The U.S. men's national team beat Uzbekistan and Oman in its September friendlies. The level is going up in October.
Next up is Germany and Ghana, two teams who competed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar despite having disappointing performances.
First up will be Germany, who just recently parted ways with manager Hansi Flick and brought in young but bright Julian Nagelsmann, formerly of Bayern Munich.
Germany's squad features many elite players at top European clubs, such as Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Arsenal) and Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), among others.
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Can the U.S. maintain pace? Here are five USMNT players to watch for the matchup:
LW Christian Pulisic, AC Milan
"Captain America" has been lighting up Italy in his first season at Serie A club AC Milan. The 25-year-old winger has logged four goals and an assist in eight league matches, including a weak-footed game-winner in Milan's most recent win vs. Genoa.
He's also been playing more on the right wing with Milan boasting Rafael Leao on the left, so he's been adding more angles and skills to his game. The U.S. will need his change of pace to swing the game in its favor.
GK Matt Turner, Nottingham Forest
Turner left Arsenal to become a No. 1 elsewhere, which he's been able to do with Nottingham Forest as he opted to stay within the Premier League. With the Tricky Trees, the 29-year-old has logged two clean sheets in eight starts as Forest are 13th in the table with a 2-3-3 win-draw-loss record.
He's also facing more shots with Forest than Arsenal due to a change of system, personnel and quality of said personnel, so he should be prepared against what, on paper, is a dangerous German attacking group that will have its fair share of opportunities.
ST Folarin Balogun, AS Monaco
Balogun also departed Arsenal, his youth club, this past summer for a starting role elsewhere. He returned to Ligue 1 where he broke out last season with Stade de Reims, but this time signed with AS Monaco on a permanent move. After missing two penalties in a loss to mark his first start for the club, the 22-year-old has since bounced back in a big way with three goals and an assist in five games.
The U.S. will need something of elite quality to get pass likely starting goalie Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), and the young striker will need to prove he has the minerals.
LCB Tim Ream, Fulham
To beat a well-balanced unit like Germany requires players who are composed and sound technically. The U.S. defense hasn't had many players like that recently, but left-footed center back Tim Ream is one of the anomalies. A standout in Qatar, the 36-year-old defender remains an integral part to this team thanks to his on-ball ability and 1-v-1 defending.
There's a reason manager Pep Guardiola, arguably the best ever, said recently that he'd be tempted to bid for Ream if he was younger. There's not many profiles like Ream out there, especially in the U.S. The Fulham man needs to be a leader on Saturday.
Gregg Berhalter, manager
Let's flip this to the manager. Berhalter's return to the U.S. sidelines saw him collect easy wins against Uzbekistan and Oman, two opponents the nation would beat nine times out of 10. It was likely a soft launch to get Berhalter up and running smoothly, but now he'll face significant tests.
The U.S. needs to show now that it can compete to the highest level against the international powerhouses, especially since the federation believes Berhalter can take this team further than the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
Now is the time to show some promise. From the starting lineup to in-game tactics and second-half substitutions, there will be plenty of scrutiny on how Berhalter performs.
