Never are international friendlies must-win games, but the United States men need a positive result in the worst way as they host New Zealand on Tuesday in Cincinnati.
Mauricio Pochettino has been confirmed as USMNT head coach but is not in charge tonight with Mikey Varas remaining in charge as the interim boss.
The USMNT suffered an embarrassing 2-1 loss Saturday to northern neighbors Canada, underlining the difficult task Pochettino has ahead of him. The U.S. is in transition while Canada have enjoyed more stability, but the defeat harms the USMNT’s claim to the CONCACAF throne to a side still considered a budding international side.
They will look for a bounce-back against New Zealand, who were pummeled by Mexico, 3-0, on Saturday, conceding all three goals by the hour mark.
The Sporting News is following the USA vs. New Zealand match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
USA vs. New Zealand live score
| Score (1H) | Goal scorers | |
| USA | 0 | — |
| New Zealand | 0 | — |
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Location: TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)
Referee: Selvin Brown (HON)
Starting lineups:
USA (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Turner (GK) — 12. Fossey, 3. Richards, 4. McKenzie, 23. Lund — 11. Aaronson, 6. Musah, 8. A. Morris, 19. Wright — 20. Balogun, 9. Pepi.
New Zealand (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Crocombe (GK) — 2. Payne, 3. Pijnaker, 14. Surman, 13. Cacace — 6. Bell, 8. Stamenic, 16. Rufer — 7. Garbett, 9. Wood, 11. Just.
MORE: Recap USMNT’s embarrassing 2-1 loss to Canada on Saturday
USA vs. New Zealand live updates, highlights from friendly
19th min: Chance! USA! Ricardo Pepi takes the first real chance on goal generated by the USMNT and turns it into the opener! A messy breakaway sees Pepi get on the ball inside the penalty area, but he has a lot of work to do from an extremely tight angle on the right. He does the job regardless, slamming the ball past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net!
New Zealand players are furious with the official for allowing Pepi and Marlon Fossey to sandwich Ferns defender Liberato Cacace but there’s nothing they can do!
BUT NO! It’s been disallowed after the referee goes over to talk with his assistant on the touchline! It appears indeed they have disallowed the goal for a foul on that coming-together! There may have also been an offside earlier in the buildup but it’s extremely tight. There’s no VAR for this friendly, so the decision stands!
14th min: The USMNT has struggled to progress the ball into New Zealand’s attacking third thus far. The visitors have done well to pressure the U.S. midfielders and either force a turnover or push them into passing it backwards.
15 minutes in for the #USMNT vs. New Zealand, and the U.S. midfielders are really struggling to penetrate the NZ third.
OFC side doing well to either force the U.S. to recycle possession or generate a midfield turnover.
Not great so far. Too static.
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) September 10, 2024
10th min: New Zealand have another dangerous moment as Elliott Just nearly works space for a shot on target from a tight angle on the right, but Kristoffer Lund gets a last-second block to keep it from testing Matt Turner in goal. The U.S. has not dominated this match like they would have hoped to through the first 10 minutes.
2nd min: New Zealand are the first side to get a shot off as a long-distance effort by Matthew Garbett goes a little too close for comfort but flashes high and wide. Already, just like against Canada, the USMNT has committed a collection of bad early giveaways.
Kickoff: They’re under way in Cincinnati! The players now know who they’re hoping to impress, and will look to put in a good shift after the putrid performance against Canada a few days prior.
Chris Richards wears the armband in the absence of Christian Pulisic, becoming the first Alabama native to captain the USMNT in the team’s history.
USA vs. New Zealand: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more
15 mins to kickoff: BINGO. The news we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived as Mauricio Pochettino has finally been announced as permanent head coach of the U.S. men’s national team.
Introducing… #USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino 🇺🇸
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2024
30 mins to kickoff: Mikey Varas isn’t the only head coach in this match to make a number of changes to his lineup. New Zealand boss Darren Bazeley has also swapped out a number of his starters for this match after losing 3-0 to Mexico.
Most notable are his changes for both sides of the center-back pairing, as aging duo Michael Boxall and Tommy Smith are planted on the bench with Finn Surman and Nando Pijnaker brought in for a chance to impress. He’s also made a number of negative changes in midfield, deploying a trio of defensive-minded players in the middle.
45 mins to kickoff: We’ve just received an unfortunate answer to one of our questions from the USMNT lineup reveal. Josh Sargent’s absence is apparently down to a precautionary scratch due to ankle irritation, U.S. Soccer announced. He is not dressed to play today.
Thankfully, they clarified that the issue is with his left ankle, which is notably not the one he had major issues with throughout all of last season that kept him out of Copa America. Still, Sargent’s continued lack of fitness is a serious concern for a player who otherwise has been spectacular and more than deserved a spot in the national team picture.
Josh Sargent experienced irritation in his left ankle in training (not the previously injured right ankle), per USSF.
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) September 10, 2024
1 hour to kickoff: The USMNT lineup is in, and….I have so many questions. First and foremost is a switch to a 4-4-2 with Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi up front, while the in-form Josh Sargent is confusingly glued to the bench. It’s not clear why interim coach Mikey Varas feels the need to experiment with the formation, but here we are in a 4-4-2. Christian Pulisic is not amongst the XI, with Chris Richards earning the captain’s armband.
Matt Turner starts in goal, after Patrick Schulte was exceptional against Canada. Mark McKenzie gets a chance at center-back while Auston Trusty is stuck amongst the substitutes. Haji Wright is deployed, but in a less attacking role given the formation. Brenden Aaronson has been largely poor for both club and country in the last year, but continues to get playing time, while Malik Tillman had some strong first-half moments on the weekend but is rotated out.
It’s all kind of a head-scratcher…
1 hour 15 mins to kick: The U.S. will wear their blue kits tonight, just as they did against Canada.
Tonight’s Kit 🟦 pic.twitter.com/NY44L7T7Wf
— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2024
1 hour 30 mins to kick: After Mikey Varas criticized the U.S. players for their poor mentality in the first game of this September window, captain Christian Pulisic promised fans that they would see a motivated squad against New Zealand. It’s unfortunate that it took a loss to Canada for that to happen, but Pulisic is a leader in this squad and if he says they’ll look more buttoned up, it can reasonably be believed.
“You’re gonna see a team that’s hungry and is not happy with the last result.”
— Christian Pulisic pic.twitter.com/SHYV1dColy— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) September 9, 2024
1 hour 45 mins to kick: This morning, Julien Laurens of ESPN reported that Mauricio Pochettino has signed his USMNT contract and could be officially announced as head coach as soon as today. Nothing has come down the line since that early-morning report, but Laurens doubled down with a more cryptic social media post at 4:30 p.m. ET which just said “Pochettino” with a USA flag and an hourglass emoji, hinting that an official announcement is imminent.
Pochettino 🇺🇸⏳
— Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) September 10, 2024
2 hours to kickoff: After the loss to Canada, interim head coach Mikey Varas criticized the USMNT’s mentality. He wasn’t the only one, as they looked devoid of any motivation. Varas said he can’t force the players to want to perform, he can only evaluate their desire and select players who show the requisite heart.
He isn’t wrong.
USMNT interim coach Mikey Varas criticized the players’ mentality after the Canada loss.
“Mentality is on the players. They know it. … The mentality to fight and to run and to sacrifice, I can’t that for them. That’s on them.”
(h/t @TWDTV1) pic.twitter.com/kxW0W94bCv
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) September 8, 2024
USA vs. New Zealand kickoff time
This international friendly kicks off from TQL Stadium at 7 p.m. local time Tuesday, Sept. 10, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Tue, Sept. 10 | 7 p.m. |
| Central Time | Tue, Sept. 10 | 6 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Tue, Sept. 10 | 5 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Tue, Sept. 10 | 4 p.m. |
USA vs. New Zealand lineups, team news, starting 11
The USMNT is without a few key players because of injuries. Sergino Dest continues to recover from his torn ACL and will be out for some time, and Antonee Robinson is not on the roster to gain some rest.
Tyler Adams is still recovering from a back injury and has missed significant time for various fitness issues in recent years, while Tim Weah is also out thanks to a hamstring injury suffered in the Juventus season opener. Gio Reyna was forced to withdraw from the squad because of a groin strain, replaced by Cade Cowell.
Despite being in red-hot form for his club Norwich City, Josh Sargent did not appear in the USMNT starting lineup in either match this window, and it was revealed that he is dealing with a slight ankle issue (not related to his prior, more serious ankle injury) and was held out as a precaution. Christian Pulisic is rested, meaning Chris Richards is handed the captain’s armband.
USA starting lineup (4-4-2): Turner (GK) — Fossey, Richards, McKenzie, Lund — Aaronson, Musah, Morris, Wright — Balogun, Pepi.
USA subs: Schulte (GK), Horvath (GK), Kochen (GK), Trusty, Ream, Wiley, Scally, de la Torre, Cardoso, M. Tillman, Cowell, Pulisic.
Max Crocombe for now appears to have taken over the goalkeeping spot from Oliver Sail as head coach Darren Bazeley sticks with his man between the sticks.
New Zealand have called in a high dose of MLS talent for this international break in the United States, including Portland Timbers youth product Finn Serman who was a starter for the Football Ferns at the Olympics this summer and is deployed today. Olympiacos midfielder Marko Stamenic, at 22 years old, is another exciting young player, earning key minutes for the Greek giants early this season.
New Zealand starting lineup (4-3-3): Crocombe (GK) — Payne, Pijnaker, Surman, Cacace — Bell, Stamenic, Rufer— Garbett, Wood, Just.
New Zealand subs: Paulsen (GK), Sail (GK), Tuiloma, Boxall, T. Smith, Sutton, Old, Barbarouses, Waine, Rogerson.
USA vs. New Zealand live stream, TV channel
- Date: Tuesday, September 10
- Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
- TV Channel: TNT
- Streaming: Sling, Max
The USMNT friendly vs. New Zealand in Cincinnati will be televised in the United States on TNT, as part of Turner’s long-term rights deal with U.S. Soccer.
TBS and other Turner channels are available to stream on Sling, while the match can also be streamed on Turner’s dedicated platform Max.
For fans looking for a Spanish-language broadcast, there is one available on Univision, with streaming available on Fubo and Peacock.
