Play Now
Football Pick’em
Play Now
College Football Pick’em
Start or Sit (NFC Home Games)
Talking the business of sports
The United States men’s national team face a huge test in World Cup qualifying on Sunday. The USMNT are visiting Canada for a match at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. Both teams are coming off vital wins on Thursday that has put them on the brink of qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Americans got by El Salvador, 1-0, thanks to a goal from Antonee Robinson. Canada, meanwhile, won at Honduras, 2-0, with an own goal and Jonathan David providing the advantage.
Kickoff on Sunday is set for 3:05 p.m. ET and coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+ with Kate Abdo anchoring the pre-match show alongside analysts Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyewu and Charlie Davies. On-site in Canada, Andres Cordero and Maurice Edu will be on the call alongside Kaylyn Kyle and Jenny Chiu, who will be on the sidelines.
This will be the fifth meeting between the two nations since 2019. Canada won the first meeting in 2019, 2-0, in the Concacaf Nations League. The U.S. won the following two before their September 2021 World Cup qualifier that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
Date: Sunday, Jan. 30 | Time: 3:05 p.m. ET
Location: Tim Hortons Field — Hamilton, Canada
TV and live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Canada +185; Draw +175; USA +160 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Canada: No Alphonso Davies as he’s still dealing with minor heart issues, but the rest of this Canada team is quite talented. For a side that had 2026 aspirations as World Cup co-hosts, it appears as if the Canadians are heading to Qatar 2022 barring a shocking collapse. This team may not offer much defensively, but in attack they’ve got established players who can give this U.S. trouble. Expect Tajon Buchanan to be the focal point down the wing to create as they look to build upon their nine-game unbeaten streak.
USMNT: After not playing at all in the win over El Salvador, the expectation is for Ricardo Pepi to start and play most of this match. The Americans really struggled at the striker position last time out with Jesus Ferreira having an off night. Meanwhile, both Weston McKennie and Sergino Dest pulled up lame against La Selecta, so all eyes will be on whether they play. If they can’t go, expect Kellyn Acosta to play for McKennie and probably Reggie Cannon for Dest.
The U.S. lineup is expected to feature some significant changes for this game due to the failure to put El Salvador away in a match that shouldn’t have been close. A lot will depend on who is available and fit, but here are three areas where some changes are needed against Canada:
Jonathan David cancels out USA’s opener with a fine strike late as each team takes a point. Pick: Canada 1, USMNT 1
© 2004-2022 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.
CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc.
Images by Getty Images and US Presswire