As the great Bluto Blutarski once asked “was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” Yes, Germany versus the United States, on June 6th, 2026, the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. This lead-up writes itself. Is the USMNT ready to kick it into extra gear now? Is this why they have looked so uninspiring and pedestrian, thus far, during the Mauricio Pochettino era? Once the games start to matter, will the United States Men’s National Team turn it on? While last Sunday against Senegal and this Saturday against Germany still don’t matter, as both are/were friendlies, it is getting very close to the time that actually counts.
Send-Off Match
USMNT vs Germany
Kick off: June 6, Soldier Field, Chicago, IL, 1:30 p.m. CST
Broadcast: ABC, ESPN+, Univision
Radio: Westwood One Sports (English language), Fútbol de Primera (Spanish language)
Why Kai Havertz Will Be a Player to Watch in This Game: go here
World Cup Material: U.S. Running Out of Chances to Impress FIFA Greed, Exploitation and Price Gouging
Current FIFA Ranking: USMNT #16 Germany #10
And you saw this USMNT playing at their best, in the first 18 minutes, as they raced out to a 2-0 advantage over a good Senegal team, via goals from Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic. Things eventually came back to Earth later on, and Senegal equalized 2-2, but the Stars and Stripes went on to win 3-2 over a team that is ranked two slots ahead of them.
Seven players in the starting XI were a part of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including central defender Tim Ream, who was named the team captain. He’ll likely wear the captain’s arm band again for this one.
Chris Richards Back Fit
The center back and Crystal Palace star didn’t feature in either the Conference League Final triumph last week, nor in Charlotte (least exciting, most uninteresting major city that you’ll ever find) after tearing two ligaments in his ankle. However, they said he would be back fit for the World Cup, and they were right on that. He’s back in training and should feature off the bench in this one.
After this match, the USMNT will departs for L.A. where they’ll prepare for their first group stage match against Paraguay on June 12 at the “Los Angeles Stadium” (LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!).
Can we all just start doing that now- dropping all the corporate sponsor names? I mean FIFA only does it because they haven’t been able to shake down the corporations for a cut, and not because of any noble reasons. But hey, we don’t get paid for that nonsense either. See you at “Sox Park” this summer! And then “Chicago Stadium 2” in the winter!
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.