ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the USMNT Nations Leauge roster, which can characteristic each an in-form and match Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic – for the primary time in years.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 11, 2025
12:00 PM
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UNITED STATES NATIONAL TEAM supervisor Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his roster for the ultimate rounds of the Nations League on Tuesday and there have been a number of surprises. A lot of the gamers have been concerned with Pochettino’s camps in October, November, and January however there have been some gamers included who will likely be working with him for the primary time. There are additionally some gamers who’ve been repeatedly concerned however who usually are not right here.
A number of of the surprises have been already coated within the preliminary roster. From that checklist of 60 gamers, we realized that Pochettino was not going to take possibilities with gamers who’re simply getting back from accidents – resembling Sergino Dest, Folarin Balogun, and Haji Wright. We additionally noticed him drop some gamers like Kristoffer Lund or Richard Ledezma.
As all the time, there will likely be a whole lot of discuss in regards to the particulars of the roster and which fringe gamers made it, and which of them have been lower. However the important thing to recollect in any nationwide staff roster is that success is set by how properly the highest gamers are performing heading into camp. With that in thoughts, the largest level to make is that Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Tyler Adams are enjoying extraordinarily properly. Simply behind them, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah have had much more good performances than unhealthy with Juventus just lately. You then throw in regulars resembling Chris Richards and Joe Scally, who’re trending up.
Sure, there are accidents and Pochettino needed to dig into his depth chart. However the core of the staff arrives in good condition, and that’s the most vital factor. As I’ve mentioned prior to now, a lot of the debate over USMNT roster entails gamers 15-23 on a roster. However that issues little or no in contrast with the shape and well being of spots 1-6. That may allways stay true and crucial questions over this roster have very optimistic solutions.
Right here is the roster together with some ideas on it.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION
(Membership/Nation; Caps/Targets)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 30/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 49/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 18/0), Marlon Fossey (Customary Liege/BEL; 1/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 17/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 67/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 23/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 50/4), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 19/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 4/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 42/2), Johnny Cardoso (Actual Betis/ESP; 18/0), Diego Luna (Actual Salt Lake; 3/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 58/11), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 31/8), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 6/0)
FORWARDS (6): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 2/2), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 45/1), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 76/32), Josh Sargent (Norwich Metropolis/ENG; 27/5), Timothy Weah (Juventus/ITA; 42/7), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 3/1)
Adams returns
The largest improve on this staff primarily based on what we noticed within the fall is the return of Tyler Adams. The Bournemouth midfielder hasn’t performed with the nationwide staff because the Copa America when he was not at 100%. The fact is that it has been years since Adams has been on the nationwide staff when he was each 100% match and in good kind. That adjustments now as Adams has been delivering persistently good performances for a Bournemouth staff that’s in eighth place within the Premier League.
The improve Adams ought to give this staff may very well be substantial. He has all the time been a very good match and he makes the remainder of the midfield higher. This would be the first time he performs underneath Pochettino for the U.S. staff, however the staff ought to really feel very optimistic about now giving Pochettino an in-form Adams to work with.
Central midfielders in kind
Even past Adams and the common Weston McKennie, Pochettino has a gaggle of excellent central midfield who’re all enjoying very properly.
Johnny Cardoso has been wonderful for a surging Actual Betis staff. Earlier this month, he scored in opposition to Actual Madrid. Then over the previous weekend, he turned in one other good efficiency over Las Palmas, its fourth league win in a row. He’s a daily starter and Actual Betis now sits in sixth place.
It has all the time been a query mark when or if Cardoso will see his expertise on the membership degree translate over to the nationwide staff. That hasn’t occurred but, however he hasn’t been enjoying this persistently properly earlier than. Expectations needs to be excessive.
Maybe no different participant within the pool as taken larger steps over the previous 12 months than Tanner Tessmann. The previous FC Dallas homegrown led Venezia to promotion in 2024 after which he captained the Olympic staff. Now he has locked down a beginning job with a Lyon staff that’s in sixth place and is likely one of the greatest golf equipment in Ligue 1. There have been a couple of setbacks however Tessmann has been excellent in latest weeks and is in an incredible place to develop heading into the World Cup. He’s impressed underneath Pochettino and the Argentine supervisor charges him. The celebrities are aligning properly for Tessmann.
There have been some query marks in central midfield in latest weeks. The harm to James Sands noticed him faraway from consideration. However Pochettino needed to make a couple of choices right here. Gianluca Busio hasn’t performed properly and Venezia is heading in the direction of relegation. Jack McGlynn has additionally struggled slightly bit since arriving at Houston and, regardless of having an excellent January camp, it wasn’t sufficient to make this staff. Aidan Morris has performed properly at Middlesbrough however merely misplaced out on a numbers sport.
Query marks round Reyna
A whole lot of eyes will likely be on Gio Reyna on this camp. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has not performed constant minutes on the membership degree the previous 4 seasons. Throughout that point, he struggled with accidents and becoming in with coaches. However he has performed very properly in earlier Nations Leagues.
This will likely be his first camp underneath Pochettino, and we don’t know loads about how issues will work with Reyna. Will Reyna be okay with coming off the bench? Will Reyna play the central attacking midfield place, or will he shift to the wing?
However one concern will likely be if Reyna doesn’t play properly and is rusty? Will Pochettino not name him up this summer time? Followers and the media alike have all the time figured Reyna was a lock to make this staff every time he isn’t injured. However the contemporary eyes of Pochettino would possibly see one thing totally different with a participant who has not seen constant minutes in a really very long time.
Sargent, Wright, & Agyemang all included
There will likely be a whole lot of discuss over the middle ahead picks on this roster. We all know that accidents have enormously affected the participant pool on this place with Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun, and Haji Wright both injured or now solely simply coming again.
Pochettino has elected to overcompensate as a result of lack of these gamers. Josh Sargent was an apparent decide, however he’s nonetheless an oft-injured Championship participant who hasn’t scored for the nationwide staff since 2019. If it was Pepi who was wholesome and never Sargent, Pochettino might need opted to take one backup.
Taking three forwards may very well be seen as an indication that Pochettino isn’t utterly glad and needs to have choices to pick out throughout camp. Patrick Agyemang had a very good camp in January however hasn’t been that nice to start out the season with Charlotte. Brian White, in the meantime, has been persistently good for Vancouver over the span of years. However as a really close-range finisher, is that what Pochettino desires?
As soon as everyone seems to be wholesome, Pepi will seemingly be the highest possibility however it is a big alternative for others to maneuver up within the depth chart.
Central protection comes into focus
The central protection participant pool has been very static for years because it has been the identical group of gamers continually jockeying for place. Name-ups have sometimes gone to whoever amongst this checklist of seven or eight gamers who has been most in kind.
However this camp sees gamers in unusually sturdy positions. Mark McKenzie is a daily starter for a Toulouse staff that has conceded the second fewest targets in Ligue 1 this season. Chris Richards is now wholesome and is beginning for a Crystal Palace staff that has conceded the third fewest targets within the Premier League. These gamers are on the prime of their careers, thus far.
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty are maybe not as apparent as different picks, however they’re a mix that has a number of sturdy performances collectively within the Champions League.
Tim Ream, in the meantime, is an older chief of the group with a ton of expertise who continues to be good and also can present cowl on the left facet.
At the moment, Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman are the odd males out however that might all the time change primarily based on what occurs. Taking 5 central defenders may be an indication of uncertainty with the present choices and the need to have extra choices in camp.
Each Aaronson bothers & Zendejas left off
When it comes to shocking omissions, those that soar out are each Paxten and Brenden Aaronson together with Alejandro Zendejas. All three gamers are having excellent seasons.
Brenden Aaronson is a core starter of a Leeds United staff that’s in first place of the Championship. My guess is that Pochettino doesn’t price second divisions as extremely as earlier coaches, however the Championship is the highest second division on this planet and there’s something to be mentioned about being in first place.
However one other be aware on the elder Aaronson brother is that he appears to be what Pochettino is on the lookout for close to depth and vitality. Even when he doesn’t begin, he finds methods to carry a spark to boring video games.
Zendejas, in the meantime, hasn’t simply been in good kind currently, he’s been among the many prime gamers in all of Liga MX. He has taken his sport to a different degree since final November for Membership America. What may not have labored for Zendejas is that he additionally has not seen his membership kind translate to the USMNT (which is a particularly reasonable level) however he nonetheless did every little thing he might to be in sturdy consideration for one more shot.
The youthful Aaronson brother was a shock to be left off given how spectacular he has been at occasions within the Eredivisie this season. However given his youth and his lack of USMNT caps, now may not have been the time (particularly along with his brother additionally being left off). However he may be an incredible possibility this summer time.
Different notes on the roster
Diego Luna hasn’t been nice with Actual Salt Lake to start out the season, however he did properly sufficient in January camp to get one other look with Malik Tillman out. Luna seemingly took the plae of Brenden Aaronson whereas additionally beating out gamers like Paxten Aaronson and Matko Miljevic. The picture of Luna enjoying with a damaged nostril in January camp and nonetheless helping was massive for him and Pochettino seemingly desires to have that toughness on the staff.
One other takeaway is that Yunus Musah is listed as a ahead. Pochettino has talked about utilizing Musah on the wing, and that is yet one more step ahead with that. Musah is a dribbler, however makes errors that may be pricey in the course of the sector. However most of his coaches prior to now have all settled on utilizing him as a winger, regardless of his desire to be within the center. Will probably be fascinating to see how a lot he embraces that right here. He may also be a bench winger too.
The goalkeepers shouldn’t be a lot of a shock. Pochettino appears glad with Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, and Patrick Schulte however the order might change if Turner finally appears to be like rusty given his lack of enjoying time in England. What occurs if he performs poorly? How a lot will he then attempt to make one other membership transfer.
Lastly, there’s a U.S. U-20 roster popping out quickly for a camp this month in Spain. Count on a whole lot of the highest younger gamers to be concerned with potential names like Benja Cremaschi, Cole Campbell, Noahkai Banks, Diego Kochen, Matai Akinmboni, and Brooklyn Raines. The U-20 staff appears to be like sturdy and people gamers might see their careers take off earlier than later with Pochettino watching.
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