Key events
Jeff is at the game.
Meanwhile, Pablo Maurer is following the Messi farewell:
Jeff Rueter
A few players I’ll be watching closest in this one:
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Goalkeeper feels like a re-opened competition after shaky halves from World Cup incumbents Matt Freese and Chris Brady, while Diego Kochen shone bright in his first start against Mexico. Brian Schwake will try to make his case from the opening whistle, looking to carry his fine form with Nashville into his second appearance.
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I was hoping to see Auston Trusty partner with Chris Richards, as he seems like the best partner in a post-Tim Ream US side, but he looks set to deploy at left-back. That said, Alex Freeman will likely advance further up the right, and Trusty could deputize as a wide center-back in build-up phases.
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Mathis Albert may not yet be a regular with Dortmund’s B-team, much less the senior side, but his dynamism throughout this camp earned him a surprise start over the more polished and proven Zavier Gozo. A fascinating chance to get a long look at another star of the program’s future.
More game facts
Weather: Beautiful. Currently 69 degrees and clear.
Referee: Steven Madrigal (Costa Rica). Follow him on Instagram.
First email of the day is from JL Kalanga …
As a foreign neutral in this affair, I will be following the match through the cheers that flow in my apartment window across the street from Allianz Field while watching Benin vs Messi on my laptop.
I wanted to mention that the beloved Tani Oluwaseyi is currently playing for Villarreal in Spain, not Minnesota United FC. But it will be his first time back at Allianz Field since being sold last summer, so it will be emotional for him and other Loons fans.
Messi’s playing in that game? This is his farewell?
Incidentally, I’m still seeing kids at the local elementary school arguing about Messi vs. Ronaldo.
Earlier today …
In case you missed it, the Faroe Islands drew Kazakhstan, which had to come back from 0-2 down.
Also, England won by a lot.
In the Americas, Uruguay beat India 6-1, Venezuela drew Jordan 0-0, Colombia and Peru will kick off soon, Mexico and Chile are up later, and Argentina have started their match against Benin.
Canada lineup
Dayne St. Clair (29, Inter Miami); Niko Sigur (23, Toulouse), Luc De Fougerolles (20, Fulham, on loan to Real Salt Lake), Richie Laryea (31, Toronto FC); Ralph Priso (24, Vancouver Whitecaps), Stephen Eustáquio (29, Swansea City), Nathan Saliba (22, Villarreal), Liam Millar (27, Birmingham City), Jacob Shaffelburg (26, LAFC); Jonathan David (26, Atletico Madrid), Tani Oluwaseyi (26, Villarreal)
Alphonso Davies won’t be here because he’s on his honeymoon.
Clubs have been corrected.
US lineup
Giving clubs and ages here …
Brian Schwake (25, Nashville SC); George Campbell (25, CF Montreal), Auston Trusty (28, Celtic), Alex Freeman (22, Villarreal), Chris Richards (26, Crystal Palace); Gio Reyna (23, Borussia Dortmund), Brooklyn Raines (21, Houston Dynamo), Yunus Musah (23, AC Milan), Malik Tillman (24, PSV Eindhoven), Mathis Albert (17, Borussia Dortmund); Justin Ellis (19, San Jose Earthquakes)
Matt Freese is not dressed. Alex Freeman, Gio Reyna, Chris Richards, Malik Tillman and Auston Trusty started against Mexico.
This is Schwake’s second appearance after coming on as a sub against Chile. You may safely deduce this is his first start.
Preamble
Ah, the friendly. It’s a can’t-lose game. Win, and it’s proof that the team is on the upswing. Lose, and it was all just an experiment.
That said, when a bunch of youngsters are romping over Mexico, it’s hard to suppress the optimism entirely.
And this one has all the added subplots of two countries sharing the world’s longest border – 5,525 miles or 8,891 kilometers – who aren’t really on speaking terms right now.
Did we mention that the Canadian coach, Jesse Marsch, is from the USA and has a tendency to take a few jabs at his native land?
So this one might be worth more popcorn than the typical friendly. Enjoy.
Jeff Rueter on the kids, after Cavan Sullivan’s long-range chip helped the US to a 3-0 win over Mexico:
The more incredible thing about Sullivan’s moment, aside from its historic nature and its semi-dreamy origins, is how normal it is for this window for the US. All but one of the 13 potential debutants called in by Mauricio Pochettino have seen time on the field, most of them impressing. Julian Hall, 18, has scored in all three of his appearances. Mathis Albert broke Christian Pulisic’s decade-old benchmark to become the program’s youngest goal scorer and held the record for a whole four days before Sullivan’s chip.
Given the opponents so far, it’s fair to say these players aren’t inching into the shallow end of the pool. They’ve been thrown in at the deep end, and they are swimming.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of USA v Canada. Beau will be along shortly.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/oct/06/usmnt-v-canada-live-updates-analysis
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