The United States men’s national team will return to CONCACAF Nations League action this week against Grenada.
After a World Cup finish that saw them crash out of the round of 16 against the Netherlands, the USMNT will play in their first official competition since their exit against a respectable Grenada side. Grenada, though ranked 173rd in the world, will want to show the US that they have the ability, and heart to go toe to toe with some of the bigger countries in the region.
AZ Alkmaar midfielder Djordje Mihailovic was added to the roster to replace an injured Timothy Weah. Weah entered into a concussion protocol while with Lille and didn’t recover in time to make the roster. Mihailovic is returning to the national team after a two-year absence; his last appearance was in December 2020.
The US will also be without Tyler Adams for these games, so head coach Anthony Hudson will rely on Luca de la Torre or Johnny Cardoso to fill in those gaps in central midfield.
This camp will also see Alejandro Zenedas play for the Stars and Stripes for the second time since filing a one-time switch from Mexico.
Grenada’s roster will be spearheaded by talent from both sides of the pond.
Charleston Battery left-back/midfielder AJ Patterson and defender Benji Ettienne will, presumably, start in defense for the Spice Boys. In midfield, 19-year-old Queen’s Park Rangers player Kayden Harrack will look to showcase his talents against a very good US side.
Grenada will be largely outmatched in this match, but they do have a home-field advantage.
The US has the tendency to play poorly when they’re away from home, and this bad form will come into play against Grenada. It will be a closer match than predicted solely because of this, but, in the end, the US has enough attacking quality to get a goal or two to seal all three points.