Mauricio Pochettino has named the U.S. men’s national team roster for September’s friendlies and he has called in an experimental lineup heavy on fringe players and light on high-profile veterans.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Tim Weah headline the 22-player roster selected for the USMNT’s friendlies in September against South Korea and Japan. Pochettino called up a roster heavy on MLS players (12) and light on veterans (just seven players with 30+ caps).
Jonathan Klinsmann headlines the list of four uncapped players on the squad, alongside Roman Celentano, Noahkai Banks and Tristan Blackmon.
Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi were all left out of the squad despite all three making their returns from injury last weekend.
Weston McKennie is the most high-profile omission, with Haji Wright, Matt Turner, Yunus Musah and Joe Scally among the notable absences.
The USMNT takes on South Korea in Harrison, New Jersey on Sept. 6 before taking on Japan in Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 9.
Here is the full USMNT roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 7/0), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena/ITA; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 10/1), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg/GER; 0/0), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 33/2), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 7/0), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 1/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 74/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 31/3)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 50/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 6/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 31/1), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 12/3), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 11/2), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew; 1/0) FORWARDS (5): Damion Downs (Southampton/ENG; 5/0), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 78/32) Josh Sargent (Norwich/ENG; 28/5), Tim Weah (Marseille/FRA; 44/7), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 11/1)
What do you think of the roster? Who is the most glaring omission? Who is the most surprising inclusion? Who are you happy to see get a call-up?
Share your thoughts below.
Depth Chart
For: Sargent-Downs-TBA
W: Weah-McGlynn-Zendajas
10: Pulisic-Luna
Deep 8: Luca-Berhalter
6: Adams-Zawadzki
LB: Dest-Arfsten
RB: Freeman-Harriel
CB: Richards-Ream-Blackmon-Banks
GK:Freese-Celentano-Klinsmann
Offense 3-2-4-1
Sarge
Dest-Luna-Puli-Weah
Luca-Adams
Ream-Richards-Freeman
————————
Defense 4-4-2
Sarge-Puli
Luna-Luca-Adams-Weah
Dest-Ream-Rich-Free
Yes, I know McGlynn is not a wing but that’s where he played during GC.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Banks play a stay at home RB to make Poch’s 3-2-4-1 with Dest pushing forward from the left.
This looks like the kind of roster that Imp. Voice would like–maybe half a dozen regulars and a bunch of fringe players, some not even that experienced. I just can’t imagine we are going to get many, if any, WC players out of this secondary group. Maybe someone should tell Pochettino that the World Cup is in less than a year. You don’t change coaches at this point, but maybe we should start thinking about a replacement if we do poorly in the WC. I’m not optimistic at this point.
Contract runs thru the end of WC so I think we will definitely need a new coach by next August. Bj and Mikey being candidates but it would help if one of them won an MLS Cup or something. Of course we’ll call Klopp. Pat Noonan and Wilfred Nancy, I’m sure will get a mention as well.
harriel got shredded against the swiss. why are we bothering?
Yes, the biggest surprise of the roster. More surprising than no Weston.
I’m surprised Aiden Morris isn’t on the list. He is the kind of hard-running, aggressive player Poch seems to prefer. Also, I think Wright is better suited to the team than Sargent.
They didn’t get Zawadzki for GC because of injury and Sean (Luca and Sebastian) likely won’t be available for Oct friendlies as it’s right before final day of MLS and possibly November because it’s in the middle of playoffs. Apparently the other 23rd man was supposed to be White but he’s injured. Wright would be a likely choice if they replace with another FW.
Clock is ticking time for experiments is long gone. 6 games this calendar year and what maybe 6 more before World Cup. Press all the buttons you want but finding a lineup that understands each other is paramount. At least you could have just run out the GC roster and add 4 major players.
Klinsmann please what will he offer now? Harriel and Zawadski https://sbisoccer.com/2025/08/pulisic-back-mckennie-out-pochettino-calls-up-experimental-usmnt-roster-for-september-friendliescmon they didn’t even match ve the needle at GC. Japan is going to chew this squad up. Good luck getting a tie vs Korea. But oh wait they’re improving. Wonderful what’s next participation trophies?
Clock is ticking time for experiments is long gone. 6 games this calendar year and what maybe 6 more before World Cup. Press all the buttons you want but finding a lineup that understands each other is paramount. At least you could have just run out the GC roster and add 4 major players.
Klinsmann please what will he offer now? Harriel and Zawadski cmon they didn’t even match ve the needle at GC. Japan is going to chew this squad up. Good luck getting a tie vs Korea. But oh wait they’re improving. Wonderful what’s next participation trophies?
One thing I’d remind folks is that Poch has a degree in psychology and if there’s one thing he’s shown in past stops – and with us – it’s that he knows how to push buttons. He also won’t call up a guy who’s not fit. Keep in mind imperative #1 on any Poch team – we all work, we all suffer. One thing we absolutely WILL arrive at the World Cup with is a team that will press relentlessly and is disciplined enough to understand their triggers, otherwise the press is a liability. If you’re building a team for a single tournament – and he is – there are worse ways of going about it.
If you establish a floor where everybody in camp is a hard-working pit bull, laggards who may not have gotten the memo will come in and see very quickly where the bar is. There is no doubt McKennie, for instance, is one of the better players on the roster…when he shows up. He tends not to late on in seasons, and he was one of the worst offenders in March’s Nations League debacle. It’s also why I’m highly, highly doubtful Gio Reyna gets a call even if he does start performing well for Dortmund unless his work rate and defending have just improved by a ton. It’s also why I’ve been a little surprised Poch hasn’t been calling Zendejas until now – Zendejas will absolutely press and hustle and chase and put in the work, and if you put him as a RW he’ll tuck in and play in the half-spaces like Poch so likes his wings to do as the team transitions to offense. And people wrote Zendejas off because he went ice cold and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn in the 2023 Gold Cup…they shouldn’t. That was psychological, not skill deficiency, and again, Poch the Master Psychologist has shown in prior stops and even with guys like Malik Tillman with the USMNT he can coax confidence out of those sorts of players. The skill with Zendejas is absolutely there.
I do think he’s looking for additional answers. I also think he’s pushing buttons and a lot of what we’re seeing might be more psychological than tactical or assessments of raw talent, which is all fans tend to see.
Great post.
FYI: Pochettino does not have an actual degree in psychology.
Q, very insightful….
But do we have enough time as a group to be insightful?
Without qualifying these windows are few and precious.
I thought this would be the first time he’s getting the starters together as much as possible.
I don’t think I like this strategy
Sure glad we are in pot 1