U.S. Men’s National Team Squad Announcement
U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino unveiled the 23-man squad for their upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan, set to take place on September 6 and September 10 respectively.
Notable Inclusions and Omissions
Among the notable inclusions, AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic, PSV Eindhoven’s Sergiño Dest, and Tim Weah of Marseille are making their return after missing the Gold Cup for various reasons, notably due to fatigue in Pulisic’s case.
However, the roster also features some surprising omissions. Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, who has seen limited time on the pitch, will not participate. Additionally, neither Giovanni Reyna, who recently joined Borussia Mönchengladbach, nor Matt Turner, who transferred to the New England Revolution, made the cut.
Upcoming Matches and Team Goals
The U.S. team will first take on South Korea in Harrison, New Jersey, before heading to Columbus, Ohio for the clash with Japan. Pochettino expressed his intention to refine the player pool as the team prepares for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup. He noted the need for players recovering from injuries or those who have had reduced playing time to regain fitness and sharpness during these friendlies.
Injuries and New Faces
Players absent due to injury include Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang and Bayer Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman, while others like AS Monaco’s Folarin Balogun and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson have just recently returned from extended layoffs. Notably, McKennie’s exclusion was unexpected, especially as he has encountered challenges with playing time at Juventus following some preseason issues, including facing racist abuse during a Serie A match.
Yunus Musah, another midfielder amidst transfer speculation, also misses out along with other high-profile names like Johnny Cardoso from Atlético Madrid. Turner finds himself replaced in goal by Matt Freese, who has earned praise after securing his spot during the Gold Cup.
Emerging Talent
This roster has also opened opportunities for some relatively new faces, such as FC Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann from Cesena, who is notable for being the son of ex-national coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Others making their debuts include Noahkai Banks from FC Augsburg and Tristan Blackmon from Vancouver Whitecaps, while Club América’s Alejandro Zendejas and Norwich City’s Josh Sargent return, with Sargent currently in excellent form after scoring multiple goals in recent matches.
The complete USMNT roster for these friendly matches encompasses a mix of veterans and new talent aiming to make an impact as they look ahead to the World Cup preparation.
