How to watch USMNT against El Salvador on Wednesday, Dec. 9

Topics: USMNT, El Salvador, Gregg Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson, Weston McKennie, Walker Zimmerman, Sebastian Soto, Ayo Akinola, Daryl Dike, Chris Mueller

The United States Men’s National Team will face El Salvador to close the year on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Inter Miami CF Stadium.

The U.S. Men's National Team's last game of 2020 against El Salvador will take place in the new Inter Miami CF Stadium at limited capacity (2,500) in South Florida on Wednesday night. The game will be available on live television through ESPN News, UniMas and TUDN.

Twenty of the 22 players chosen by head coach Gregg Berhalter come from Major League Soccer clubs, consisting of a mix of young and veteran players who are eligible to represent the U.S. in the Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship scheduled for March 2021. Ten of the 22 players could make their national team debut, while 15 are age-eligible for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Here are the squad numbers for tonight's match vs. !

Who are you most excited to see in #USAvSLV?

: 7:30pm ET on ESPNews, UniMás and TUDN. pic.twitter.com/BSiUPpjTds
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) December 9, 2020

USMNT players to watch

Brenden Aaronson & Mark McKenzie – Philadelphia Union

Midfielder Brenden Aaronson (20) and defender Mark McKenzie (21) are the two Philadelphia Union representatives in this edition of the USMNT. The two young prospects exceled in their positions and helped Philadelphia to its first MLS Supporters' Shield in club history. European clubs have been keeping tabs on both Aaronson and McKenzie and it is eminent that they end up abroad ahead of 2021 MLS season.

Sebastian Soto – Telstar/the Netherlands

Striker Sebastian Soto is one of the two players in this roster who play abroad, and the only one from November camp that returns to face El Salvador. The 20-year-old is serving a two-match league ban that came from a direct red card he received during a match for Telstar last Monday, this being the reason why he was available for the call-up. Soto had a short but memorable national team debut against Costa Rica last month where he bagged-in two goals, making him just the second player in team history to score multiple goals off the bench in a debut match.

Ayo Akinola – Toronto FC

Striker Ayo Akinola rose to the big picture during the MLS is Back Tournament earlier this year, when he scored five goals in the span of three games. The 20-year-old Detroit, Michigan, native continued to score goals in the regular season despite dealing with hamstring injury. Akinola, a Toronto FC academy product, will hope to earn his first cap for the USMNT on Wednesday.

Daryl Dike & Chris Mueller – Orlando City

Forwards Daryl Dike (20) and Chris Mueller (24) are another pair of young prospects who have earned national team call-ups after a successful year with their MLS club. Dike was the fifth overall pick of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by the Orlando City and exceeded expectations on his rookie season, scoring eight goals and dishing three assists in 17 games. On the other hand, Mueller did not have an instant impact for Orlando fresh off from college. It took two years for Mueller to develop into the attacking force that he is today. The Schaumburg, Illinois, native was involved in 13 goals in the MLS this season and scored three goals in the MLS is Back Tournament.

Walker Zimmerman – Nashville SC

Out of all the players to watch, center-back Walker Zimmerman is the eldest at 27 years of age. Nonetheless, the veteran defender from Lawrenceville, Georgia, had an explosive season where he was crowned 2020 MLS Defender of the Year, leading Nashville SC to a memorable expansion season. Zimmerman will be one of the leaders on the pitch when the USMNT take on Concacaf opponents El Salvador on Wednesday night.

What is in store for the USMNT in 2021?

Berhalter's big year is coming up as the USMNT prepares for the Olympics. First, the U.S. will have to qualify to the Olympics through the Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship scheduled for March 2021. If the team qualifies, then they will compete at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. After the Olympics, the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying begins with games running from September 2021 through March 2022.