It's time to get back to business.
The US men's national team will kick off October's window of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying by facing Jamaica at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium on October 7.
The stakes for this trio of matches are heightened, as the USMNT looks to keep pace in the Octagonal standings following a September window that started inauspiciously with a pair of uninspiring draws, but ended with a 4-1 comeback win at Honduras. They're right in the mix with five points from three matches.
Here's everything you need to know before the USMNT's latest test against the Reggae Boyz.
When
- Thursday, October 7 (7:30 pm ET)
Where
- Q2 Stadium | Austin, Texas
How to watch and stream
- ESPN2, Univision, TUDN
United States
During September's Octagonal games, victory in Honduras offered relief after draws against El Salvador and Canada. Now, the task becomes ensuring those positive vibes don't go to waste with a letdown performance against an opponent they've historically had the upper hand against.
Thursday's match will mark the 15th meeting between the US and Jamaica in World Cup qualifying, with the Yanks sporting a 7-1-6 record in those matches. They've also topped Jamaica twice this year, first in a 4-1 friendly result in Austria last March, then by a 1-0 scoreline in the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals last July in Arlington, Texas.
The US must contend with injury absences to star attackers Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna, meaning FC Dallas striker Ricardo Pepi could be primed for a bigger role after his phenomenal showing in Honduras. Longtime first-choice center back John Brooks will also miss the contest as he battles back issues.
But head coach Gregg Berhalter's 27-man roster should have enough talent and depth to get the job done, leaning on MLS and foreign-based players alike.
Jamaica
The Reggae Boyz enter at the bottom of the Octagonal standings with just one point from three matches. It'll be interesting to see if manager Theodore Whitemore's group goes for broke or takes a more measured approach, knowing they'll have four of 14 Octagonal matches completed after facing the USMNT.
There's MLS representation abound among Jamaica's 24-man roster, including Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake and defender Alvas Powell, LA Galaxy defender Oniel Fisher, Toronto FC defender Kemar Lawrence and Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Javain Brown.
Jamaica haven't reached the World Cup since the 1998 edition in France. During September's qualifiers, they almost tied Mexico (2-1 road loss) before losing 3-0 at home against Panama and drawing 1-1 at Costa Rica.
