Pochettino and Marquez each have a menu of options for Saturday’s marquee friendly, making any lineup guess a tough call. Can you picture the lineups they’ll unveil?
The U.S. boss tweaked ten spots after victories over Peru and Chile, while Mexico’s coach rotated heavily, fielding 22 different starters in two matches.
MORE — How to watch the match | Pochettino under the microscope
All signs point to both sides deploying their most seasoned squads on U.S. soil. Pochettino won’t gamble with a home defeat to El Tri, and Marquez will likely demand a statement win before a partisan Arizona crowd.
Mexico will be missing the likes of Edson Álvarez, César Montes, Julián Araujo and Raúl Jiménez, while the United States sit without Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun and Timothy Weah.
MORE — Previous encounter | USMNT fixtures and results
Expect Mexican prodigy Gilberto Mora to start, but will 17‑year‑old Cavan Sullivan earn a debut for the U.S.? How many teens will Pochettino trust, and who guards the net?
Mexico predicted lineup against USMNT
Marquez’s biggest puzzles sit at both ends. He favored Raúl Rangel and Óscar García between the sticks in the first two games. Rangel offers experience, yet Athletic Bilbao’s Alex Padilla could snag his first cap.
Midfield depth gives Marquez choices; he paired Mora with Roberto Alvarado last outing. Who will occupy the left wing? Hirving Lozano might return despite a spotty record against the Americans.
— Alex Padilla —
— Jorge Sánchez — Israel Reyes — Johan Vázquez — Jesús Gallardo —
— Erik Lira — Denzel García —
— Gilberto Mora —
— Roberto Alvarado — Santiago Giménez — Hirving Lozano —
USMNT predicted lineup vs Mexico – will Mexico field a surprising XI?
Goalkeeping remains a mystery for Pochettino, who split minutes among four keepers in the last two fixtures. In my view, handing the spotlight to a fresh face—perhaps World Cup third‑choice Chris Brady or Barcelona youngster Diego Kochen—could energize the back line.
In midfield, Pochettino may favor passion over polish, trusting Tyler Adams to plug any holes left by Berhalter’s evolving defense. He’s relied on McKennie before, yet Yunus Musah also fits the bill.
Will Giovanni Reyna notch a third consecutive start, the only American to do so this break? If he sits, Musah or a youngster like Sullivan, Cole Campbell or Mathis Albert could step in. Deciding between Julian Hall and Justin Ellis up front won’t be easy.
— Chris Brady —
— Alex Freeman — Auston Trusty — Chris Richards — Antonee Robinson —
— Tyler Adams — Sebastián Berhalter —
— Sergi Dest — Malik Tillman — Giovanni Reyna —
— Julian Hall —