Predicting the USMNT starting XI vs. Mexico

The USMNT kicks off the final round of World Cup Qualifying against bitter rivals Mexico on Friday. Who will Jurgen Klinsmann select in his starting XI?

The road to Russia 2018 has entered its last leg for CONCACAF teams. The final round of World Cup Qualifying in this region is known as the Hexagonal: six teams compete for three guaranteed World Cup births, with a fourth team earning a spot in a playoff against a team from a different qualifying region.

The US Men’s National Team starts qualifying against old rival Mexico on Friday in Columbus (7:45 p.m. ET, FS1). Columbus, of course, was not a random choice as host. It has become the go-to destination for home matches against Mexico. The last four World Cup Qualifying matches between the two countries in Columbus have all ended with a scoreline of 2-0 in favor of the US. Dos a Cero has become an unofficial rallying cry for USMNT fans. In fact, it has become so ingrained that Clint Dempsey probably, maybe, missed a late penalty in order to preserve a 2-0 victory in 2014.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann called in a larger than average roster ahead of the two opening Hexagonal matches (the US travel to Costa Rica next Tuesday). His selections trended towards younger players with Cameron Carter-Vickers of Tottenham and Caleb Stanko of FC Vaduz receiving surprise call-ins. However, the biggest, and potentially most welcome, surprise was the absence of veterans Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wondolowski. It was clearly time to move on from these two. We thank them for their service.

So, who gets the start against Mexico? Let’s break down by position who we think will be on the field on Friday.