USA U-23's vs. Canada: How to watch, lineups, gamethread

It's finally here! After four years of embarrassment from the 2012 team's failure to qualify for the Olympics, it's time to give it another go. Can this young group redeem the program and earn a ticket to the 2016 Olympics in Rio? We're about to find out.

They begin this crucial qualifying tournament with Canada, a team who has presented the Americans with plenty of difficult matches at every youth level in the past.

USA Lineup

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">US U-23 starting XI: Steffen; Polster, CCV, Miazga, Serna; Trapp; Alashe, Hyndman; Zelalem; Morris, Kiesewetter (4-4-2 diamond)</p>&mdash; Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianSciaretta/status/649738067431952384">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Wil Trapp captains tonight's team. He's an obvious choice not only for his experience and tenure with this group, but with his confident and controlling play in the middle of the field. The exciting duo of Gedion Zelalem and Emerson Hyndman join him in the midfield diamond along with Fatai Alashe.

Jordan Morris and Jerome Kiesewetter are your starting strikers and could both use their pace to get behind Canada's back line.

The successful U-20 center back partnership of Matt Miazga and Cameron Carter-Vickers are once again paired together. Keep an eye on those two as they both have very bright futures.

Zack Steffen in goal makes it 5 total U-20 World Cup players in the U-23 starting lineup.

Canada Lineup

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/canM23?src=hash">#canM23</a> XI v USA: Crépeau GK; Gagnon-Laparé, Gasparotto, Thomas, Grant; Eustaquio, Piette (c), Mannella; Petrasso, Jackson-Hamel, Clarke.</p>&mdash; Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanadaSoccerEN/status/649735288210780160">October 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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A bunch of players I've never heard of, but have cool last names.

How to Watch

Who: USA U-23's vs. Canada U-23's

Where: Sporting Park, Kansas City, KS

When: Thursday, October 1, 9:00 p.m. ET

How: NBC Universo, YouTube