Today’s USMNT starting lineup vs. Japan: 1-Matt Turner, 2-Sergiño Dest, 3-Walker Zimmerman (captain), 4-Tyler Adams, 5-Aaron Long, 6-Sam Vines, 8-Weston McKennie, 9-Jesús Ferreira, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 14-Luca de la Torre, 21-Gio Reyna

Substitutes: 18-Ethan Horvath, 25-Sean Johnson, 7-Paul Ariola, 12-Eric Palmer-Brown, 13-Jordan Morris, 15-Johnny Cardoso, 16-Mark McKenzie, 17-Malik Tillman, 19-Ricard -Reggie Cannon , 22-DeAndre Yedlin, 23-Kellyn Acosta, 24-Josh Sargent, 26-Joe Scally

GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JAPAN

USMNT Starting Lineup Numbers (including this match): Weston McKennie (36), Walker Zimmerman (32), Tyler Adams (31), Aaron Long (28), Brenden Aaronson (23), Matt Turner (19), Sergiño Dest ( 18), Jesus Ferreira (14), Gio Reyna (13), Luca de la Torre (12), Sam Vines (9)

Today’s starting lineup has an average age of 24 years, 143 days and an average cap of 20.

Striker Gio Reyna makes his first international start in more than a year, most recently in the 0-0 draw in El Salvador to open the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on 2 September 2021. Reyna wears the number 21 shirt today, the same Claudio’s father wore a total of 42 times for the USMNT, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Defender Sam Vines makes his first USMNT appearance since the Concacaf Gold Cup final against Mexico on August 1, 2021 and earns his first start since the semi-final against Qatar on July 29, 2021. Thanks to this performance against the hosts of this year’s World Cup, Vines is the only USMNT player to have played against opposition from the Asian Football Confederation. After missing the March and June international windows, defender Sergiño Dest makes his first appearance since the January 30 World Cup qualifier in Canada. Walker Zimmerman captains the team for the sixth time today.

Tyler Adams, Luca de la Torre and Weston McKenney all start in midfield for the first time today.

The offensive line of Brenden Aaronson, Jesús Ferreira and Gio Reyna also starts together for the first time today.

Jesus Ferreira leads all USMNT players with five goals in eight games during 2022.

Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman are teaming up in central defense for the 10th time. The USMNT is 7-1-1 when the veteran pair combine on the back line. Three starters have represented clubs here in Germany. Gio Reyna played for Borussia Dortmund from 2019, Weston McKennie lined up for Schalke from 2017-2020 and Tyler Adams represented RB Leipzig from 2019-2022.

If he does feature in tonight’s game, midfielder Kellyn Acosta will feature against the country of his father and grandmother’s birth.

Christian Pulisic is out of today’s roster due to a knock he picked up in training earlier this week. He will be assessed day-to-day on his availability to play against Saudi Arabia on September 27 in Murcia, Spain.

The USMNT will dress 25 players, while Japan will dress 26 for today’s game. Six changes are allowed at three different times. Half time does not count as a changeover moment.

The USMNT is 1-1-0 all-time against Japan. The Samurai Blue won the first meeting, a 3-1 victory on March 14, 1993 in Tokyo. The USA won the last meeting, earning a 3-2 result on February 10, 2006 in San Francisco.

The USMNT is 36-9-9 in 54 games under Greg Burhalter.

Today’s match marks the team’s third neutral friendly under Berhalter. The USA earned a 6–2 victory against Panama on November 16, 2020, and a 4–1 victory against Jamaica on March 25, 2021. Both games were played in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The referee of tonight’s match is the German Felix Zweier. This is his first time officiating a USMNT match.