Who Should Start for the USMNT vs. Brazil?

The U.S. men’s national team could desperately use a bounce-back performance ahead of the 2024 Copa America, but getting one against No.5 ranked Brazil won’t be easy.

Gregg Berhalter’s squad heads into Wednesday’s showdown off the back of a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Colombia. It marked the USMNT’s largest margin of defeat since 2016 and the first time they’ve conceded five goals in a match since 2009.

Defensive errors and mental breakdowns cost the USMNT against Colombia and the Americans can ill-afford a similar showing against Brazil.

Tim Weah and Joe Scally were two of the minimal bright spots against Colombia and will be among those pushing to stay in the starting lineup. Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent, and Brenden Aaronson were among those who did not play on Saturday and will be fighting to earn crucial minutes before the group stage begins.

Here is the starting lineup we could see the USMNT deploy against Brazil on Wednesday, as well as the lineup we would deploy if we were making the final lineup decisions:

GOALKEEPER

Who will start: Ethan Horvath

Who should start: Ethan Horvath

Matt Turner has earned most of the opportunities in recent years with the USMNT, but Wednesday should see a change in net.

Ethan Horvath played heavily during the second half of the EFL Championship season with Cardiff City and deserves a shot to prove himself. Horvath has mainly served as a backup behind Turner but has the edge in terms of minutes played this year.

The USMNT can survive without Turner for one night.

DEFENDERS

Who will start: Shaq Moore, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, Antonee Robinson

Who should start: Joe Scally, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, Antonee Robinson

Rotation is key ahead of the Copa America and I expect Berhalter to make a few changes in his backline.

Joe Scally was the lone bright spot in Saturday’s loss and has a fair shot of starting again on Wednesday. The Borussia Moenchengladbach fullback held his own against Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and rarely put a foot wrong in his performance.

However, Shaq Moore did not feature against Colombia and will be a fresher option if Berhalter goes that route.

Both Tim Ream and Chris Richards struggled against Colombia and might be given a break this week. Cameron Carter-Vickers came off the bench against Colombia, but also had some shaky moments in the second half.

Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie, and Miles Robinson will all be pushing to start and could all feature in the match. To get a look at some other options, I expect Carter-Vickers and Robinson to start together, providing some physicality out of the back.

Antonee Robinson remains the USMNT’s No. 1 left back and will also be seeking a bounce-back performance of his own. Kristoffer Lund, who did not feature on Saturday, is fresh and might get the nod if Berhalter wants to save Robinson for the group stage opener on June 23.

Robinson would be the better option though to deal with Brazil’s dynamic wing play.

MIDFIELDERS

Who will start: Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna

Who should start: Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman

If the USMNT wants to dictate the tempo against Brazil, owning the midfield would be key.

Should Tyler Adams be fit to play, Berhalter could certainly use him in the starting lineup. Adams has only made five appearances this year for club and country, but important minutes this week could be vital in his role for the Copa America.

Yunus Musah and Malik Tillman both came off the bench against Colombia and have cases to start the match against Brazil. Both enjoyed positive club campaigns and could bring a little more freshness to the squad.

Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie both started on Saturday and might be saved for roles off the bench. McKennie was stretched thin against Colombia while Reyna was quiet on the attacking side of the field.

Berhalter will want to see every player before the tournament begins and both Reyna and McKennie have been seen ample times before.

Brenden Aaronson, Johnny Cardoso, Timmy Tillman, and Luca De La Torre are also options for Berhalter to consider.

FORWARDS

Who will start: Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic

Who should start: Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic was on a minutes limit against Colombia and the same could occur against Brazil.

Pulisic came close to scoring once in the first half on Saturday before being substituted off at halftime. The USMNT attacker will be eager for the opportunity to prove himself against Brazil and remains the team’s best creative piece in the final third.

Folarin Balogun and Tim Weah connected on the USMNT’s lone goal against Colombia and should have the nod to start together again. Balogun was held in check for most of Saturday’s match, but did show great awareness to spring Weah into the box for the winger’s eventual goal.

Weah worked tirelessly on the right wing and should receive another opportunity against a tough defensive unit.

Josh Sargent’s status remains unknown due to a nagging foot problem, opening the door for Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright to earn chances off the bench. Wright started strong but finished slow against Colombia while Pepi didn’t have plenty of time to offer much in the final third.

Both will be eager to create a spark off the bench this time around, knowing an unavailable Sargent could lead to larger roles for the Copa America.

What do you think of our projected lineups? Which would you start? Who are you most excited to see play? Are there any doubts you have?

Share your thoughts below.