Everything you need to know for the USMNT-Morocco match at TQL Stadium

The U.S. men's national soccer team has returned to Cincinnati with a ticket to the FIFA World Cup in-hand, and now it's time to fine-tune the team ahead of the tournament in Qatar.

After TQL Stadium and Greater Cincinnati hosted the USMNT in November for its quadrennial home World Cup qualifier against arch-rival Mexico, the World Cup-bound Americans are back to start a vital, pre-World Cup June camp in which the team will practice together, play four matches and prepare for the rigors of Qatar.

Taken together, the games and accompanying training sessions are one of the final preparatory periods for the qualified American team, and they'll be seeking a mix of strong individual and collective performances in order to signal their readiness for the tournament.

After Berhalter's 27-player camp started to assemble Friday in Cincinnati, the team will continue building toward a Wednesday friendly match at TQL Stadium against FIFA world-ranked No. 24 Morocco, which is also World Cup bound and should provide a stiff test.

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The game constitutes a high-profile World Cup tune-up for both nations, and Cincinnati will once again serve as the colorful backdrop and home-field advantage for the USMNT.

Here's more on what to expect from the match, how you can watch it and the storylines to follow throughout this week:

The game

USMNT vs. Morocco - 7:30 p.m., TQL Stadium (ESPN2)

The Morocco match will be the first of four World Cup tune-ups for the USMNT in June, with a friendly against Uruguay and two competitive matches in Concacaf Nations play to follow.

The USMNT, drawn into Group B of the World Cup, will on Wednesday face a Moroccan side that was drawn into a robust Group F alongside Belgium, Canada and Croatia.

Morocco boasts a loaded roster that took down the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a two-match African qualifying series to secure its bid to the World Cup, winning the series by a 5-2 aggregate score.

In its final qualifying match, the Moroccans fielded a starting lineup that included Achraf Hakimi of top-tier French side Paris Saint-Germain, center back Romain Saïss of the English Premier League's Wolverhampton Wanderers, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat of Seria A's Fiorentina (Italy), and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, or "Bono," of La Liga's Sevilla FC (Spain).

The USMNT storylines

Consider the Morocco game (and other matches to follow in the coming weeks) to be a direct World Cup audition for the players Berhalter called in.

While some USMNT players are thought to be virtual locks to be included in the final roster  Qatar, some players are fighting desperately for inclusion. That includes battles at key positions, and most notably at the center forward and goalkeeping spots.

The coming weeks could see players step forward in those position battles. Otherwise, the competitions will remain wide open with only one, two-match September international window remaining before the World Cup starts Nov. 21.

Two other subjects regarding the roster – the availability of Manchester City FC goalkeeper Zack Steffen and that of CF Montreal midfielder Djordje Mihailovic – are also early topics of discussion in the camp.

Steffen withdrew from the camp for family reasons and was replaced on the roster by New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

Berhalter indicated during a Sunday interview with The Enquirer he didn't expect that development to hinder his decision-making process at the goalkeeping position.

Mihailovic came off the pitch in a Saturday match against FC Cincinnati unexpectedly early after an apparent fourth-minute injury following a clean tackle against Cincinnati's Junior Moreno.

Mihailovic was visibly emotional coming off the field, and understandably so as his injury came just ahead of his trip to Berhalter's camp after a years-long absence from the senior national team setup.

Mihailovic has six international appearances for America, or "caps," but hasn't played for the team since a December 2020 friendly against El Salvador.

Now, as an early-season frontrunner for Major League Soccer MVP honors, it was thought Mihailovic could use a strong June camp to potentially play his way into the World Cup. Certainly, that will remain the hope.

How to watch

ESPN2 will carry TV coverage of the game. The usual soccer-themed establishments around town should be featuring the match prominently.

Tailgaters and American fans will gather for the official gathering of the U.S. Soccer's supporters group, the American Outlaws, at Northern Row Brewery and Distillery at 111 W. McMicken Ave. in Over-the-Rhine.

The party at Northern Row is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

If you're still looking to grab tickets to the match, it's going to be a well-attended one. The Washington Post's Steven Goff reported Sunday that 21,200 tickets were sold as of Saturday.

TQL Stadium boasts a 26,000 capacity. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com.

On SeatGeek.com, the secondary market for tickets has plenty of options. The "get in" price hovered around $60 as of Sunday afternoon, but you can also splurge on premium seating options for more than $500.

Players about town

The USMNT have set up shop in Downtown for its latest visit to Cincinnati, and they've busied themselves there, in the suburbs and at Great American Ball Park since they started arriving.

Available players trained Saturday at FC Cincinnati's Mercy Health Training Center in Milford, Ohio. Later that day, the team made a playful stop at the Reds-Giants game, and Antonee "Jedi" Robinson threw out the game's ceremonial first pitch.

On Sunday, the team trained in Milford again and additional players, including Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, arrived.

Come Monday and Tuesday, training sessions await at "MHTC" and TQL Stadium, respectively. A robust schedule of appearances with local and national media members will also unfurl ahead of Wednesday's contest.

In November, the USMNT stayed at The Summit hotel in Madisonville and some players managed to hit local shops and eateries after defeating Mexico. Don't be surprised to see them out and about again in the coming days.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: USMNT vs. Morocco at TQL Stadium: What you need to know