The North American Soccer League was at the top of professional soccer in the United States well before Major League Soccer kicked off.

The U.S. World Cup roster had some surprises: Ricardo Pepi was left off along with Zack Steffen, Paul Arriola and Jordan Pefok.

Josh Sargent is back on the U.S. roster for the first time in a year, picked at forward along with Ricardo Pepi and Jesús Ferreira for the Americans’ final two World Cup warmup matches.

Carlos Vela scored in the third minute and Raúl Ruidíaz’s converted a penalty kick in the 73rd minute in the Major League Soccer All-Star team’s 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Liga MX on Wednesday night.

Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman is switching affiliation from Germany to the United States and is among 27 players invited to the Americans’ next-to-last training camp ahead of the World Cup.

Ricardo Pepi, Kellyn Acosta, Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin returned to the starting lineup as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes for the Americans' final World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica.

Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat trick, leading the United States to the brink of returning to the World Cup with a 5-1 rout of Panama.

Forward Jesús Ferreira, winger Paul Arriola, midfielder Luca de la Torre and right back Shaq Moore entered the United States’ starting lineup for a World Cup qualifier against Panama as coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes.

Gio Reyna, Jordan Pefok and Ethan Horvath are back for the United States’ final World Cup qualifiers but Sergiño Dest appears likely to miss the three games.

Jordan Morris, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest and Gyasi Zardes returned from injuries to make the U.S. roster ahead of the next three World Cup qualifiers.

A kickoff temperature of about 25 degrees is forecast for the United States’ World Cup qualifier against El Salvador at Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 27.

World Cup qualifying has become a game for the young, with stamina to withstand travel and short recovery time.

Forward Jozy Altidore and goalkeeper Brad Guzan are on a preliminary 59-man United States roster with a mostly junior varsity appearance for next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

AdLewis scored his first and second international goals, and Miles Robinson got his first. Perea, who plays for Orlando, started for Colombia at the 2017 Under-17 World Cup and 2019 Under-20 World Cup. AdLewis put the U.S. ahead 1:40 in off a pass from Ferreira, and Ferreira doubled the lead in the ninth minute with a left-footed volley from 6 yards. 103 Trinidad played for the first time under coach Terry Fenwick, a defender from England’s 1986 World Cup squad, and for the first time since November 2019. T&T opens World Cup qualifying March 24 against Guyana and are favored to advance from a first-round group that also includes the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Paul Arriola scored in his first start for club or country since tearing his right Achilles tendon in D.C. United’s preseason match on Feb. 15. Brenden Aaronson, playing his second international game following his debut against Costa Rica in February, got his first goal. 22 U.S. had wide stretches of free space against 70th-ranked El Salvador in a match played outside the FIFA calendar and without top stars. Right back Julian Araujo also started in his debut, and defenders Marco Farfan and Kyle Duncan debuted as second-half substitutes. Aaronson got the lone goal of the second half in the 50th with a 12-yard right-foot shot from a Lletget pass.