CHICAGO (October 25, 2025) – As U.S. Soccer continues to celebrate soccer in all its forms, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team will face Germany in the first game of a historic doubleheader with the U.S. Women’s National Team at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. ET. USA-Germany, presented by Volkswagen, will serve as the team’s “send-off” match ahead of the 2025 Deaflympics to be held this November in Tokyo, Japan.
Along with the historic broadcast, fans will also be able to follow the match via @ussoccer_ENT on X, @ussoccer_ENT on Instagram and U.S. Soccer Extended National Teams on Facebook.
In the day’s second match, the USWNT will face Portugal USWNT at 4 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV, HBO Max and Peacock).
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Hometown; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Sam Lang*^ (Fort Thomas, Ky.; 0/0), 12-Andrew Lenert (Long Beach, Calif.; 0/0), 21-Ethan Sullivan (Laguna Niguel, Calif.; 1/0),
DEFENDERS (8): 18-Aidan Burns^ (Cornwall, N.Y.; 7/0), 8-Philip Cruz (St. Augustine, Fla.; 1/0), 16-Kevin Fitzpatrick*^ (Hopatcong, N.J.; 22/0), 4-Luke Haubruge*^ (San Marcos, Calif.; 3/0), 17-Tate Lancaster*^ (Overland Park, Kan.; 13/1), 5-Kevin Oladimeji^ (Washington, D.C.; 2/0), 15-Eddie Perry*^ (Dellwood, Minn.; 22/0), 20-JJ Waterman^ (Altoona, Iowa; 3/0)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 10-Braden Anderson*^ (Boise, Idaho; 19/2), 6-Dawson Anderson*^ (Boise, Idaho; 13/1), 11-JP Kanashiro*^ (Springfield, Va.; 37/3), 13-Joseph Kennedy Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.; 1/0), 3-Raul Silva*^ (San Diego, Calif.; 29/4)
FORWARDS (7): 2-Samson Abraham^ (Seattle, Wash.; 4/0), 7-Chris Bourdon*^ (San Diego, Calif.; 11/2), 9-Jacob Contreras (Tucson, Ariz; 0/0), 19-Daniel De Moura^ (Holliston, Mass.; 2/0), 14-Bennett Haas^ (Sewickley, Pa.; 4/1), 23-Stanley Odoms Jr. (Pflugerville, Texas; 1/0), 22-Michael Schmid*^ (Oberlin, Ohio; 29/13)
^Part of squad at 2024 Deaf Pan American Games
* Part of squad at 2023 DIFA World Deaf Football Championships
HISTORY, HISTORY AND MORE HISTORY ON OCTOBER 26
The Deaf MNT match against Germany continues U.S. Soccer’s dedicated effort to celebrate and elevate all forms of the Beautiful Game. For the second year in a row, the Federation is the U.S. Women’s National Team match with a Deaf National Team match. On June 1, 2024, the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team dazzled in an 11-0 win against Australia prior to the USWNT’s friendly against Korea Republic, in what was head coach Emma Hayes’ first match in charge. Just like last year, Volkswagen continues to show its support to the Extended National Teams program, signing on as presenting partner of the match, and the game will also once again be televised live in English on truTV and HBO Max and streamed on Telemundo Deportes Ahora.
U.S. MEN’S DEAF NATIONAL TEAM HISTORY
Launched under the USA Deaf Soccer Association, the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team played its first matches at the 1965 Deaflympics in Washington, D.C. The team continued playing at the Deaflympics, as well as the Deaf International Football Association (DIFA) World Deaf Football Championships, which launched in 2008. The Deaf MNT had its best-ever world championship showing at that tournament in Patras, Greece, advancing to the semifinals before finishing fourth-overall.
The Deaf MNT’s greatest success came at the 2019 Deaf Pan American Games in Temuco, Chile, where the team capped a perfect 4W-0L-0D run with a game-winning goal from current forward Michael Schmid to earn a dramatic 1-0 victory against Argentina in the gold medal match.
In 2022, the Deaf MNT and Deaf WNT joined U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams program. The following year, both teams competed under the Federation in official competition for the first time at the 2023 World Deaf Football Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There, the Deaf MNT ran to the quarterfinals on the strength of a 1-0 win against England in the Round of 16 and ultimately earned an eighth-place finish.
Most recently the Deaf MNT claimed bronze at the 2024 Deaf Pan American Games in Canoas, Brazil. In the bronze medal match, a brace from Schmid and a goal from Bennett Haas helped the USA claim a 4-0 victory against Mexico, as well as qualification for the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan.
The Deaf MNT will appear for the 10th time overall at next month’s Deaflympics, in addition to four appearances at the DIFA World Deaf Football Championships and three trips to the Deaf Pan American Games.
NATIONAL TEAM INSPIRES STUDENTS AT AMERICAN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
On Thursday, both the U.S. and Germany Men’s Deaf National Teams took a break from training to visit the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in West Hartford. Founded in 1817, the ASD is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States and was honored to welcome both teams for an assembly where players discussed how they started in soccer and found their to the Deaf National Team, took part in a Q&A and Skills session and signed autographs.
THINGS HAPPENING AROUND THE MATCH
The historic match will also be hugely accessible to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
On both broadcasts, sign language interpreters will appear on-screen throughout the match, with an American Sign Language (ASL) translator on truTV and HBO Max, while a Spanish to ASL interpreter will appear on Telemundo Deportes Ahora.
For fans in East Hartford on Sunday, U.S. Soccer’s Fan HQ will open at 11:30 a.m. and will feature a Meet and Greet with alumni from the Deaf MNT and current players from the Deaf WNT, an ASL Teaching Station and a historical display of the Deaf MNT.
During the in-stadium pre-game festivities, both teams will be escorted onto the field by students from the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford. ASL interpreters will sign for the performers of the U.S. National Anthems ahead of both of Sunday’s matches.
Additionally, both the Deaf MNT and USWNT will wear special Volkswagen pre-match tops during, warmups. The warm-up jerseys were specially designed by Deaf artist Remy Glock in collaboration with Deaf MNT midfielder Raul Silva and spell out the word “UNITY” in ASL on the back of the top.
ON THE AGENDA IN TOKYO
Following Sunday’s friendly the USA will set its sights on earning a medal at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo. Drawn into Group D, the USA will face Ukraine on Nov. 16 and Senegal on Nov. 18, with both matches kicking off at 2:30 a.m. ET. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals and play in a knockout format until the gold medal match on Nov. 25.
ABOUT DEAF SOCCER
Out of the five disciplines that make up U.S. Soccer’s ENT programming, Deaf Soccer holds the closest resemblance to the standard game, with only two main rules that differentiate it. First, the sport is contested by Deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes, with qualifying players needing to have a hearing loss of at least 55 decibels in their “better ear”. All players competing in Deaf matches must remove all hearing aids before playing.
Secondly, referees have a flag which they raise along with blowing their whistle to provide a visual cue for players to know when play has stopped. Aside from those two adaptations, Deaf Soccer follows the standard 11-a-side Laws of the Game governed by the International Football Association Board.
ADDITIONAL ROSTER NOTES:
- As of Oct. 26, the roster will have an average age of 25 years, 192 days.
- The squad also averages 10 international caps.
- Seventeen players were part of the squad that helped the USA claim bronze at the 2024 Deaf Pan American Games in Canoas, Brazil.
- Eleven players took part in the 2023 DIFA World Deaf Football Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- The leading cap-winners are JP Kanashiro (37), Raul Silva (29), Michael Schmid (29), Kevin Fitzpatrick and Eddie Perry (both 22).
- Four players earned their international debuts in a friendly the two teams played on Friday afternoon in Farmington, Conn: goalkeeper Ethan Sullivan, defender Philip Cruz, midfielder Joseph Kennedy Jr. and forward Stanley Odoms Jr.
USA-GERMANY SERIES HISTORY
The series between the USA and Germany dates back to 2012 where the two sides first met during the group stage of the DIFA World Deaf Football Championships in Ankara, Turkiÿe. Following their 4-0 win in Friday’s friendly, Germany now holds a 5W-0L-0D advantage in the all-time series.
Prior to Friday’s friendly, the two teams last met in official competition during the group stage of the 2023 World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a 2-0 win for Germany. Eight players from the current U.S. roster appeared in that game, with Chris Bourdon, Kevin Fitzpatrick, JP Kanashiro, Tate Lancaster, Eddie Perry and Raul Silva starting the match and Luke Haubruge and Michael Schmid coming off the bench.
| Date |
Result |
Competition |
Location |
| July 19, 2012 |
0-2 L |
2012 World Championships t |
Ankara, Turkiÿe |
| June 27, 2016 |
1-3 L |
2016 World Championships |
Salerno, Italy |
| May 6, 2022 |
0-4 L |
2022 Deaflympics |
Caxias do Sul, Brazil |
| Sept. 27, 2023 |
0-2 L |
2023 World Championships |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Oct. 24, 2025 |
0-4 L |
Friendly |
Farmington, Conn. |
GERMANY ROSTER BY POSITION (Hometown; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (2): 18-Lucas Pflugfelder (Munich; 4/0), 1-Marcel Salzman (Winnenden; 5/0)
DEFENDERS (7): 17-Luca Ballmann (Mülheim an der Ruhr; 17/0), 10-Kevin Bayer (Karlsruhe; 52/4), Maxim Grasnow (Friedberg; 0/0), 4-Julian Hoffmeyer (Berlin; 10/0), 13-Dennis Karczewski (Essen; 10/0), 20-Fabian Kuppe (Thalmässing; 27/1), 15-Ismael Müller (Hockenheim; 4/0)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 24-Kevin Gaul (Solingen; 0/0), 8-Jonathan Sedlmayer (Süssen; 16/4), 19-Camilo Seipke (Gelsenkirchen; 1/0), 16-Umut-Cem Tekin (Berlin; 5/0), 5-Dylan Volkmann (Hamburg; 6/0), 11-Nicolas Wojciak (Bad Krozingen; 0/0)
FORWARDS (3): 12-Robin Bayer (Karlsruhe; 63/21), 22-Stefan Krieg (Bartholomä; 0/0), 7-Steven Nowark (Berlin; 41/30)
