Pochettino has made several adjustments to his USMNT lineup as they prepare to face Costa Rica in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup. The Usmnt Vs Costa Rica National Football Team Lineups highlight these tactical changes as the team aims to maintain its tight defensive approach after suffering several injuries during the group stage.
Forward Haji Wright and midfielder Damion Downs are among the notable absentees, forcing Pochettino to reshuffle his squad while ensuring the United States remains defensively solid heading into this crucial knockout clash.
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Matt Freese |
| Defender | Alex Freeman |
| Defender | Chris Richards |
| Defender | Tim Ream (Captain) |
| Defender | Max Arfsten |
| Midfielder | Tyler Adams |
| Midfielder | Luca de la Torre |
| Midfielder | Sebastian Berhalter |
| Midfielder | Malik Tillman |
| Forward | Diego Luna |
| Forward | Patrick Agyemang |
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Keylor Navas |
| Defender | Carlos Mora |
| Defender | Alexis Gamboa |
| Defender | Juan Pablo Vargas |
| Defender | Francisco Calvo |
| Midfielder | Orlando Galo |
| Midfielder | Alejandro Bran |
| Midfielder | Brandon Aguilera |
| Forward | Kenneth Vargas |
| Forward | Alonso Martínez |
| Forward | Josimar Alcócer |
| Date | Competition | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Jul 2026 | FIFA World Cup R16 | Belgium | Lost 1–4 |
| 01 Jul 2026 | FIFA World Cup R32 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Won 2–0 |
| 25 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup Group | Türkiye | Lost 2–3 |
| 19 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup Group | Australia | Won 2–1 |
| 12 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup Group | Paraguay | Won 4–1 |
| 06 Jun 2026 | Friendly | Germany | Lost 1–2 |
| 31 May 2026 | Friendly | Senegal | Won 3–2 |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Friendly | Portugal | Lost 0–2 |
| 28 Mar 2026 | Friendly | Belgium | Lost 2–5 |
| 24 Mar 2026 | CONCACAF Nations League | Costa Rica | Won 2–1 |
| Date | Competition | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2026 | CONCACAF Nations League | United States | Lost 1–2 |
| 20 Mar 2026 | CONCACAF Nations League | United States | Lost 2–3 |
| 29 Jun 2025 | CONCACAF Gold Cup QF | United States | Drew 2–2 (Lost 3–4 on penalties) |
| 22 Jun 2025 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Mexico | Won 2–1 |
| 18 Jun 2025 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Suriname | Won 4–3 |
| 15 Jun 2025 | CONCACAF Gold Cup | Dominican Republic | Won 2–1 |
| 10 Jun 2025 | World Cup Qualifier | Trinidad & Tobago | Won 2–1 |
| 07 Jun 2025 | World Cup Qualifier | Bahamas | Won 8–0 |
| 22 Jan 2025 | International Friendly | United States | Lost 0–3 |
| 19 Nov 2024 | CONCACAF Nations League | Panama | Won 2–1 |
1. Tim Ream
After successfully navigating all three group stage matches, the United States Men’s National Football Team is excited about facing Costa Rica in a Gold Cup quarterfinal matchup.
Under Mauricio Pochettino’s direction, Los Ticos finished second in their group behind Mexico and could provide formidable opposition for Pochettino and his USMNT side.
Ream, who has made 312 appearances for Fulham FC in both English Premier League and Championship competition, will be an essential player for the USMNT. He must be tested constantly; an exceptional Costa Rica side like Manfred Ugalde or New York City FC’s Alonso Martinez provide such challenges.
Ream is married to Kristen Sapienza, an accomplished women’s soccer player for Saint Louis University who he met through dating Kristen. They reside together in Charlotte where Ream owns their home with Kristen and their two children.
2. Tyler Adams
The USMNT have been relatively untested through group play, but are set for their greatest challenge yet ahead of the 2026 World Cup when they face Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. Costa Rica were runners-up in their group to Mexico and boast some talented players such as NYCFC forward Alonso Martinez.
Mauricio Pochettino will stick with the same group that played its two Group D matches so far, adding in Luca de la Torre and Malik Tillman to form his starting eleven for Group D’s knockout round matches along with Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman who all will make their tournament knockout debuts.
3. Luca de la Torre
Luca De la Torre will become the fourth new starter to appear for the USMNT in this tournament after replacing DC United midfielder Chris Richards who suffered an injury during group stage play.
De la Torre has been an essential transition piece under Mauricio Pochettino at San Diego FC, and will join Tim Ream at center back.
Jack McGlynn–Had an impressive pre-Gold Cup friendly against Switzerland and Turkiye before emerging as one of the US team’s primary offensive threats during this tournament. His powerful shot puts fear in opponents.
CB Tyler Adams–Had an outstanding group stage, notching two wins and one draw out of his three appearances.
Sebastian Berhalter–Is an exceptional leader at the back and was the star of the group stage for the USMNT.
Malik Tillman–One of the United States’ key contributors at this year’s Gold Cup tournament and one of their most dangerous players.
4. Chris Richards
USMNT defense appears incredibly solid early on despite missing Haji Wright and Damion Downs. Chris Richards partners Tim Ream in central defense while Tyler Adams drops in between them when in possession.
Costa Rica is a very physical team and should be prepared for an aggressive encounter against them. They finished second in Group A behind Mexico and don’t hesitate to draw the referee’s wrath whenever necessary.
The United States has only been seriously threatened once in this year’s Gold Cup, benefitting from Trinidad and Tobago’s self-destructive play and Saudi Arabia’s willingness to rely on counterattack.
Going into quarterfinal play against Mexico or Costa Rica and hoping that its defensive strength holds, the USMNT must maintain its dominance for this crucial test of its defenses.
5. Max Arfsten
Columbus Crew midfielder has started 16 of 18 USMNT matches this season and contributed one goal and five assists.
In the 12th minute, Freese was penalized for an illegal tackle inside the box on Kenneth Vargas that allowed Costa Rica’s Francisco Calvo to convert a penalty kick. USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese guessed correctly by diving left in order to try and block Calvo’s shot, though its power still managed to beat him.
U.S. responded quickly with Diego Luna scoring an outstanding goal in the 43rd minute and Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman and Alex Freeman making their penalty shootout kicks to give their side a 4-3 victory in penalty shootouts. On Sunday they will face Guatemala – although not at their 2014 World Cup level but still dangerous opponents whom U.S. must not underestimate!
6. Sebastian Berhalter
At the Gold Cup, the USMNT will face their toughest test yet at Costa Rica. While Mauricio Pochettino’s attack has been impressive so far, their defense will come under greater strain against a Costa Rica team capable of making life miserable for their opponents.
The USMNT first met Los Ticos in 2025 and has compiled a 7W-17L-6D record against them since. Their most recent match-up involved penalties with Damion Downs sending Keylor Navas the wrong way for victory – in what turned into a contentious encounter that saw at least five potential fights broken up by referees! Players need to channel that energy tonight; it is either semifinals for one side or home for both!
7. Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang spent his formative years within proximity of Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. Soccer played an essential role in his life as a youth: neighborhood games, school teams and youth leagues kept him and his family occupied with something fun to do together.
Even after conceding three goals during its group stage campaign, the United States men’s national team advanced to the Gold Cup quarterfinals where it will meet Costa Rica. With only one point separating these teams going into their matchup on September 3, losing could have serious repercussions if their defensive performance doesn’t stand up against Costa Rica.
Luca de la Torre, Chris Richards and Malik Tillman have been prominent players for the United States in this tournament, so look for them to feature prominently during this matchup. Additionally, Diego Luna from EFL Championship club Derby County should also keep an eye out.
8. Diego Luna
The USMNT will face a full Costa Rica team here instead of the skeleton squad that participated in Mauricio Pochettino’s January camp, providing a better gauge for player development. Jack McGlynn, Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter and Malik Tillman could all potentially play more integral roles with the national team next year when the United States hosts its first World Cup since 2026.
Damion Downs hit the winning penalty kick to advance USA into the semifinals and New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese made three saves during a penalty kick shootout to seal their success. Although Guatemala may prove more of a tough test in their semifinal matchup, the stars and stripes must continue their defensive efforts against opposing teams to advance further – enable functional cookies for this feature to display correctly.
9. Malik Tillman
Malik Tillman will likely start in central defense alongside Tim Ream for Team USA for their next match. Tillman has been one of the standout performers throughout this tournament, skipping past multiple Costa Rica defenders to set up Max Arfsten’s equalizing goal in the 71st minute.
Costa Rica boasts some of the finest strikers in the tournament, including NYCFC’s Alonso Martinez and Spartak Moscow’s Manfred Ugalde – two young stars in their own right on transfer market that could do damage against USA. A match against them may help test USMNT resilience ahead of 2026 World Cup host duties.
10. Alex Freeman
Pochettino must strike a balance when selecting his lineup against Costa Rica. He needs to maintain the stingy defensive approach that worked so well during group play while making sure Chris Richards and Sebastian Berhalter do not accumulate too many yellow cards that could limit them for semifinal appearance.
The Usmnt Vs Costa Rica National Football Team Lineups highlight the tactical challenge facing the USMNT as they search for goals against a resilient Costa Rica side. The United States must find ways to break down their disciplined defence while maintaining balance at the back.
Defender Tim Ream leads his nation as captain for the 19th time, tying Marcelo Balboa and Landon Donovan on the all-time USMNT captains list. Meanwhile, Max Arfsten became the youngest player to start every Gold Cup match under Ream’s leadership, showcasing the squad’s blend of experience and emerging talent ahead of this crucial knockout clash.
Also Read : Usmnt Vs Guatemala National Football Team Lineups
