USMNT Seen Training at Stanford's Soccer Facilities Before Gold Cup

Stanford soccer is hosting a very special guest this weekend. Per their social media pages, the United States Men’s National Team is practicing at the Stanford training ground, as well as their stadium.

On the run towards Sunday in San Jose. ⏩️ pic.twitter.com/mtTqpdRI4l
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 13, 2025

The United States will be competing in the Gold Cup this summer, a tournament consisting of 16 teams, all in the CONCACAF region. This is mostly a collection of teams from North American soccer championships, with KSA, or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, being the lone exception in the tournament.

The Gold Cup is played in a group stage, followed by a knockout style format. All four groups will compete for two spots in each group to qualify for the knockout rounds. From there, it is a one game elimination where teams have to survive and advance all the way until they hoist the trophy. Essentially, it's the same format as the World Cup.

The U.S. will be playing in Group D, competing against Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Saudi Arabia. If they qualify out of the group, they will have to win three knockout games to win the cup.

Their first group game will take place on Sunday evening at PayPal Park in San Jose, home of the Earthquakes. The United States will take on Trinidad and Tobago in an effort to get an early lead in the group standings.

Leading up to the game, the US has been seen training at Stanford’s soccer facilities. With a great men’s and women’s soccer program, the Cardinal not only helped train for Sunday, but also provided an incredible facility that essentially no college can compete with.

This is very important considering the recent drama throughout the team. Over the last four games, the United States has gone 0-4, losing Nations League games to Panama and Canada, along with losses in friendlies to Turkey and Switzerland. With the U.S. hosting the 2026 World Cup, the stars and stripes have high expectations that certainly are not being met in international competitions.

To make matters worse, Christian Pulisic is out for the Gold Cup in order to rest, and former stars are calling him out, attempting to convince him to play. However, Pulisic is staying put on his decision. His goal is to be ready for next year's World Cup after playing two 50-game season with AC Milan.

The goal is certainly to win the Gold Cup, but given the team's recent run, building some confidence heading into the World Cup would be a nice secondary benefit, even without hoisting a trophy.