These are not the matches the United States wanted to play heading into the summer of 2018.
But with the Americans absent from the World Cup for the first time since 1986, it's time to look to the future. Interim coach Dave Sarachan brought in a young roster, and interim Bolivia boss Cesar Farias has done the same for his debut leading La Verde.
The prospects of both nations will be on display, with the U.S. hoping to find the chemistry needed to make sure they're back to their best prior to the 2022 World Cup.
With Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie leading the charge after standout Bundesliga seasons, there should be something in the contest in Chester, Pennsylvania, to get U.S. fans hoping once again.
| Game | United States vs. Bolivia |
| Date | Monday, May 28 |
| Time | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| Stream (US only) | fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
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Squads & Team News
| Position | United States players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Bono, Hamid, Horvath |
| Defenders | Carter-Vickers, Lichaj, Miazga, Olosunde, Palmer-Brown, Robinson, Villafana, Zimmerman |
| Midfielders | Corona, Gooch, Green, Guido, McKennie, Parks, Pulisic, Rubin, Weah |
| Forwards | Novakovich, Sargent |
The majority of the squad has single-digit caps but there's still some experience in the team with Jorge Villafana coming in after winning the Liga MX title with Santos Laguna, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie in after strong Bundesliga campaigns and Club America midfielder Joe Corona, whose 20 caps ties him with Pulisic for most on the squad, all involved.
Potential starting XI: Bono; Lichaj, Carter-Vickers, Miazga, Villafana; Corona, McKennie; Gooch, Pulisic, Green; Nokavovich
| Position | Bolivia players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lampe, Vizcarra |
| Defenders | Anez, Baldomar, Coimbra, Haquim, Olguin, Jesus Sagredo, Jose Sagredo |
| Midfielders | Bejarano, Borda, Maygua, Moruno, Perez, Quiroga, Ribera, Rodriguez, Vargas |
| Forwards | Miranda, Sanchez, Vaca, Vargas |
Half of Bolivia's roster - 11 of 22 players called in - will be looking to earn their first cap for La Verde, with Puebla midfielder Alejandro Chumacero's absence causing controversy as the player says he is injured but Puebla reportedly did not send a medical report to the Bolivian national team. Farias has played both a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation in recent matches with The Strongest.
Ronald Raldes reportedly is set to join the group after being sent off and suspended for the second leg of Bolívar's playoff match. He is closing in on his 100th international match.
Potential starting XI: Lampe; Anez, Raldes, Haquim, Sagredo; Vargas, Bejarano, Quiroga, Maygua; Vargas, Miranda
Betting & Match Odds
The bookmakers give the United States a heavy edge with dabblebet offering 8/15 odds on a win for the Americans, a draw for 14/5 and a Bolivia win going at 5/1.
Click here to see all of dabblebet's offers for this weeks' international friendly matches.
Game Preview
It's time to look to the next generation.
After the United States called several veteran players into its January camp, the roster for Monday's friendly match against Bolivia has a serious amount of youth. Eric Lichaj is the oldest player in camp at 29, while Christian Pulisic (who is 19) and 27-year-old Joe Corona are the most experienced on the international level with 20 caps apiece.
Even that young team looks experienced compared to what Bolivia brings to the table. Though 37-year-old center back Ronald Raldes reportedly will join the group, otherwise the team is bringing 11 players looking for their international debut.
Cesar Farias, who has managed Venezuela and Club Tijuana and currently is the coach of Bolivian side The Strongest, is making his debut at the helm of Bolivia. He's the interim manager but is widely believed to be the man leading the charge into 2022 once his obligations with The Strongest are fulfilled.
With each team looking for the future, it may not be the most crisp match ever, but it could be remembered as a building block for each team. Pulisic is set to team up with fellow Bundesliga-based American Weston McKennie for the first time.
The U.S. also features players still fighting for professional debuts big clubs with Manchester United defender Matthew Olosunde and Werder Bremen forward Josh Sargent included on the roster.
U.S. fans would much rather see Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey fine-tuning their games ahead of this summer's World Cup, but after last year's disappointment, it's now time to see what the new group of players has to offer and put the first brick in what will be a long road to Qatar 2022.
