Mauricio Pochettino named his roster for the pre-Gold Cup camp that can see the workforce face Turkey and Switzerland in friendlies. The roster has many surprises and the Argentine coach is now hoping to deliver competitiveness to the squad.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
Might 23, 2025
7:55 PM
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UNITED STATES MEN’S nationwide workforce head coach Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday introduced his 27-player roster for the upcoming coaching camp that can conclude with friendlies towards Turkey on June 7 in East Hartford after which towards Switzerland on June 10 in Nashville. After that, the workforce will take part within the Gold Cup which as a 26-player roster.
The roster accommodates a mixture of gamers who’re constant call-ups together with others who’re newer to the workforce and need to impress. In complete, simply 13 of the 27 gamers on this roster have been a part of the ill-fated Nations League workforce in March the place the workforce completed fourth out of 4 groups with losses to Panama and Canada.
In trying to transfer ahead from that disappointment, Pochettino is heading into the summer time with a really completely different workforce that can begin with these friendlies.
Right here is the roster and ideas on all of it.
The Roster
(CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)
GOALKEEPERS (4): Matt Freese (New York Metropolis FC; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 30/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 33/2), Alex Freeman (Orlando Metropolis; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (San Jose Earthquakes; 10/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 19/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 68/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 24/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 32/3),
MIDFIELDERS (10): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 47/8); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 44/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0), Johnny Cardoso (Actual Betis/ESP; 18/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 24/1), Diego Luna (Actual Salt Lake; 4/0), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 4/1), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 17/0), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew; 1/0)
FORWARDS (5): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 17/5); Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1), Haji Wright (Coventry Metropolis/ENG; 15/4)
Reset and on the lookout for motivation
With the U.S. workforce bombing on the Nations League, Pochettino has had two months to provide you with his subsequent transfer. In revealing this roster, Pochettino has elected to start the summer time with plenty of new gamers. A part of that is to create a participant pool the place extra gamers are difficult the established core group. In different phrases, every thing on the USMNT must be extra aggressive and energetic.
Pochettino stated this immediately.
“At the same time, it’s exciting to see different players, young players, maybe players who are going to make their debut for the national team, people that maybe can challenge,” Pochettino stated. “All the consideration that we were working in the last few months after March. I think we created the best roster that we think can deliver what we want… I think this to create this competitiveness on the squad is very, very important. I am so excited, so excited to work with this squad.”
The goal is not only to take a look at new gamers for the sake of recent gamers. He’s calling in gamers he thinks can compete now and within the coming 12 months main into the World Cup.
If complacency was an issue that had the workforce turning into stale, Pochettino did his finest to shake issues up. We are going to now see if anybody takes the chance and grabs it.
Attention-grabbing newcomers
When wanting on the new gamers that Pochettino chosen, he was on the lookout for gamers who’re merely taking part in nicely and have tangible measures of success. This wasn’t the case of calling up gamers based mostly on hype, youth nationwide workforce success, or a couple of token appearances overseas – as has been the case over time (see call-ups to Uly Llanez, Konrad de la Fuente, Matthew Hoppe, Sebastian Soto, and so on).
In lots of instances, Pochettino rewarded success and individuals who helped their respective groups.
Damion Downs: scored 11 targets in all competitions for FC Koln as they completed atop the two.Bundesliga desk to earn promotion to Germany’s high tier.
Sebastian Berhalter: has arguably been the perfect participant in the complete CONCACAF Champions Cup (however will miss the ultimate resulting from a yellow card suspension) and has additionally been a really massive motive why Vancouver is in first place.
Quinn Sullivan: has seven assists in 14 matches for the Japanese Convention-leading Philadelphia Union. He’s second within the league in assists and this comes after a 2024 season the place he had seven targets and 10 assists.
Alex Freeman: Is definitely the least skilled participant on the roster by way of first workforce minutes, however there is no such thing as a query he’s taking part in improbable soccer and together with Sullivan is a high 2004-born participant.
Even amongst these gamers who’re relative newcomers, Pochettino is rewarding type and successful.
Brian White is without doubt one of the high MLS forwards and is prospering in league and Champions Cup play. Max Arfsten and Sean Zawadzki have carved out vital roles for a Columbus workforce that continues to be probably the greatest groups within the league for a number of years.
Diego Luna and Patrick Agyemang have been chosen and carried out nicely sufficient to return again.
This doesn’t imply some new gamers weren’t stunning inclusions.
DeJuan Jones is now on his third MLS workforce inside a 12 months and was among the many most stunning picks on the workforce given different choices that have been obtainable.
Pulisic, Robinson, & Musah
The Membership World Cup prevented the choice of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna however there have been three notable names whose absence was addressed by Pochettino.
Yunus Musah withdrew from the workforce on Monday resulting from a private drawback that Pochettino wouldn’t handle additional.
Antonee Robinson was not chosen resulting from on going medical points and Pochettino revealed he isn’t coaching usually. That is regardless of having a season the place he has been arguably the perfect left again within the Premier League.
Christian Pulisic was an enormous omission that warranted an announcement from U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matthew Crocker.
“Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break. After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”
Assuming Pulisic stays at Milan subsequent season, he ought to have far fewer video games in 2025/26 resulting from Milan’s failure to qualify for European competitions.
Different notable absences
There are all the time quite a few elements that go into selections over which gamers will get known as up and which of them don’t.
For Josh Sargent, Pochettino bluntly stated this was a “football decision” and he needed different strikers. For in addition to Sargent has performed at Norwich within the Championship, he has not scored for the nationwide workforce since 2019 and Pochettino has had him in camp twice. The trail for his return to the nationwide workforce will likely be troublesome if the group on this camp performs nicely.
For different selections that Pochettino didn’t handle, a couple of have been stunning.
John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley have been the 2 left backs on the 2024 Olympic workforce and each joined new golf equipment in January. Tolkin moved to Holstein Kiel from the New York Pink Bulls after serving to them advance to MLS Cup. He performed nicely, however his season led to relegation. Wiley had two loans from Chelsea over the previous season with the second coming to Watford, the place he additionally performed nicely.
Paxten Aaronson was one of the stunning absences after an excellent season the place he helped Utrecht exceed expectations with a fourth-place end. However one issue to think about is that he’s returning to his mum or dad membership, Eintracht Frankfurt, after his profitable mortgage and this preseason is essential for him to determine a job with a Champions League workforce. Which may have been an element.
Griffin Yow had a second robust season in Belgium for one of many top-flight’s smaller groups in Westerlo. Whereas the U.S. participant pool as many gamers who play the wing as a second place (Malik Tillman, Gio Reyna, and each Aaronson brothers), Yow is solely a winger.
There are additionally a number of different established veterans who weren’t included. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Joe Scally have been on the final World Cup workforce. Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris are youthful gamers however who each gave the impression to be rising into the workforce.
Pochettino didn’t handle every of those gamers though Celtic has indicated that Carter-Vickers has been coping with knee points. Tessmann might need fallen sufferer to being a part of the March roster leaving Pochettino with a want to maintain wanting.
Different gamers might need been resulting from elements similar to an extended season and newer gamers pushing by way of that wanted a glance.
In the long run, Pochettino repeatedly hit the theme of competitors and the one wish to get extra competitors is to go away some gamers residence and take a look at new gamers. Then it comes all the way down to how gamers reply – each to being minimize, and in addition to being given a possibility.
Veterans with loads to show
Heading into camp, there will likely be plenty of speak about newcomers or gamers with few caps. However one other massive matter is how a couple of veteran gamers reply to this chance given distinctive conditions.
Sergino Dest returns to the workforce for the primary time since successful the Nations League in 2024. He has performed nicely since coming back from his ACL surgical procedure and can enhance the workforce’s fullback play. He has all the time cherished worldwide play and may wish to get again and assist the squad.
Luca de la Torre is with the workforce for the primary time since September 2024 and that is his first time with the workforce since his return domestically to San Diego FC. Even when he was within the Netherlands or Spain, he was all the time a backup on the nationwide workforce. Now he will get to play in entrance of recent eyes with Pochettino in an space of the sphere that’s not settled. He may make the most of being on a roster with out Musah, McKennie, Tessmann, or Morris.
Folarin Balogun can be again with the workforce after coping with an damage and restricted minutes for Monaco since December. It has undoubtedly been a tough six months for Balogun who ought to be taking part in with a chip on his shoulder.
Brenden Aaronson is again with the workforce after being dropped in March. In the long run, he benefited from being away from the mess within the Nations League. Now after serving to Leeds to promotion to the Premier League, Aaronson ought to be a lot motivated to ensure he isn’t left off the workforce once more earlier than the World Cup.
As Pochettino stated on Thursday about Aaronson: “The most important is that he keeps bringing his energy, positivity, enthusiastic passion.”
Particularly, Aaronson will help deliver issues that the workforce was particularly missing within the Nations League disappointment.
Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman play completely different positions however have related nationwide workforce points. Each gamers have glorious membership resumes and have had robust seasons. Neither participant, nevertheless, has but seen his membership type carry over to the nationwide workforce. This camp and the Gold Cup is a big alternative in that they may very well be with the workforce for a month and each gamers have a transparent path to begin. Cardoso received’t need to compete with McKennie or Musah. Tillman received’t need to compete with Reyna or Weah. That is the possibility each have been lacking.
Areas of concern
Heading into this camp, there are a couple of areas that ought to concern Pochettino, and will probably be fascinating how he responds.
Central protection is the largest space of uncertainty. It has been a very long time because the USMNT had a longtime and set first selection pairing. Chris Richards enters camp in nice type after serving to Crystal Palace win the FA Cup final weekend. However who does he play with? Tim Ream is exhibiting indicators lately of being 37. Mark McKenzie has been up and down for Toulouse to finish the season. Miles Robinson benefited from not being with the workforce in November but additionally hasn’t been a transparent starter for the workforce in recent times. The choices not on this roster are simply as unsettled.
Particularly, Pochettino must see which participant has the perfect chemistry with Richards. A month may very well be sufficient time to actually discover this situation.
Then there are the wing positions. With out Weah or Pulisic, this workforce lacks choices within the assault from huge positions. Haji Wright performs as a winger for Coventry, however he sometimes cuts inside. Different choices on this roster aren’t conventional wingers. Aaronson, Sullivan, Luna, and Tillman are extra attacking midfielders that may additionally play on the wing as a secondary place. That will likely be an space Pochettino should type out because the camp opens.
Lastly, goalkeeping stays filled with considerations with Matt Turner nonetheless struggling mightily for minutes in England, Patrick Schulte nonetheless inexperienced, and Zack Steffen uneven along with his type. Matt Freese will be a part of that trio regardless of going uncapped in his first ever callup in January.
