U.S. MNT continues Kickoff Series today vs. 5th ranked England

LONDON (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Men’s National Team continues its fall Kickoff Series with a high-profile match against fifth-ranked England in London on Thursday, Nov. 15.

Coverage of USA-England begins at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and UniMas. Fans can also follow along via U.S. Soccer’s official Facebook, Twitter (@ussoccer_MNT) and Instagram (@ussoccer_MNT) accounts.

U.S. MNT DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (3):1-Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC; 59/0), 12-Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL; 2/0), 22-Jonathan Klinsmann (Hertha Berlin/GER; 0/0)

DEFENDERS (9):6-John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER; 35/3), 25-Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas; 1/0),
5-Cameron Carter-Vickers (Swansea City/WAL; 6/0), 26-Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 1/0), 3-Matt Miazga (Nantes/FRA; 10/1),18-Shaq Moore (Reus Deportiu/ESP; 3/0), 19-Jorge Villafaña (Portland Timbers; 19/0), 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United/ENG; 56/0), 21-Walker Zimmerman (LAFC; 3/1)

MIDFIELDERS (12):23-Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 21/2), 4-Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls; 7/1), 24-Luca de la Torre (Fulham/ENG; 1/0), 9-Marky Delgado (Toronto FC/CAN; 5/0), 27-Romain Gall (Malmö/SWE; 0/0), 16-Julian Green (Greuther Fürth/GER; 14/4), 14-Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 3/1), 8-Weston McKennie (Schalke/GER; 6/1), 10-Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 21/9), 15-Kenny Saief (Anderlecht/BEL; 3/0), 20-Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC; 9/0), 11-Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA; 7/1)

FORWARDS (2):13-Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 5/2), 7-Bobby Wood (Hannover 96/GER; 43/13)

STORYLINES

CONSISTENT APPROACH AND THE BIG 5-0
MNT head coach Dave Sarachan began 2018 by saying this would be a year of opportunity and experience for players and with the final matches approaching he has lived up to that promise. A total of 50 players have earned at least one cap in the nine matches so far, including 19 first-timers – a figure that is just two off the mark for MNT debuts in a calendar year. Remarkably, 34 of those players have accumulated 10 caps or less. Along the way, a total of 12 players have appeared in five or more matches. Balancing giving players experience with a difficult schedule, the MNT has still posted a more than respectable 3-3-3 record, including a draw against eventual World Cup champion France and a win against regional rival Mexico.

CLOSING OUT IN STYLE
What better way to close a year of fantastic experiences than a visit to the birthplace of football and then take on one of the world’s storied national teams. The U.S. gets its third invitation to famed Wembley Stadium, where it will face England for the first time since the 1-1 draw in the opening match of Group C at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s side were one of the darlings of this summer’s tournament in Russia, reaching the Semifinal before falling in heartbreaking fashion to Croatia in extra time.

SPECIAL MOMENT FOR ENGLISH-BORN CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS
Born in Southend-on-Sea, England and a product of the Tottenham Hotspur Academy, Cameron Carter-Vickers has spent almost his entire life in England. Still, the center back represents the United States by virtue of being the son of former collegiate basketball star Howard Carter who shined with Louisiana State University in the early 1980s. Prior to Thursday’s match against England, Carter-Vickers discussed how special it would be to represent the United States against the Three Lions with fellow English-born, U.S. international Antonee Robinson, who will unfortunately have to miss the match after suffering an ankle sprain on Tuesday.

YOUNG MIDFIELD TRIO FINALLY IN CAMP TOGETHER
While the U.S. Men’s National Team’s next generation has taken its opportunities to grow together during the past year, one combination fans still haven’t seen is the potential midfield partnership of 20-year-olds Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie and 19-year-old Tyler Adams. Having spent plenty of time together with U.S. Youth National Teams, differing circumstances throughout the last year have kept the trio from getting into the same camp together until now.

WAYNE ROONEY SENDOFF
Thursday’s match will also serve as a “send-off” international for England legend Wayne Rooney. The all-time leading goal scorer for the Three Lions, Rooney’s signing was the catalyst behind D.C. United turnaround this season, registering 12 goals and seven assist in 20 matches while taking the club from near bottom of the Eastern Conference into the MLS Cup Playoffs. The former Manchester United and Everton player recorded 53 goals in 119 international appearances, representing England at six major tournaments – the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and the 2004, 2012 and 2016 European Championships.

RESTART ROLLING
With the 2022 cycle officially underway, the process of elevating a rising crop of internationals is already in motion. Since November of last year, a total of 18 players have debuted for the senior MNT. Seventeen of them came in under 24 years old at the time of their first caps, while 10 will be age-eligible to represent the U-23 MNT in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament and 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. ussoccer.com has profiled 11 of these hopefuls at the start of the new video series RISING: Emerging Faces of the U.S. Men’s National Team, which chronicle the route of players on their quest to become a part of the National Team by going behind the scenes with family, youth, coaches, teammates and professional club managers from across the world. [WATCH SERIES]

USA-ENGLAND NOTES

• The teams have met 10 times, with the USA trailing the all-time series 2-7-1.
• The USA pulled one of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history when the team used a goal from Joe Gaetjens to defeat England 1-0 during the group stage of the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
• The last meeting with England also came at the FIFA World Cup. Steven Gerrard and Clint Dempsey traded goals as the teams played to a 1-1 draw during the 2010 tournament in Rustenberg, South Africa.
• The USA’s other win in the series came thanks to goals from Thomas Dooley and Alexi Lalas as the MNT defeated England 2-0 on June 9, 1993 in Foxborough, Mass.
• England has hosted the MNT at Wembley Stadium twice before. On Sept. 7, 1994, the USA fell 2-0 to the Three Lions in its first match following that year’s FIFA World Cup. The MNT returned to London 14 years later, again falling 2-0 to England on May 28, 2008.

USA ROSTER NOTES

• As of Nov. 15, 2018, the roster carries an average age of 23 years, 187 days, while 16 players are 23 years and under.
• Nine players are age-eligible for the 2020 Summer Olympics: Tyler Adams, Reggie Cannon, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Luca de la Torre, Jonathan Klinsmann, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent and Tim Weah.
• Brad Guzan (59 caps), DeAndre Yedlin (56) and Bobby Wood (43) are the senior-most players on the roster.
• The 26 players on the roster ply their trade in nine different countries: USA (9), Germany (7), Belgium, England and France (2 each); Canada, Spain, Sweden and Wales (1 each)
• Four players are with teams currently involved in the MLS Cup Playoffs: Tyler Adams and Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls); Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC) and Jorge Villafaña (Portland Timbers).
• After missing out on October’s matches due to injury, the duo of Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie returns for the team’s year-end friendlies.
• Christian Pulisic will make his second appearance of 2018 in an MNT camp, having played in the 3-0 win against Bolivia on May 28 in Chester, Pa.
• Midfielder Romain Gall and goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann are in the midst of their first MNT camps.
• Gall, 23, has recorded 14 goals in 31 matches across all competitions for Swedish sides Sundsvall and his current club, Malmö in 2018.
• Klinsmann has appeared in nine matches, keeping four clean sheets for Hertha Berlin II this season.
• Thursday’s match against England at historic Wembley Stadium will be a special moment for Cameron Carter-Vickers. The English-born defender grew up in Southend-on-Sea and developed with Tottenham Hotspur before going out on loan to Swansea City of the English League Championship.
• Two more players on the roster are based in the English league system, with DeAndre Yedlin currently lining up for Newcastle United, while Luca de la Torre is part of the Fulham setup.
• Christian Pulisic also lived in England for a year, when his mother was granted a Fulbright scholarship for a teaching exchange near Oxford. The young Pulisic turned out for Brackley Town, an experience that is said to have set up his love for the game.
• Goalkeeper Brad Guzan had a 10-year stay in England, featuring for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough.
• Midfielder Sebastian Lletget began his career with West Ham United, where he played in the club’s development setup from 2009-2015.
• Fifteen players have represented the U.S. at a Youth World Cup: Kellyn Acosta, Tyler Adams, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Luca de la Torre, Marky Delgado, Ethan Horvath, Jonathan Klinsmann, Matt Miazga, Shaq Moore, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Wil Trapp, Jorge Villafaña and DeAndre Yedlin.

ENGLAND ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Marcus Bettinelli (Fulham; 0/0), Jack Butland (Stoke City; 9/0), Alex McCarthy (Southampton; 0/0), Jordan Pickford (Everton; 13/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool; 4/0), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City; 3/0), Lewis Dunk (Brighton; 0/0), Joe Gomez (Liverpool; 5/0), Michael Keane (Everton; 4/0), Luke Shaw (Manchester United; 8/0), John Stones (Manchester City; 36/2), Kyle Walker (Manchester City; 43/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Ross Barkley (Chelsea; 24/2), Dele Ali (Tottenham Hotspur; 31/3), Fabian Delph (Manchester City; 16/0), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur; 36/3), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool; 47/0), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United; 20/2), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea; 9/0), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur; 2/0)

FORWARDS (6): Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur; 34/19), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United; 29/6), Wayne Rooney (D.C. United; 119/53)*, Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 1/0), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City; 46/4), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth; 0/0)

ENGLAND NOTES

• England currently sits fifth in the FIFA World Rankings, behind only Belgium, France, Brazil and Croatia.
• Thirteen players on the England roster were part of the Three Lions‘ run to the semifinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
• The roster features Harry Kane, who scored six goals to win the Golden Boot in Russia last summer.
• The match will serve as a warm-up for England’s final UEFA Nations League clash, which will come against Croatia on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.
• The game will also serve as a send-off international for current D.C. United striker and England legend Wayne Rooney
• With 53 goals, Rooney is England’s all-time leading goal scorer. Set to earn his 120^th cap, Rooney will finish his international career second on England’s appearance list behind only goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125 caps).