USA vs. Uruguay lineups: Yunus Musah starts for suspended Tim Weah, Matt Turner returns
USA vs. Uruguay lineups: Yunus Musah starts for suspended Tim Weah, Matt Turner returns
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Matt Turner will start in Monday's pivotal Copa América group stage match vs. Uruguay.
Gio Reyna will start on the right wing, replacing the suspended Tim Weah, while Yunus Musah will come into the central midfield.
Meanwhile, Uruguay's lineup from a 5-0 win over Bolivia on Thursday has gone unchanged — which is exactly what USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter assumed would happen.
"My estimate would be that they play their strongest team," Berhalter told reporters on Sunday. "I think you go into this tournament wanting to advance and wanting to do the best possible job and their work is not done either. And so my guess is they'll play their strongest team."
Turner injured his leg after a violent collision in the opening minutes of the Americans' 2-1 loss to Panama. He was replaced by backup Ethan Horvath at halftime, though there was still hope he'd be available for Monday's decisive match against La Celeste. Berhalter said that Turner was "limited in training" on Saturday and Sunday and that the staff would "continue to monitor him."
Uruguay currently sits atop Group C with six points, while the USMNT is in second place with three, slightly ahead of Panama on goal differential (+2 in favor of the U.S.). The Americans can advance to the quarterfinal with a win, loss or draw, depending on what happens in the Panama-Bolivia match, which will be going on at the same time.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports who has covered the United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him at @ByDougMcIntyre.