Rumor: Brad Guzan starting vs. Mexico

If you’ve been on Twitter at all today, the website has been a flurry with projected lineups and rumors about what Bruce Arena might do to get what would be the U.S. Men’s National Team’s second win in El Azteca. Things are picking up steam that Arena might be trying something completely different tonight.

On Thursday against Trinidad & Tobago, he played a very attack minded set up:

Will Bruce Arena go in a totally different direction after playing two straight games with largely the same lineup? Maybe...

Since the T&T game he’s come out saying that there will be changes tonight - maybe seven of them due to travel, altitude, and the short rest between matches.

This could be a gamble that backfires badly, or it could give the USMNT fresh legs that the team will need to beat a Mexico team that managed just three goals against Honduras Thursday night.

What could that lineup look like? Again seven is a lot of changes but UDN is reporting that the team will line up in a 5-4-1 (yeah, lineups are nominal and that sounds weird) with Brad Guzan in goal, DaMarcus Beasley, Tim Ream, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, and DeAndre Yedlin defending, Michael Bradley, Kellyn Acosta, Christian Pulisic, and Paul Arriola in midfield, and Bobby Wood up top.

Guzan is a welcome surprise but a different look nonetheless starting over Tim Howard who has a lot of big game experience and kept a clean sheet against Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday night. It should be an interesting game with Arena looking to pull out all the stops.