ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the USMNT Roster for March with quotes from Mauricio Pochettino
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 17, 2026
2:00 PM
SHARE THIS STORY
UNITED STATES MEN’S NATIONAL workforce head coach Mauricio Pochettino named his roster for the approaching March camp, which would be the workforce’s ultimate gathering earlier than the World Cup roster is called. The U.S. workforce shall be primarily based in Atlanta the place it should host each Belgium on March 28 adopted by Portugal on March 31.
The roster consists of 27 gamers, however with 4 goalkeepers. As with every roster, there’s a lot to interrupt down by way of who’s in, who’s out, and the way it will have an effect on how the workforce performs.
There are some harm notes.
Tyler Adams was a priority after he missed Bournemouth’s recreation over the weekend and Pochettino indicated it was his quad and that it could preserve him out for two-three weeks.
Sergino Dest injured his hamstring earlier in March and says his purpose is to be again by the top of the season for PSV.
Haji Wright was subbed out of Coventry’s 2-1 loss to Southampton within the sixtieth minute with a groin harm, per head coach Frank Lampard.
Diego Luna missed preseason for Actual Salt Lake and whereas he returned instead over the weekend, he’s nonetheless not again to full health.
James Sands was final referred to as up by Pochettino in October however injured his ankle earlier this month and was pressured to have surgical procedure. His season is over and he absolutely is now not in rivalry for the World Cup workforce.
With that stated, right here is the roster together with some ideas about it.USMNT ROSTER FOR MARCH
(Membership/Nation; Caps/Targets)
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fireplace; 0/0), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York Metropolis FC; 13/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 52/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 16/1), Alex Freeman (Villareal/ESP; 13/2), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 25/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 79/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 35/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG;50/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 22/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 5/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 9/1), Johnny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid/ESP; 22/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 62/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 13/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 34/9), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 43/0), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 12/1); Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen/GER; 26/3)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 56/9); Patrick Agyemang (Derby County/ENG; 12/5), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 23/8), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 34/13), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 82/32), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille/FRA; 47/7)
Key ideas
The roster accommodates a lot of the acquainted names from the three camps within the fall. That was was to be anticipated because the workforce slowly started to enhance its performances from what had been a troublesome 12 months relationship again to the 2024 Copa America.
In fact, a lot of the workforce’s success will hinge across the workforce’s greatest gamers.
Christian Pulisic has been the workforce’s greatest participant for a lot of the previous decade however proper now he’s in a chilly spell for AC Milan. He has not scored or assisted because the begin of 2026. No matter membership kind, Pulisic has at all times been an enormous recreation participant for the USMNT and historical past wouldn’t point out that his struggles at Milan would carry over to the U.S. workforce, however it’s one thing to observe.
The appropriate again place shall be fascinating with Dest’s harm. Alex Freeman performed so much for Pochettino on the place in 2025 however Freeman simply moved to Villarreal and is taking part in solely restricted minutes. Joe Scally is a very long time veteran of the workforce however he has not at all times been in Pochettino’s plans and his season for Borussia Monchengladbach has been very combined. Neither choice is nice heading into this camp and it could not be shocking to see Tim Weah get one other probability at proper again versus proper wing (the place he primarily performs for the USMNT).
Antonee Robinson returns to the workforce after spending most of 2025 coping with an harm to his proper knee. He returned to the sphere in December for Fulham and performed each recreation into January when his taking part in time then turned inconsistent (he performed properly final weekend). Will probably be fascinating to see how the USMNT employees evaluates his situation and the place he stands bodily with the World Cup approaching.
Folarin Balogun enters this camp purple scorching for Monaco. This camp shall be large for Balogun to proceed growing the chemistry he has with the workforce’s midfield. He’s not the best striker within the air, however he thrives getting behind opposing backlines and making nice runs. However that requires being on the identical web page as his teammates and this camp is essential to construct that understanding.
Pochettino additionally spoke at size on versatility in how he appreciates gamers who can play completely different positions. He particularly talked about Weston McKennie and Tanner Tessmann.
Heading into this camp, with many gamers lacking, these gamers give Pochettino choices. For Tessmann, particularly, it was about his mind.
“Tanner Tessmann is a very good player because he has one thing that is very important, brain,” Pochettino defined. “He understands soccer, he understands in every single position the way that he needs to perform and to behave and it’s not new for me. I think he has the profile to play in different positions on the pitch. He’s another very good player and he’s playing a lot in Lyon and he is doing well. I was talking about Weston, he’s another player that I, the coaches, we really appreciate that profile of players.”
As for McKennie, Pochettino was filled with reward and it shouldn’t be shocking to see him in a extra attacking place.
“It’s true that Juventus is Weston McKinnie plus 10 [laughs]” Pochettino stated. “We’re so happy for that because that means that he’s an important player for Juventus. Another thing that I celebrate is that he can play in every single place. Like his coach said, he can be the best striker, the best number 10, the number 7, the numbers 2, 4, can play fullback, can be a midfielder. He’s playing in a different position. And of course, it’s good for him, it is good for us. It’s good to have a player that can play in a different position and to give the balance, sometimes the team has different position that you need.”
There’s a excellent probability that Tessmann and McKennie are given quite a lot of time in several roles to permit Pochettino broaden the completely different approaches he can take with this workforce.
Formation choices
In 2025, Pochettino started utilizing a three-man backline and the outcomes had been principally constructive. This allowed for extra protection in central protection whereas pushed the fullbacks a lot additional into the sphere.
However that usually got here on the expense of taking part in with two central midfielders versus three. The U.S. workforce is deepest in central midfield and removes high quality at that place.
Pochettino may discover a three-man backline obligatory as a result of central protection is the weakest space of the pool proper now with solely Chris Richards taking part in properly. Having three central defenders will present protection and reduces house for the opposing workforce to assault.
Apart from Richards, Tim Ream has proven indicators of getting old to begin 2026 whereas Miles Robinson and Auston Trusty have been up and down.
One other set of instruments Pochettino has is with versatile gamers. Joe Scally and Alex Freeman can each play central protection in a three-man backline.
Gio is in
Gio Reyna is within the midst of yet one more misplaced season. It was hopped that his switch to Borussia Monchengladbach final summer season would offer a spark in his stagnant membership profession. So far, that has not occurred. He has performed for simply 399 minutes and doesn’t have a single purpose contribution. He has had accidents, however even when he is ready to swimsuit up, there have been many instances he has going unused.
Reyna has the advantage of the very fact Diego Luna is injured and neither Malik Tillman nor Brenden Aaronson have sealed the deal of being a beginning attacking midfielder or playmaker. Mixed with Reyna having performed properly in his minutes in the course of the November window, he will get yet one more alternative.
The explanation for Reyna’s inclusion is that Pochettino seemingly nonetheless believes that Reyna could make an enormous play. If the U.S. workforce is chasing the sport and desires a purpose, Reyna nonetheless may be capable of assist in ways in which others can not. There are only a few gamers who would get referred to as up regardless of not having performed a lot this season (nor a lot of the previous 4 seasons).
Pochettino spoke of Reyna on Tuesday.
“I think Gio was fantastic in November with us,” Pochettino stated. “I think everyone rates him in his game against Paraguay and then in the way that he was involved and committed with the team and with the national team. I was really happy with the aspect and the fact that he was involved. Before the last decision for the last roster before the World Cup, I think it’s good to see players that maybe are not playing too much, like in that case of Gio, who is a very talented player. And we know how he can add to the national team. [It] is to see if he’s affected about that, and if he is capable to perform with us again.”
He added: “I think we really know that he’s a very special talent and very special player. I think to give the possibility, even if it’s not playing too much with his club – if can be very useful for us. That is our mindset in the way that we made the decision to bring Gio in in the in this camp.”
That stated, if Reyna doesn’t play properly the remainder of the season whereas Luna returns and performs properly, he nonetheless could be in a nasty place.
Cardoso’s alternative
Johnny Cardoso returns to the U.S. nationwide workforce for the primary time since a tricky summer season in 2025 when he struggled within the run-up to the Gold Cup, handled accidents that restricted his taking part in time, and might need been distracted together with his switch to Atletico Madrid.
Whereas he has begun taking part in with regularity for Atletico in current months, this can be a large camp for him. Cardoso, 24, has been across the nationwide workforce since 2020 when he was simply 18 and he enters this camp having 22 camps. He’s nonetheless in search of his first stable efficiency for the USMNT. He’s been respectable at moments, however he hasn’t had a recreation but the place he has made an enormous constructive impression but on the workforce’s total efficiency.
That raises the query of whether or not Cardoso will make the World Cup workforce if he doesn’t stand out on this camp? If he has one other pair of performances the place he’s only a passenger and the workforce doesn’t impress, does his membership resume alone justify a spot on the World Cup workforce? It won’t. He could be excellent at taking part in a task for his membership that doesn’t translate over to the U.S. workforce.
However Cardoso has extra work to do at this camp than different gamers.
The Banks saga
Of all of the gamers who should not on this roster (no together with the injured gamers), Noahkai Banks is the one that may draw probably the most consideration. Within the weeks main as much as this camp, it has been reported in German shops that Banks was contemplating switching to play for Germany, the place he spent most of his childhood. His mom performed for Germany’s nationwide workforce in ladies’s basketball and his stepfather performed for Germany’s nationwide workforce in handball.
Kicker precisely reported that Banks was not going to be on this roster as he contemplated his future.
There have been many instances when twin nationals request time as they decide. Sergino Dest missed a camp as he mulled over choices with the Netherlands. Timothy Chandler additionally took day without work when he loved a breakout season.
However not eager to get entangled with the USMNT this near a World Cup makes this a really completely different state of affairs. Taking part in in these camps wouldn’t change his eligibility for Germany. Nonetheless, he’s not right here.
Banks has performed for the U.S. youth groups, together with at a U-17 World Cup. Now he’s very near sealing a World Cup spot. If that isn’t sufficient to influence a participant to play for a nationwide workforce, nothing shall be. Germany has primarily ignored him till this 12 months.
Regardless of that, Pochettino left the door open for Banks, who he spoke at size about on Tuesday.
“I think Noahkai is a young kid that has become a man so quickly, because now he’s playing in the Bundesliga,” Pochettino stated. “When you bear in mind, we introduced him in September in New Jersey and in Columbus. He was a bit of bit unfortunate as a result of we wished to offer him the chance to play and he was injured. However he was with us and I feel it was an awesome alternative to see and to speak with him and to get to know one another – with the workforce, with the remainder of the workforce and the employees and all the pieces.
He nonetheless has not but made the choice. He is considering so much. He is in a state of affairs that isn’t straightforward for him. We’re very targeted on him as a result of we comply with him. He is within the pool of gamers that we comply with. Within the second that we signed the contract with the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce, I feel we began to work to determine expertise and younger expertise.”
“If he made the choice and the choice is to be with us, after all, he’s going to be on our radar to see if we’ll choose him or not. However in the intervening time, he was very clear within the state of affairs that he’s not accessible to be chosen as a result of he nonetheless has not made the selections
Jesus [Perez] was seeing him in Augsburg, and he was speaking with him. I used to be speaking to him by FaceTime, Zoom. Now we have nice contact and I actually recognize him. He is a really good child, but it surely’s a troublesome state of affairs and hope for USA that the choice shall be for our aspect as a result of I feel it isn’t solely the current, it is the long run too. I feel it is solely to offer time and to help him in the way in which that we, and once I say we – the entire federation, are supporting him and attempting to, to not persuade as a result of it isn’t about to persuade, it is about to point out that the federation actually cares about him.”
Different absences
Yunus Musah was left off this roster but it surely shouldn’t be a lot of a shock. Regardless of scoring two targets earlier this month in substitute appearances for Atalanta, it has nonetheless been a misplaced season for Musah on mortgage at Atalanta the place he has failed to interrupt by means of. Whereas Reyna was capable of power his means onto this roster with restricted membership minutes, there seemingly isn’t confidence that Musah could make distinction making performs.
Alex Zendejas is among the extra notable absences on the workforce given that he’s taking part in properly for Membership America and might play out large, the place the workforce is skinny. Zendejas merely hasn’t been across the workforce sufficient to make a lot of an impression, regardless of the very fact he performed properly in the course of the September window.
Patrick Schulte and Jonathan Klinsmann are two goalkeepers who’ve been pushing to be the workforce’s third goalkeeper. However with Pochettino taking 4 goalkeepers on this roster, lacking this camp will not be a great signal. However it’s reflective in present kind. Schulte and Columbus have been struggling out of the gate whereas Cesena in Serie B have began to conceded quite a lot of targets over the previous two months.
4 goalkeepers
Having 4 goalkeepers on this roster is noteworthy. This near the World Cup, it means that the employees remains to be unsure over the order inside the nationwide workforce.
Matt Freese appears to be the No. 1 though it could not be shocking if Matt Turner might return to being the World Cup starter. After that it has been quite a lot of gamers taking over the No. 3. It appears as if Pochettino knew the third keeper, there wouldn’t be 4 on this workforce.’
Roman Celentano has had a great 12 months for Cincinnati and was arguably the most effective American goalkeeper in MLS. Chris Brady is pushing and nonetheless has a pleasant upside.
