After a chastening defeat against Mexico, things don't get any easier for the U.S. men's national team (USMNT), with a match against Uruguay on Tuesday.
The U.S. has not played La Celeste in 17 years and a lot has changed since then. Oscar Tabarez began his second stint in charge of Uruguay three years later and has since molded the South Americans into one of the most consistent teams in world soccer.
La Celeste finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup, reached the round of 16 four years later and the quarterfinals in Russia last year.
Tabarez also led Uruguay to 15th Copa America title in 2011 and has overseen the development of a host of elite talents, most notably Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.
The duo were absent from Uruguay's 2-1 win against Costa Rica on Friday, as was captain Diego Godin. Even without the injured trio, La Celeste remains a difficult opponent for the USMNT, as throughout his second stint in charge Tabarez has placed great focus on blooding new players into the senior team.
The latest such example is LA Galaxy winger Brian Rodriguez, who made his debut against Costa Rica last week.
USMNT's coach Gregg Berhalter also handed out a debut against Mexico, with Sergino Dest making his first international appearance.
We watch. We learn. We grow. #USAvMEX x @ATT pic.twitter.com/m0vTPfCU9H
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) September 9, 2019
The next World Cup is still three years away, but Berhalter is clearly looking to freshen up the side with the 2022 cycle in mind.
That plan, however, did not deliver the expected results, as Mexico cruised to a 3-0 win courtesy of goals from Javier Hernandez, Erick Gutierrez and Uriel Antuna.
The USMNT looked sluggish in possession and careless without the ball, which Berhalter acknowledged after the game.
"Our focus was to keep trying to make progress as a group," he said in a post-match news conference. "Being brave with the ball. Looking for holes. There were times when it was good. And times when it wasn't good."
On Tuesday night, both Tabarez and Berhalter are expected to again experiment with their personnel, but the latter will be hoping to avoid a second defeat in four days.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Tuesday.
When and where is the game?
The U.S. takes on Uruguay at Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday, September 10.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET).
TV channel
The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 in English and on Univision Deportes Network in Spanish.
Live stream
Fans will be able to keep up with the action on FOX Sports' and Univision's digital platforms. A live stream will also be available via Sling Blue, PlayStation Vue, Hulu Live and fuboTV.
Series record
Uruguay was one of the USMNT's earliest opponents, with the Americans taking on La Celeste in their sixth ever game—a 3-0 defeat in 1924.
Ever since then, however, the two sides have met only another five times and the overall record is perfectly split with two wins apiece and two draws.
USMNT won the most recent meeting, beating Uruguay 2-1 in May 2002 in Washington, D.C.
Match odds
According to Oddschecker, Uruguay is an evens favorite to win on Tuesday, while the U.S. is a 3/1 underdog and the draw is at 23/10.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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