NOTES ON THE SETUP
USMNT vs. New Zealand
International friendly match
September 10, 2024
TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio
Pre-game coverage: 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock and Fútbol de Primera Radio
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock and Fútbol de Primera Radio
Social media: @USMNT on X and Instagram; US Soccer on Facebook, the US Soccer app

USMNT Starting XI tonight against New Zealand: 1-Matt Turner, 3-Chris Richards (capt.), 4-Mark McKenzie, 6-Yunus Musah, 8-Aidan Morris, 9-Ricardo Pepi, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 12-Marlon Fossey, 19-Haji Wright, 20 -Folarin Balogun, 23-Kristoffer Lund

Substitutes: 16-Patrick Schulte, 18-Ethan Horvath, 21-Diego Kochen, 2-Auston Trusty, 5-Caleb Wiley, 7-Cade Cowell, 10-Christian Pulisic 13-Tim Ream, 14-Luca de la Torre, 15- Johnny Cardoso, 17-Malik Tillman, 22-Joe Scally

GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NEW ZEALAND

• USMNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Matt Turner (45), Brenden Aaronson (44), Yunus Musah (41), Ricardo Pepi (30), Chris Richards (23), Folarin Balogun (17), Mark McKenzie (14), Haji Wright (13), Aidan Morris (7), Kristoffer Lund (5), Marlon Fossey (1).
• The current starting line-up has an average age of 24 years and 145 days.
• The starting eleven has an average of 21 caps.
• Mikey Varas makes five changes from the lineup that started against Canada on Saturday, bringing in Marlon Fossey, Mark McKenzie, Aidan Morris, Ricardo Pepi and Matt Turner.
• Defender Chris Richards will captain the U.S. men’s national team for the first time tonight. He is the first player from the state of Alabama to captain the U.S. national team.
• One day after his 26th birthday, defender Marlon Fossey makes his international debut tonight. He is the 873rd player to play for the US national team.
• Mark McKenzie earns his first cap of 2024 and his first appearance since September 12, 2023 against Oman.
• Kristoffer Lund will play two consecutive games for the US national team for the first time in his international career.
• Haji Wright will start at the same stadium where he made his US debut and scored his first international goal, on June 1, 2022 against Morocco.
• Aidan Morris recorded his first career assist against Canada on Saturday, making his third start in his sixth international match for the USMNT.
• Brenden Aaronson also scored in the 2022 match against Morocco at the TQL Stadium.
• Six starters are 23 years or younger: Brenden Aaronson and Folarin Balogun; Kristoffer Lund and Aidan Morris (22); Brenden Aaronson and Yunus Musah (21).
• The United States is 2W-0L-1D all-time against New Zealand in a series that began in 1999.
• There are six substitutions allowed at three different times. Halftime does not count as a substitution time.
• Tonight’s referee is Selvin Brown of Honduras. This is Mr. Brown’s second match for the USMNT, having previously officiated the team’s 3-1 overtime win over Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 24, 2024.