Preview: USA vs. Colombia - prediction, team news, lineups

For the first time in over four years, Colombia and the USA will meet in an international friendly on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park.

The US were beaten 2-1 in a friendly versus Serbia on Wednesday, while the Colombians have not lost in nearly a year, defeating Paraguay 2-0 in their previous encounter last November.

It was not an ideal debut for interim manager Anthony Hudson as his Americans were often caught out in transition against the youthful Serbians earlier this week.

That was the second consecutive match in which they had the majority of the possession but failed to make it count, firing five shots on target.

Like Hudson, many US players experienced their first taste of international football with the senior squad this week, as eight new faces featured in the starting 11 for the first time.

Their loss against Serbia was the first defeat this team had suffered on American soil in over three years, and only the second time they had conceded multiple goals in a single match at home since 2019.

Before Wednesday's defeat, the Yanks had not lost a match when opening the scoring since falling 2-1 versus Switzerland in a 2021 friendly.

The US will enter this upcoming match without a victory against a side from the CONMEBOL region since defeating Ecuador 1-0 in a 2019 friendly from Orlando.

In their previous four encounters with the Colombians, the United States have lost each time and are winless against them since March 2005

They may have fallen short of a World Cup berth in 2022, but at the moment, things are looking up for the Colombians.

Under new manager Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia have won three consecutive fixtures, while they have posted four clean sheets in their previous six matches played in all competitions.

The 56-year-old, who won a silver medal with Argentina at Italia 90, has called up a relatively inexperienced team for this friendly, as 11 players are still without an appearance for the senior side.

He may not have been one of the most experienced candidates for this position, but the former defender brings a sense of familiarity with this program, having served as an assistant for this national team under Jose Pekerman from 2012-2019.

Colombia should be used to playing in the US by now, where they won three games between September and November 2022, while Los Cafeteros have captured their last six meetings versus CONCACAF opponents and are unbeaten against that region since falling to Costa Rica at the 2016 Copa America (3-2).

Over 28 years ago, Colombia and the US met at the World Cup on American soil in a match that will go down in infamy because of what was to follow, as an own goal by Andres Escobar sent la Tricolor to a 2-1 defeat, and Escobar was tragically murdered when he returned home.

Since that match, the Colombians have had many successful performances in the US, unbeaten on American soil against the Yanks for more than 15 years, including a 4-2 triumph in their previous encounter in 2018.