The United States begin their all-important 2026 World Cup cycle with a CONCACAF Nations League road fixture in the Caribbean against Grenada.
Interim U.S. head coach Anthony Hudson leads the team through the March 2023 international break, with no permanent head coach currently in place after Gregg Berhalter’s contract expired at the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup.
With the U.S. hosting the next FIFA men’s tournament, the next three-and-a-half years are of critical importance, as soccer in the United States has an opportunity to grow in a way never seen before. That will largely be determined by their performances in the 2026 competition, so the buildup to that tournament will be a top priority.
Grenada, ranked 173rd in the world by the FIFA rankings, are not expected to provide significant resistance, but road fixtures in CONCACAF play are always a tricky prospect.
The Sporting News will be following the Grenada vs. USA match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
MORE: Full overview of the USMNT roster for March fixtures vs. Grenada and El Salvador
Grenada vs USA live score
| 1H | 2H | Score | |
| Grenada | — | — | — |
| USA | — | — | — |
Goals:
None
Confirmed lineups:
Grenada (5-3-2, right to left): Richardson (GK) — Mark, Harrack, Pierre, Ettienne, James — Theodore, Frank, Paterson — Isaac, J. Charles.
USA (4-3-3, right to left): Turner (GK) — Reynolds, Trusty, McKenzie, Scally — McKennie, De la Torre, Reyna — Aaronson, Pepi, Pulisic.
Grenada vs USA live updates, highlights, commentary
54 mins to kick: USMNT interim head coach Anthony Hudson said the quiet part out loud during his pre-match press conference ahead of this road CONCACAF match. Well…almost. He called these games on the road in smaller North & Central American nations “complicated” which is thinly veiled and we all know what he meant. The pitches can sometimes be in terrible condition, the opponents can be extra physical, and the matches can get weird (or as some like to not-so-affectionately call it, “CONCACAF-y”).
After those comments, I asked Christian Pulisic if he’s learned how to navigate these “complicated” CONCACAF games when he’s often the target of a lot of opposition physicality. Interestingly, after having previously complimented Grenada on how beautiful it is there, he said he’s just trying to “enjoy the moment” but is continuously learning in these games even still. What lessons will the Chelsea man pick up this evening?
Pulisic on #USMNT in CONCACAF road games: “I’m still learning every time I play in these games, a new challenge presents itself. What I’ve tried to do recently is embrace the atmosphere. Take it on with a smile, play, and fight. It’s easy to get frustrated.”
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) March 23, 2023
75 mins to kick: The USMNT lineup is out, and while we expected squad rotation, there’s maybe a bit more than expected, especially at the back where all four defenders are second-choice players. Austin Trusty (first cap) partners with Mark McKenzie at center-back, while Bryan Reynolds (first start) is on the right and Joe Scally on the left.
One of either Brenden Aaronson or Gio Reyna will be deployed deeper in midfield, likely to be the latter who has seen more time there in his young career. Matt Turner, Weston McKennie, and captain Christian Pulisic are really the only bang-on regular starters in this lineup.
U.S. Soccer confirmed that Miles Robinson is the only healthy scratch for the roster, as there are only 12 allowed substitutes for CONCACAF Nations League matches. The bench trio of Johnny Cardoso, Alan Sonora, and Alejandro Zendejas would all be officially cap-tied to the United States should they appear as a substitute.
Gio Reyna starts for the USMNT as they take on Grenada in Nations League qualifiers. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/OY7dlSjloZ
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 24, 2023
87 mins to kick: While the U.S. pursues the commitment of Folarin Balogun, they got confirmation that Alejandro Zendejas would represent the United States over Mexico. The 25-year-old can play in midfield or on the wing, and interim head coach Anthony Hudson has been glowing of the Club America star during both January camp and now this March international break.
Read more here on why Alejandro Zendejas joined the USMNT over Mexico and what he brings to the club.
Pulisic on Zendejas committing to #USMNT: “We were roommates with the U-17 team in Florida, played together a long time. There’s a good relationship. It’s natural to see him in a USA jersey. He’s very quick, tricky, and a strong player. I think he can bring a lot to this team.”
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) March 23, 2023
106 mins to kick: USMNT captain Tyler Adams is out injured, a “big loss” by Anthony Hudson’s own admission. A strong possibility to replace him in midfield is former Fulham youth product Luca de la Torre, who is hitting a stride at Celta Vigo.
I spoke with de la Torre before the match, who has become a fan favorite at the Spanish club thanks to a ridiculous video of him trying out some local seafood dishes. Fans noticed he had a particular affinity for octopus (or “pulpo” in Spanish), and it’s blown up to where de la Torre eats the dish after every win.
Please do give it a read as you wait for tonight’s match to commence!
Find someone who looks at you the way @delatorreluca looks at octopus #USMNT
Give him pulpo, first warning 🐙🐙 pic.twitter.com/lpJjYfma7v
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) March 24, 2023
120 mins to kick: While the U.S. team looks to focus on these Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador, many U.S. fans have been seduced by speculation that Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun is potentially being wooed by the USMNT. Eligible to represent England, the USA and Nigeria, Balogun has 17 goals this season in Ligue 1 where he’s playing on loan with Stade de Reims.
Using a photo of himself posted to Instagram, internet sleuths discovered Balogun was in Orlando, the same city where the U.S. squad was in for training prior to the Grenada match. He cropped up at an Orlando Magic game, confirming his presence in the city, before visiting the Yankees spring training facility in Tampa a few days later.
Balogun has remained quiet about his future, but if everything over the past few days seems to indicate the 21-year-old is strongly considering declaring for the USMNT.
MORE: Will Ligue 1 golden boot contender Folarin Balogun commit to represent the United States?
Hearing more and more smoke for Folarin Balogun to the USMNT… https://t.co/94Xz7ZkJio
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) March 23, 2023
Grenada vs USA lineups, team news
By far the biggest threat up front on this Grenada roster is Jamal Charles who sports 17 international goals in 34 caps, playing his club ball domestically for Paradise FC. A pair of players on the roster, midfielder AJ Paterson and defender Benjamin Ettienne, play in the United States for USL side Charleston Battery.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old central defender Kayden Harrack is a Queens Park Rangers youth product in England and already has five international caps. His second-tier club is not to be confused with the club bearing the same name in the Grenada domestic league, who defender Trevon Williams plays for.
Grenada projected starting lineup (5-3-2): Richardson (GK) — Mark, Harrack, Pierre, Ettienne, James — Theodore, Frank, Paterson — Isaac, J. Charles.
Grenada subs (12): (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)
Tim Weah was originally selected to the squad, but suffered a concussion on club duty just before the break and was withdrawn from the squad, replaced by Djordje Mihailovic. Another individual not included is captain Tyler Adams, who picked up a slight muscle injury while playing for his club Leeds before the break, with “octopus expert” Luca de la Torre as his midfield replacement.
With Jesus Ferreira not selected to the roster, it’s a chance Ricardo Pepi up front, with Daryl Dike likely to get a chance off the bench or against El Salvador. Anthony Hudson confirmed that Christian Pulisic would captain the side in Grenada, while Alejandro Zendejas is sat on the bench after recently committing to the USA over Mexico.
USA confirmed starting lineup (4-3-3): Turner (GK) — Scally, Trusty, McKenzie, Reynolds — McKennie, De la Torre, Reyna — Aaronson, Pepi, Pulisic.
USA subs (12): Horvath (GK), Steffen (GK), Dest, Booth, A. Robinson, Musah, Ream, Cardoso, Sonora, Zendejas, Mihailovic, Dike.
Our guys in Grenada 🇺🇸
Lineup Notes » https://t.co/LYO4v8axK3 pic.twitter.com/kSFPb7TCY0
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) March 24, 2023
MORE: Will Ligue 1 golden boot contender Folarin Balogun commit to represent the United States?
Grenada vs USA live stream, TV channel
- Date: Friday, March 24
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV channel: TNT (English), Universo (Spanish)
- Streaming: Fubo, Peacock, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
The first competitive match for the United States after the 2022 World Cup can be seen on TNT, as part of the new long-term broadcast deal with Turner Sports. That channel is available to stream on Fubo.
A Spanish-language broadcast is also available on Universo, which is also carried by Fubo. It can also be streamed on Peacock TV with a subscription, or with an authenticated log-in at either Universo NOW or Telemundo Deportes En Vivo.
Grenada vs USA betting odds
Ranked 173rd in the world, Grenada are enormous underdogs to the 2026 World Cup hosts despite playing at home. Their only wins of any kind since 2019 are against the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
The United States are so favored in this game, that the handicap (spread) is all the way up to 3.5 goals, with the total goals over also inflated as a result.
| Caesars (USA) |
Sports Interaction (Canada) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Grenada win | +7000 | 30.00 |
| Draw | +950 | 9.80 |
| USA win | -3000 | 1.03 |
| Both teams to score Y / N |
+220 / -290 | — |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals |
-140 / +110 | 1.65 / 2.11 |
| USA -3.5 | +122 | 2.19 |
| Grenada +3.5 | -155 | 1.63 |