What to expect as the U. S. Men's National Team takes on Germany
The last time we saw the U. S. Men's National Team in action, it was hammering overwhelmed Uzbekistan and Oman in front of small crowds in the Midwest.
Things are a little different this time around. On Saturday, the USMNT returns to action against Germany, followed by a match Tuesday against Ghana. Both teams will provide strong opposition.
Longtime fans of the USMNT will recall that it faced Germany and Ghana, along with Portugal, in the group stages of the 2014 World Cup. Christened the "Group of Death" for its extreme difficulty, the USMNT was not expected to advance, but it did, beating Ghana and earning a hard-fought draw against Portugal.
The USMNT went on to lose to Germany, but so did everyone else — the Germans won the Cup that year, defeating Lionel Messi's Argentina, 1-0, in the final in Rio de Janeiro. It also defeated Brazil along the way, 7-1.
Times have changed, though, and Germany isn't quite the powerhouse it used to be. The USMNT defeated Germany, 2-1, in the most recent match between the two in 2015, and it's been rough going for the Germans since. They lost in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in the group stages.
Longtime coach Jogi Loew exited the German federation along the way, and his right-hand man, Hansi Flick, took over to disastrous effect. Flick was sacked from the Germany coaching job in September, replaced by former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann.
This game is Nagelsmann's first as Germany's coach, and he aims to reset his nation's performances with a strong victory. He has called up a 26-man roster that features stars Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Ilkay Gündogan (Barcelona), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal).
The USMNT, meanwhile, hopes to leverage this game as a watermark in its preparation for the 2026 World Cup. Because the United States is hosting the tournament, the USMNT doesn't have to qualify — meaning it's missing out on the notoriously challenging North American qualification process. International friendlies against tough opposition like Germany should keep the USMNT focused as it moves closer to its home World Cup in 2026.
Coach Gregg Berhalter's roster for the Germany match is intriguing. He has called many non-MLS players, including surprises such as Palermo's Kristoffer Lund, Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers and Heidenheim's Lennard Maloney. But the biggest surprise is one of the most familiar faces of all: Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna.
Reyna and Berhalter have been at odds since the two fell out during the 2022 World Cup. Reyna's parents campaigned to have Berhalter removed from the USMNT post, and they were very nearly successful; he spent the majority of this year on leave while interim coaches kept an eye on the USMNT.
Reyna's inclusion in this lineup is a sign that the two are attempting to rebuild their relationship, something that all USMNT fans should cheer. Berhalter told The Athletic that Reyna looks "really sharp, really strong" in training.
This should be a fascinating game between teams at a similar skill level but with opposing trajectories. Germany has descended from its 2014 peak but hopes to stop the skid; the USMNT has risen from its 2018 doldrums and hopes to build upon that momentum. The teams have never drawn in 11 previous meetings; the USMNT has won four while the Germans have taken seven.
The USMNT will kick off against Germany in East Hartford, Conn., at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday. The match against Ghana is Tuesday night at 8:30 in Nashville.
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