The U.S. Men’s National Team closes the November window with its second straight matchup against a South American, World Cup-qualified opponent. After defeating Paraguay 2-1 in Chester, Pennsylvania, the USMNT now turns its attention to a matchup with Uruguay on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Here are five storylines heading into Tuesday’s matchup:
1. Two Argentine Head Coaches Go Head-to-Head
Uruguay is led by head coach Marcelo Bielsa, the longtime manager deeply admired in the sport, and he’ll see a familiar face on the opposite bench in U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Though this is the first time they've squared off as opposing head coaches, the two have a shared history; Biesla coached Pochettino as a player at Newell's Old Boys and Espanyol and both men are Argentina natives. Pochettino regards his former coach highly and has spoken before about Biesla’s influence on him, both professionally and personally. In his press conference last week, Pochettino said it’s going to be amazing to see his former manager, but that he also expects it to be tough going up against a world-class and revered coach.
2. A Historically Close Series
Matches between the United States and Uruguay in the all-time history series have been played remarkably close. All but one of the nine meetings between the USMNT and Uruguay have been decided by one goal or ended in a draw. The last time these two teams met was on July 1, 2024, in CONMEBOL Copa América. A 66th-minute goal from Mathías Olivera was the difference in a 1-0 win for Uruguay. The most recent win in the series for the Americans was a friendly in 2002. Two first-half goals from Tony Sanneh and DaMarcus Beasley led the U.S. to a 2-1 victory in the nation’s capital.
3. Unbeaten Streak Extended to Four
The USMNT put together a controlled, confident performance in the 2-1 win over Paraguay in Chester, Pennsylvania. The win is the second straight for the U.S., including the win over Australia in October by the same scoreline. Going back to September, the USMNT has gone unbeaten in four straight matches against World Cup-qualified opponents with wins over Japan, Australia and Paraguay and playing Ecuador to a draw. This run is the first time in 10 years that the U.S. has gone unbeaten against teams ranked in the top 40 of the FIFA World Ranking. And with No. 16 Uruguay, the U.S. has a chance to make it five.
Meanwhile, Uruguay is riding an unbeaten streak of their own. La Celeste finished fourth in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying and enters the matchup on a six-match unbeaten run, dating back to June.
4. Goal-Scoring Momentum Behind Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun
The two goal scorers in the Nov. 15 win over Paraguay racked up big numbers in their game-changing finishes. Midfielder Gio Reyna scored a headed goal for the first time in his professional career. The fourth-minute finish brought his international total to nine, which passes his father, Claudio’s, scoring total with the U.S. Men’s National Team. The second goal scorer on the night, Balogun, recorded his third goal in his third straight start for the U.S. The striker now has 12 goal contributions in 18 starts for the USMNT.
5. The Last Window Before March
One of the storylines coming out of this camp for the U.S. was just now close the World Cup feels. Captain Tim Ream said the tournament was “knocking on the door,” and with only single-digit training sessions remaining, its proximity makes the tournament start to feel very real. Tuesday’s matchup against Uruguay will be the final match of the year for the United States, and the team will not play again for four months. Just two international windows remain – in March and June – before the World Cup begins June 11 in Mexico City, so the Nov. 18 matchup with Uruguay is an important tune-up before a long stretch.
