The USMNT starting XI for Tuesday's international exhibition against Portugal (3:30 pm ET on FS1, UniMas and UDN) was always going to be novel based on the fresh faces in the squad.
But it's even more intriguing when you can't figure out who will line up where.
Who will start at left back between DeAndre Yedlin and Eric Lichaj? Who lines up out wide in a midfield made up of central midfielders (or at least projected central midfielders in the case of Kellyn Acosta and Tyler Adams, who have played multiple roles for their MLS clubs).
What's for sure is that two MLS academy products – 18-year-old Adams (NY Red Bulls) and 19-year-old Weston McKennie (FC Dallas) – will be getting their first cap for the senior national team.
Here's the complete starting XI in what reports are projecting as a 4-1-4-1:
USMNT lineup (4-1-4-1 left to right): #1 Ethan Horvath – #15 Eric Lichaj, #6 John Brooks, #3 Matt Miazga, #2 DeAndre Yedlin – #19 Danny Williams (capt.) – #17 Juan Agudelo, #23 Kellyn Acosta, #8 Weston McKennie, #4 Tyler Adams – #18 CJ Sapong
Subs: #12 Bill Hamid, #22 Jesse Gonzalez, #5 Tim Ream #7 Kelyn Rowe, #11 Alejandro Bedoya, #14 Dom Dyer, #16 Cameron Carter-Vickers, #20 Lynden Gooch, #21 Jorge Villafana
