The U.S. men's national team is desperate for a win to close out its first three qualifying matches on a positive note. The team and head coach Gregg Berhalter made it clear they are not happy with the two draws from the first two matches and a win in Honduras will give the young squad a spring in its step again ahead of the next three contests on tap in October.
San Pedro Sula has historically been a tough venue for the USMNT to play. The Americans came away with a draw and a loss in its last two qualifying visits against a Honduran side that is looking to return to the World Cup finals after appearances in 2010 and 2014. Both Honduras and the USA failed to make it to the 2018 edition in Russia.
The two nations are even on two points in CONCACAF qualifying after two matches, but Honduras will feel better about its two draws since they both came away from home in Canada and El Salvador. The USMNT started out with a 0-0 draw in El Salvador, but was held by Canada 1-1 at home in its last outing.
MORE: CONCACAF World Cup qualifying results & standings
There are a total of eight teams involved in CONCACAF regional qualifying and each will play a total of 14 matches. The top three teams in the CONCACAF octagonal will advance to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The fourth-place team will play in an intercontinental playoff with a ticket to Qatar on the line.
Sporting News is following the event live and providing scoring updates, commentary and highlights as they happen throughout the night.
Honduras vs. USMNT live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Honduras | — | — | — |
| USA | — | — | — |
Goals:
(All times Eastern)
MORE: Why there's no VAR in CONCACAF qualifying
9:35 p.m.: FC Dallas 18-year-old Ricardo Pepi will have people talking tonight as he makes his debut:
18-year-old Ricardo Pepi gets his first start and his USMNT senior debut.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 9, 2021
Christian Pulisic is the only player younger than him to appear in a World Cup qualifier for the USMNT ✨ pic.twitter.com/Y8PaKf9hyS
USA vs. Honduras: Starting lineups
The USMNT has a list of players who will miss the match, including a handful of stars such as Gio Reyna (hamstring), Sergino Dest (ankle) and Weston McKennie (team violation). It means that Christian Pulisic will have an even bigger bullseye on his back than usual.
Berhalter goes with a 3-4-3 formation with James Sands in midfield with Tyler Adams. George Bello (left) and Kellyn Acosta (right) will serve as the two wingbacks and 18-year-old Ricardo Pepi makes his first start for the USMNT.
USMNT starting lineup (3-4-3, left to right): 1-Matt Turner-GK — 12-Miles Robinson, 6-John Brooks, 15-Mark McKenzie — 21-George Bello, 4-Tyler Adams, 16-James Sands, 23-Kellyn Acosta — 10-Christian Pulisic, 9-Josh Sargent, 14-Ricardo Pepi
USMNT subs (12): 18-Ethan Horvath-GK, 8-Sean Johnson-GK, 5-Antonee Robinson, 3-Walker Zimmerman, 13-Tim Ream, 22-DeAndre Yedlin, 17-Sebastian Lletget, 2-Jackson Yueill, 7-Cristian Roldan, 20-Konrad de la Fuente, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 19-Jordan Pefok
Honduras head coach Fabian Coito made nine changes to his starting lineup from the first match against Canada to the second against El Salvador, presumably looking to rest players for the home game against the USA. One major absence is playmaker Alex Lopez, who scored the Catrachos’ only goal so far on a penalty kick against Canada. He injured himself on that penalty and has already rejoined his club team to begin his recovery.
Honduras starting lineup (4-4-2, left to right): 22-Luis Lopez — 23-Diego Rodriguez, 3-Maynor Figueroa, 4-Marcelo Pereira, 17-Andy Najar — 21-Jonathan Rubio Toro, 20-Deybi Flores, 15-Kervin Arriaga, 7-Carlos Pineda — 13-Brayan Moya, 9-Antony “Choco” Lozano
Honduras subs (12): 1-Edrick Menjivar-GK, 18-Marlon Licona-GK, 2-Felix Crisanto, 5-Danilo Acosta, 16-Johnny Leveron, 19-Jose Garcia, 6-Bryan Acosta, 8-Edwin Rodriguez 14-Boniek Garcia, 10-Rigoberto Rivas, 11-Eddie Hernandez, 12-Romell Quioto
How to watch Honduras vs. USA
- Date: Wednesday, Sept. 8
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Spanish-language TV: Telemundo, Universo
- Stream: fuboTV, Paramount+
The match will be broadcast on Telemundo and Universo and both those channels can be streamed on fuboTV (free 7-day trial). Paramount+ also will carry the match.
The event will be held at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, which will be sold out at 50 percent capacity (18,000 fans).