhalter and the Reyna family that brought his domestic violence investigation to light.
READ MORE: USMNT coach candidates | Retain or release Berhalter? | Berhalter & Reyna saga explained
😱 With Gregg Berhalter’s job in the air, Marcelo Bielsa becomes the first choice for the team’s manager position 🇺🇸
What do you guys think? #Soccer #Football #USMNT pic.twitter.com/OWhYqCd7Lf
— AS USA (@English_AS) January 25, 2023
120 mins to kick: This January camp is about the kids, and the next generation of talent earning a chance to be in the spotlight, but there is still plenty of talk around the stars of the U.S. squad, who are all competing in Europe amidst the January transfer window.
Weston McKennie is in the news recently, as the USMNT midfielder has developed into a quality player and is wanted by clubs in the Premier League. According to several reports, Arsenal and Leeds United are both chasing McKennie this January hoping to cut a deal in the wake of the scandal that cost Juventus a 15-point deduction in the standings and likely a shot at a Champions League place next year.
#Calciomercato | @juventusfc e @LUFC parlano di #McKennie: c’è l’ok del giocatore 🇺🇸 https://t.co/8Sn30nn76Z
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 24, 2023
USA vs Serbia lineups, team news
Fans would be excited to see young midfielder Paxten Aaronson in action, but the way Hudson spoke about him in the pre-match press conference, it would appear his time has not quite yet come, and he’s not yet in the lineup. Instead, the more experienced Paxton Pomykal gets a look in the attacking midfield role, ahead of Aidan Morris and Alan Sonora.
Up front, this will be a chance for Brandon Vazquez to impress, a moment he’s been waiting quite a while for, overlooked for the World Cup roster despite his great goalscoring form in MLS last season. Matthew Hoppe will need to wait a bit to see his name called at the striker position.
Walker Zimmerman starts and captains the side as the only veteran in the lineup. Exciting young goalkeeper Gaga Slonina, who chose the U.S. over Poland and recently made a big move to Chelsea, gets the start in goal.
USA confirmed starting lineup (4-3-3): Slonina (GK) — Gressel, Zimmerman, Neal, Gomez — A. Morris, Pomykal, Sonora — Zendejas, Vazquez, Cowell.
Our first lineup of 2023. 🇺🇸
Full Lineup Notes » https://t.co/6r5zmn6qsp pic.twitter.com/KqXpxoGmEK
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 26, 2023
There are very few options for Serbia head coach Dragan Stojkovic with a roster of just 17 players.
MLS fans will recognize the presence of Dejan Joveljic who was exceptional for the LA Galaxy through the middle of last season, scoring 11 goals, with nine of those coming between late May and late August. He is the most-capped player on the Serbian roster with two appearances.
27-year-old Velko Simic captains the side on his first cap, which isn’t something you see terribly often. A player to watch off the bench is 21-year-old rising star Marko Ivezic, serving as captain of Serbian side Vozdovac and playing key minutes at defensive midfield this season. It’s a bit surprising that Ivezic was not named in the starting lineup.
Serbia confirmed starting lineup (4-5-1): D. Petrovic (GK) — N. Petrovic, Veselinovic, Stojic, Mijailovic — Illic, Topic, Lucic, Simic, Petkovic — Joveljic.
USA vs Serbia live stream, TV channel
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- TV channel (Spanish): Universo
- Streaming (English): HBO Max
- Streaming (Spanish): fuboTV, Peacock, Telemundo App
The USA vs. Serbia international friendly will be available to watch in English on HBO Max, the first USMNT match following the exclusive rights deal with Turner Sports, which runs through 2030.
The match is also available in Spanish on Universo, which is streamed via fuboTV. The stream can also be accessed by subscribers to NBC streaming platform Peacock.
Just a few days later, the U.S. will take on Colombia from Dignity Health Sports Park, the home of LAFC’s rival the LA Galaxy. That match will be shown in English on TNT, as Turner Sports will air select games on its cable properties throughout the year.
USA vs Serbia rosters, squads
Because this match does not fall during a designated FIFA international window, clubs do not have to release players for international duty.
Therefore, both teams have deployed a fringe roster that does not feature many star players on either side, with European-based players mostly absent.
USA squad vs. Serbia, Colombia
The U.S. squad for this match is incredibly young with a sprinkle of established veterans like Walker Zimmerman, Paul Arriola, and Kellyn Acosta alongside recognizable names Sean Johnson and Aaron Long. But besides those mainstays, there is a host of young talent fans will be excited to watch take the field.
Highly touted Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, who just moved to Chelsea at 18 years old, is part of the squad and should get a look. Fellow teenager Paxten Aaronson, the younger brother of Leeds United and USMNT star Brenden Aaronson, is also on the roster after recently moving to German side Eintracht Frankfurt.
There is also plenty of talk surrounding forward Alejandro Zendejas, who accepted this call-up from the United States as he looks to make a decision on whether to represent the USA or Mexico. Appearing in these two friendlies would not cap-tie Zendejas to the United States, as only competitive fixtures can serve such a purpose, but a positive camp experience would go a long way in swaying his decision away from the southern neighbors. Having represented the United States at the youth level, Zendejas would need to complete a one-time switch to Mexico in order to be eligible to play for El Tri.
“Me siento orgulloso. Es un honor estar aquí y no todos tienen la suerte y la oportunidad de estar aquí.”
“I feel proud. It’s an honor to be here and not everyone has the luck and opportunity to be here” – @AlexZendejas8
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) January 24, 2023
Position | Player | Age | Club | USA Caps |
---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Roman Celentano | 22 | FC Cincinnati | 0 |
GK | Sean Johnson | 33 | Unattached | 10 |
GK | Gaga Slonina | 18 | Chelsea (ENG) | 0 |
DEF | Jonathan Gomez | 19 | Real Sociedad (SPA) | 1 |
DEF | Julian Gressel | 29 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 |
DEF | DeJuan Jones | 25 | New England Revolution | 0 |
DEF | Aaron Long | 30 | LAFC | 29 |
DEF | Jalen Neal | 19 | LA Galaxy | 0 |
DEF | Sam Rogers | 23 | Rosenborg (NOR) | 0 |
DEF | John Tolkin | 20 | NY Red Bulls | 0 |
DEF | Walker Zimmerman | 29 | Nashville SC | 37 |
MID | Paxten Aaronson | 19 | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 0 |
MID | Kellyn Acosta | 27 | LAFC | 55 |
MID | Aidan Morris | 21 | Columbus Crew | 0 |
MID | Paxton Pomykal | 23 | FC Dallas | 1 |
MID | Alan Sonora | 24 | Unattached | 0 |
MID | Eryk Williamson | 25 | Portland Timbers | 4 |
FWD | Paul Arriola | 27 | FC Dallas | 48 |
FWD | Cade Cowell | 19 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1 |
FWD | Jesus Ferreira | 22 | FC Dallas | 16 |
FWD | Matthew Hoppe | 21 | Middlesbrough (ENG) | 6 |
FWD | Emmanuel Sabbi | 25 | Odense (DEN) | 0 |
FWD | Brandon Vazquez | 24 | FC Cincinnati | 0 |
FWD | Alejandro Zendejas | 24 | Club America (MEX) | 0 |
Serbia squad vs. USA
With the European league season in full swing, Serbia had few options for players to call in given that nearly all of their regulars are in the middle of their club season.
Only three total players on the entire roster have earned a prior senior international cap, and nobody has more than two caps to their name.
A host of players are from mid-table Serbian Superliga clubs Vozdovac, TSC Backa Topola, Cukaricki, and Vojvodina who are all significantly behind the top two clubs Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade in the title fight. A few players are also based in North America, which allowed for their availability in this match, as it takes place outside a normal FIFA international window.
Below is the full released roster for Serbia in the January, 2023 match against the United States.
Position | Player | Age | Club | Serbia Caps |
---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Dorde Petrovic | 23 | New England Revolution | 1 |
GK | Dragan Rosic | 23 | Radnicki Nis | 0 |
DEF | Filip Damjanovic | 24 | Vozdovac | 0 |
DEF | Marko Mijailovic | 25 | Vozdovac | 0 |
DEF | Nemanja Petrovic | 30 | TSC Backa Topola | 0 |
DEF | Nemanja Stojic | 25 | TSC Backa Topola | 0 |
DEF | Ranko Veselinovic | 23 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 |
MID | Luka Bijelovic | 21 | Spartak Subotica | 0 |
MID | Luka Ilic | 23 | TSC Backa Topola | 0 |
MID | Marko Ivezic | 21 | Vozdovac | 0 |
MID | Vladimir Lucic | 20 | Cukaricki | 0 |
MID | Milos Pantovic | 20 | Vozdovac | 0 |
MID | Nikola Petkovic | 19 | Cukaricki | 0 |
MID | Veljko Simic | 27 | Vojvodina | 0 |
MID | Mirko Topic | 21 | Vojvodina | 0 |
FWD | Dejan Joveljic | 23 | LA Galaxy | 2 |
FWD | Nikola Stulic | 21 | Radnicki Nis | 0 |
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here