The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 202 days and while it still feels like the tournament is ample time away, the clock has continued ticking for the U.S. men’s national team.
Mauricio Pochettino will have plenty of roster decisions to make before next summer’s competition begins, while the program itself only has one international window left to prepare. A lot could still change by June too, pending injuries and form to many of the players in the current pool.
Projecting the 2026 World Cup roster is a bit simpler than it was in 2022, given that many key faces of the program have developed into important players. From Christian Pulisic to Chris Richards to Tyler Adams, many of the USMNT’s main figures are in the primes of their careers and should be expected to play large roles in the squad.
However, several positions are still up for grabs, including the starting No. 9 job, the right back position, and the central midfield positions.
With all that in mind, here is a projected 26-man roster we could see represent the United States at the 2026 World Cup:
Goalkeepers
Matt Freese, Matt Turner, Patrick Schulte
Matt Freese has continued to play the No. 1 goalkeeper under Mauricio Pochettino and bearing a major chance in performances, I don’t see that changing. Freese delivered a solid showing at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and was rarely troubled during the November window.
Matt Turner and Patrick Schulte would be my two choices behind Freese if the tournament started tomorrow. Both Turner and Schulte will have a half-season of MLS play under their belts before the World Cup continues and overall look to have a leg up on other MLS and European options.
Missed the Cut – Diego Kochen, Zack Steffen, Jonathan Klinsmann, Chris Brady.
Defenders
Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Auston Trusty, Miles Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Antonee Robinson, Max Arfsten.
Going into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was unknown who Gregg Berhalter would go with at the starting centerback positions. That doesn’t seem to be the case for 2026.
Chris Richards looks to have propelled himself into the USMNT’s No. 1 centerback over the past season-and-a-half, especially given the consistent playing time at Crystal Palace. Richards has become a strong one-on-one defender and overall is tough to beat in the air. I fully expect Richards to be the face of the USMNT backline even heading into 2030.
Tim Ream’s veteran presence has kept him in the USMNT picture under Pochettino. Ream’s calmness and composure has led to him teaming up with Richards among others on multiple occasions this year. Bearing injury or form, I’d expect Ream to be in the USMNT’s opening day XI next to Richards.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie seem to have shifted themselves into the mix for the No. 3 centerback position, while Celtic’s Auston Trusty was part of the November camp. All three defenders featured over the past two matches and will be jostling with each other over the next few months.
Cameron Carter-Vickers’ recent Achilles’ injury may hamper his chances, but should he get back to fitness next spring, he could be back among the options.
Antonee Robinson is the USMNT’s No. 1 left back option, but a slow start to the new Premier League campaign has led to Max Arfsten earning chances in the last three windows. When 100% fit, Robinson will be the starter at left back or left wing-back, but Arfsten was one of the USMNT’s better performers this year.
John Tolkin featured during the November window and could be in the No. 3 spot right now.
At right back, Sergino Dest’s versatility and explosiveness does give him an edge over the options in the pool, but the main question is, can he stay healthy? Dest featured in both matches during the November window and brings the most in terms of offensive and defensive abilities.
Alex Freeman and Joe Scally are two players that will compete for the starting right back job, while Freeman has boosted his stock in recent months. The Orlando City defender scored twice against Uruguay while Scally started against Paraguay.
Right now, Freeman has the leg up on Scally, but a lot could change with Freeman set for an MLS offseason.
Missed The Cut – Cameron Carter-Vickers (Injury), John Tolkin, Joe Scally, Marlon Fossey, DeJuan Jones, Nate Harriel, Walker Zimmerman, Tristan Blackmon, George Campbell.
Midfielders
Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tanner Tessmann, Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Berhalter, Diego Luna.
Pochettino will have plenty of tough decisions to make in his midfield.
One tough decision he won’t have to make is regarding Tyler Adams though. Adams is the USMNT’s leader in midfield and he remains very much so heading into 2026. His work rate and engine is at a high level and could help the USMNT be one of the better defensive sides next summer.
Weston McKennie’s versatility could see him used in a number of different roles. McKennie was used as a wide midfielder during the October window and could even play as a wing back if needed. He also does remain important as a central midfielder, despite not being in the November camp.
Tanner Tessmann has quickly become an important midfielder for the USMNT, given his increased role at Ligue 1 side Lyon. Tessmann’s range and awareness has led to him starting week in and week out at Lyon and he recently celebrated his first goal for the USMNT during the November window.
It will be curious to see whether or not Tessmann is a starter by next summer, but he certainly is a bench option.
In terms of creativity, Malik Tillman, Diego Luna, and Brenden Aaronson are my three choices to round out the midfield. Tillman’s role with the USMNT has risen over the last year, which has led to his club move to Bayer Leverkusen.
Luna is a powerful runner and has previously shown that he isn’t afraid to stick his nose into the dirty work. He scored his fourth USMNT goal of the year during November camp and finished 2025 with eight international goal contributions.
Brenden Aaronson brings veteran experience to the midfield, especially in comparison to guys like Aidan Morris, Johnny Cardoso, and others. However, the goal contributions haven’t been there for Aaronson this season, opening the door for Sebastian Berhalter to earn more XI chances.
Berhalter enjoyed a positive 2025 for club and country and right now is in better form than Aaronson.
Cristian Roldan has continued to rack up minutes in recent time and looks to be in good shape to make the final roster. Roldan was key in the October window and also made one start in November’s pair of matches.
Aidan Morris and Johnny Cardoso are two guys that are on the bubble and could force their way in with strong domestic seasons abroad. Cardoso’s injury-rittled start at Atletico Madrid has hurt his chances, but he’s still got a long way to go until the roster is picked.
A positive November window helped Gio Reyna get back on track and now it’s up to him to continue that trend into 2026. Reyna was impactful against both Uruguay and Paraguay and now heads back to Borussia Moenchengladbach with valuable confidence.
He’d be the last name on the list if the World Cup roster was needed today.
Missed The Cut – Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, Aidan Morris, Gianluca Busio, Paxten Aaronson, Luca De La Torre, Johnny Cardoso, Djordje Mihailovic, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan (Injury), Ben Cremaschi, Caden Clark, Brian Gutierrez, Timmy Tillman, James Sands.
Forwards
Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Haji Wright, Folarin Balogun, Alex Zendejas, Ricardo Pepi.
The increased roster size from 23 to 26 players should help Pochettino in bringing in a few extra forwards for the competition.
Christian Pulisic should be the first name on the forward list, given his importance to the program and his final-third abilities. Pulisic’s blistering start to the season with AC Milan is another prime example of his goalscoring and assisting abilities. However, there is always a worry about his fitness, which could be a potential issue by the end of the Serie A campaign.
Tim Weah’s versatility should see him at either right wing or right wing back. Weah has found the goals hard to come by at Marseille so far this season, but there’s time for him to turn that around. He had a quiet October window and was not named in the November roster so his performances have to improve.
Alex Zendejas is another name that could be used at right wing when back to full fitness. Zendejas was part of the October roster before an injury forced him to withdraw from the squad. He’s remained a consistent performer in Mexico with Club America and should remain a large part of their attack going forward into 2026.
The No. 9 race will be tough for Pochettino to break down, but I see Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright battling for the starting job right now. Both Balogun and Wright scored during the October window, while Balogun also found the back of the net once in November.
Ricardo Pepi, Patrick Agyemang, and Josh Sargent are the other three forwards fighting to be part of the World Cup roster. Pepi’s future could be determined by fitness, which has led him to miss parts of the new PSV campaign. He only played 15 minutes during the November window, missing on a key chance late in the Paraguay friendly.
Sargent and Agyemang are the odd-men out right now. Sargent has struggled to find the back of the net this fall at Norwich City while also failing to score for the USMNT in six years.
Agyemang is playing a larger role for Derby County, but will need a long impactful run there to truly edge out Balogun, Wright, or Pepi for a March opportunity.
Missed The Cut – Patrick Agyemang, Josh Sargent, Daryl Dike, Damion Downs, Indiana Vassilev.
What do you think of this roster projection? Who is on the squad that you are happy to see included? Who is the one player you would add to the team that isn’t among our 26? Who isn’t listed on any of the above lists that you feel absolutely should be mentioned? (We will be adjusting the list to include any players we may have accidentally left off).
Share your thoughts below.
I think this is close, obviously some of these guys will be injured. I’m not sure on Zendajas, he’s has one good match and now been hurt two windows. Probably B Aaronson above him for me.
Interesting how the comments do not reset after a story is updated and reposted. But it would be interesting to go through this ‘26 for 26’ exercise again at the start of the winter break.
– Might we see some transfer interest in January? Have to believe a few agents are receiving calls and gauging interest. Would an MLS team be open to a generous transfer fee for Freeman or Arfsten?
– It appears to be now or never for Musah and Cardoso to get playing time and make an impression. The midfield pool as it stands is pretty deep, but either or both could force their way into consideration.
– Here’s hoping Reyna’s good showing this window leads to increased playing time at BM. His skill set is just not easy to replace.
– Would really be great to see A Robinson get healthy quickly.
Can we go ahead and say Poch is going with the 3 man backline as the preferred and nost probable lineup. Ok.
He’s not taking 4 strikers. Either Pepi or big Pat, ones in one’s out.
That’s now 25.
With Freeman as a possible, maybe even probable RCB, I doubt he takes all 5 of Richards, Ream, Robinson, Mckenzie & Trusty. (Weah & Dest can play either wingback) So I think either Mckenzie or Trusty is out. There’s a reason why he tried Scally there one game & Freeman one game…
That makes 24.
Roldan is making the roster, that’s 25, and probably BA, that’s 26.
Maybe, if Jedi never recovers he’ll take the extra CB for depth knowing Weah & Dest can play both sides and Freeman can play RCB or RWB.
re F, i think you have the no nonsense striker list correct, those are the ones who produce. i have said my piece that ferreira not sargent should be the one on the batphone as a contingency, as he’s actually productive for the Nats. but that’s more a pecking order argument and not who makes the plane if all are healthy.
to me they are missing a 4th wing, like i said last time.
and zendejas, no. we need to trial RFs. based on U20 worlds and not breaking into dortmund, that’s probably not campbell this cycle.
Agree with you on Ferreira…I actually always thought he’s a guy Poch would like a lot but he was injured when Poch might have had a look at him. But Ferreira’s versatile, can play any position across the front or in the midfield, has an astounding set of lungs and can run until doomsday, will press incessantly, and is highly technical and active in his movement, and far faster than people realize. To me he offers a lot more than Sargent does for the Nats at the moment. The production for the US just hasn’t been there for Sargent and he’s nowhere near as versatile. But opportunity has to be there for Ferreira and it might be late in the game for that now.
I’m a lot higher on Zendejas than you are…and I personally think Poch probably regards McKennie as a RW with the Nats. I do not see Poch using McKennie as a CM – he’s not a 10, and he’s nowhere near positionally sound enough (or careful enough) to be a co-6 in the double pivot, but at RW he can rampage around and find the game like he likes to. I think Weah is Pulisic’s backup at LW – and maybe a backup as a right or left wingback – and the two 10’s are Tillman and Luna.
I also think we bring 3 pure strikers (not 4) and it’ll be Agyemang who misses the cut behind Balogun, Pepi, and Wright unless one of them is injured.
Like everyone I’m concerned about GK and at CB behind Richards and Ream and Ream’s not an every-minute player in a long tournament anymore. The irony is, those used to be the two positions you could usually count on the US having top-caliber guys playing in Europe.
Ferreira hurt himself tremendously when he walked away from January camp to go join Seattle. The story was he showed up out of shape, but he played a week later for Seattle.
we don’t really play with wingers anymore since we switched to a back 3, so the wingbacks now provide the width that wingers did when we ran with a 4-3-3, although the 4-3-3 did rear its head in spurts vs Uruguay, which I loved because it shows the free flowing flexibility on the field during offensive and defensive transitions. We now play with inverted wingers, or dual 10’s, which suit Pulisic, Tillman, Luna, Zendejas and Reyna much more.
Poch has a job that I don’t envy when it comes down to picking that final roster, especially since a lot of the players getting caps have stepped up to the plate and performed when they’ve been called upon. I was really impressed with Auston Trusty on Tuesday, and him being left footed I think enhances his chances of making the roster if he keeps performing well for club.
re MF, i don’t think adams has played well for the nats in a year or two. the transition defense of late has turned into end to end ball that doesn’t help us in a porous 433 variant. adams’ value had been coming in second level and picking off bad passes forced by high pressure. i have seen less of that.
i like tessmann sometimes but i am not sure he’s earned it. not sure who has at DM.
ditto aaronson at AM.
i think they should be looking for 2-3 guys as injury contingencies or to compete for jobs. 1, whether i like it or not, is roldan.
last, when did musah even get back in the fray??? that feels stale.
One we agree on Musah, hasn’t been great for Nats under Poch. Can’t get on the field for his club. If it was a manager he had a history with I could see someone taking a flyer on him, but Poch hasn’t seen him play well.
JR, if Poch really doesn’t hold a final camp like the article suggested, then he will probably call Musah in in March and give him a chance. Someone who played a lot of minutes in the 2022 WC at 20 probably makes Ppch thi k that he has enough potential to give him a chance.
Tele57, I agree there is chance of that, but he then has to play well. Scally and Sands got there chances and didn’t shroud themselves in glory. Morris has gotten 2 camps this fall and may not get another if everyone is fit. I think Yunus is great person and boy can he put on a show dribbling through midfield but can you say he’s a better player now than 2022? Feels like he’s at best equal and perhaps worse.
Re defense, let’s be real, other than Arfsten and Freeman wide, I don’t think that list has updated much, despite injuries and poor performance. Dest and Jedi might “feel” to some like locks but how many games have they played in about a year?? People are like, “Gio isn’t playing.” You know who else aren’t? And we should be trialing more wingbacks accordingly.
I thought Miles played well for a change last window and that would badly help CB. I would like to see more CCV and some trialists. I still think Ream and McKenzie are junk.
Harriel should be off the list. He was horrific vs. Swiss and so shocked the coach he sat the whole following tournament, played 6′ window after that, then off the list next window. I trust him less back there than the gaffe prone Scally and that says something.
Nice try. Gio in 2024 to present 758 mins, Jedi 3400 minutes, Dest 1485 minutes. Dest has played almost as many minutes since August as Gio has played in the past 3 seasons combined 1355 to 1130. Jedi is certainly a concern because his recovery from surgery has been slow, but let’s not compare his playing time to Gio, he played 3300 minutes last year and was named EPL Best XI playing with tendinopathy. If the WC was next week Jedi would be there and play thru as he did all last season.
your comment aged badly
Why? I’ve always said I’d take Gio whether he’s playing or not. But I don’t make selections. Look at Bizzy’s bs last week about how Gio didn’t deserve to be in camp and defended Gio then as I’ve repeatedly the last three years. Comparing Gio’s allegedly healthy scratches to Jedi’s and Dest’s injuries was inaccurate trying to compare Gio’s years of problems to there months was just lazy. All three, if healthy, absolutely should be on our roster. If we were playing a game that mattered Jedi would be there.
what concerns me re that GK list is the top 3 haven’t really blown us away and seized the job, they just kind of get handed it, the 2 after them are midcareer gaffe prone screwups who basically played their way off the team, and then the finally 3 are basically pipeline kids who’ve not even turned the corner into quality, consistent adult ball yet.
there isn’t actually a lot of competition and no one has to play that well to keep a job. and the next-ups are players who previous cycles would be flushed and someone new would be in. like you didn’t see robles for years when he had a gaffe-night.
it’s a little too much like a royal succession line. quick, what has freese done to be first choice? we just hand it to the next guy.
I get that Agyemang has a lot of physical abilities and potential, but so far I don’t think he has shown that he is close to realizing that potential. He has 1 goal so far in the Championship and one decent year of 10 goals in MLS. Unless he starts scoring a lot more, I think we can find better. He reminds me of Robby Findley that everyone was going ga ga over and he did nothing in the WC, but he had “a lot of potential.” I was disappointed with how little of an impression Tessman made in the game vs. Australia. While he is starting to show well in France, I wouldn’t pencil him in just yet and others should be considered. Roldan certainly looked a lot better and I’ve had my doubts about him in the past, but he is erasing them. As for defenders, Scally has been a regular in the Bundesliga since 2021 and almost always starts, almost always plays 90 and never seems to miss games due to injury. I don'[t think you can overlook that kind of consistency at a high level. His availability seems close to unmatched for the position, plus he can play LB if required.
Tessmann had the really nice pass to play Morris behind the defense that Aidan pulled just wide. Game state had changed quite a bit by the time Tanner came in as well with Australia no longer able to sit back and try to counter.
———————
Rumor is that Scally had an incident with a golf cart during NL. Whether he was doing donuts in a golf cart or not, Poch has decided to give more mature options a chance MRob and Blackmon at RCB.
yeah, I think everyone has heard about the golf cart situation, and that could have something to do with him no longer getting call ups, or it could be that Poch just doesn’t rate Scally. Scally is still really young, and his experience at such a young age can’t be overlooked or diminished, but if we’re being honest Scally doesn’t do anything particularly well, or that stands out. He’s not really athletic, not technical, lacks foot speed and is just a decent passer. And that’s not to say that Freeman is a good passer, or technical, but he is athletic, has good foot speed, so it could be that Poch sees more upside in Freeman as opposed to Scally
RonnieT: I know he played WB for BM when they ran a 3 CB but I don’t see him above Dest, Freeman, Weah in that role. So he’d have to be a RCB, which could be possible but not sure he’s great at that either. I’d rather Richards play there to utilize his passing better from that wider spot.
JR,
I keep hearing how great Joe is but for the USMNT I don’t see it so much.
The word on Joe is he’s great because he is a Bundesliga regular.
That’s fine but Pochettino does not need a Bundesliga regular.
Pochettino needs a defender/ midfielder/centerback who can play the way Pochettino wants for, at most, 8 games.
If you can do that and play for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds I doubt Pchettino will give a fuck. What I like about Pochettino is it doesn’t look like he immediately orgasms when he hears that you have been a “bundesliga regular”.
Joe is solid. He’s a right back who can fill in at left back and occasionally is pushed up into midfield. Occasionally he even plays center half. He’s been doing this for a few years now. If I’m the manager and the Golf Cart incident bothers me then I use it as a positive. We have a lot of RB/R wingback/third center back, etc. decisions to sort through. I say let the process play out until just after the new year. Let the competitve spirit come up amongst the candidates; then decide if Joe is better than what the USMNT has been able to come up with.
If he is then bring him in and you’re all set. He’s a “BUNDESLIGA regular” so he should be in form and familiar with a lot of what Pochettino wants to do. And in the process they might find a player or two who might be useful elsewhere.
Being a veteran, Joe shouldn’t need a lot to get up to speed.
I’m old enough to remember the last time someone did something like this. It was way back in 2022. People were still using Windows 10. At the last minute, Gregg brought veteran Timmy Ream into the 2022 WC camp for Qatar.
That worked out okay.
Who was going Gaga over Robbie Findlay? We all knew he sucked going into that WC, but his only competition was Edson Buddle.
robbie findley never scored a US goal and basically made the team as the proverbial hot hand club form guy — 12 G in 2009 for RSL — at a down ebb in US striking history between the 1998-2006 mcbride era and jozy/AJ and moving dempsey to striker in 2014.
sorry but you are sitting in a golden age of US striking. that’s why we can even split hairs that a guy with 5 goals in 12 caps is a little sloppy, is we can do better. in previous eras he might be a star as sloppy as he is.
his strike rate and technical limits actually slot in more like jozy or EJ. the productive but sloppy brigade.
scally had repeated issues with getting beat blind spot back post. like yedlin was for a while. i wish it was more about soccer and less politics.
poch’s may comment about golf, dinner, family, friends, etc. suggests even being at the golf course would have been a demerit and doing donuts there is a double fail.
There will be injuries. Of those who aren’t on this 26. Who’s next?
Yes, but injuries are pretty impossible to predict so you just have to pick from who is available at the time.
Balogun back with a goal for AS Monaco. Hopefully this gets him going a little bit.
Balogun looked really sharp after coming in off the bench in the 62 minute……forcing a great save from Hervé Koffi in the 68th minute…….and scoring in the 72nd. TWO SHOTS ON GOAL by AS Monaco all game……both from Balogun AFTER THE 62 MIN with one resulting in a goal. Absolutely awesome…..
On a side note …….Am I the only one who missed this piece of information…….
Jonathan Christian David 25, who plays as a forward for the Canadian national team (Yes that David) and currently starting at Serie A club Juventus……. WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN THE UNITED STATES…..BROOKLYN NEW YORK TO BE EXACT!!!!!!!
What the actual F$#@???!!!!!! This has to be an error. How?
Yeah that’s been known. He moved to Canada as a youngster and yes Tab Ramos tried to get him for the U20 team back in 2017 and 2019. He always declined and wanted to play for Canada.
He only lived in Brooklyn a short time before they moved back to Haiti before moving to Canada when he was 5 or 6. Really came out of nowhere. Didn’t play in an MLS academy went straight to Belgium and was a starter almost immediately. Canada called him up after a month as a pro. His age group of Americans was Weah, Sargent, and Akinola (who everyone thought was the big steal) so there weren’t a lot of minutes to offer Jonathan David. And even fewer at the full national team with Pulisic (David played as W at first) and at the time your favorite Bizzy, Jozy.
Hard pass on BAaronson. Yes, he’s a pest when pressing, and he can out-hustle anyone in the pool, but he gives the ball away too easily. If you want hustle, bring in Berhalter, who at least hits a sweet dead ball.
Gio this, Gio that… he’s barely getting minutes for the worst team in the Bundesliga. Time to move on from hopes of what “could have been,”
😂🤣Pure comedy! Beerholder Jr. could not even keep up with Mexico in the GC final. He looked outclassed and outmatched. At least B Aaronson puts in decent shifts against Mexico our rivals.
Aaronson hasn’t put in a good shift since he played for Red Bull against overmatched opponents. The match reports for his games with leads consistently harp on how he brings nothing to the office and gives the ball away, and he is usually rated as one of the worst players on the field. He is, at best, a mid-table championship-level player. The point of my comment was “comedy:” neither BA nor Berhalter currently deserve a place in the final 26.
* Leeds, not “leads”
The hyperbole over Roldan is getting old.
He’s been good enough to be a B or C player for a while now. A new boss finally comes in. Roldan has been doing very well at his club. He gets a second bite at the apple and this time seems to make it work.
It’s happened before.
Kyle Beckerman MLS lifer, Crofton legend, and one of our finest dirty players ever, had been around as a B or C guy for Bob. JK came in, saw something in Kyle, started him in JK’s first USMNT game and the rest is history, with Kyle starting two World Cup games in Brazil in 2014. It should be obvious to everyone that having a manager who believes in you is a huge part of the battle.
If Roldan winds up making it all the way to the World Cup that is a huge credit to him and and even bigger one to Pochettino’s staff for being truly open minded unlike a lot of bigoted, prejudiced SBI fans.
Roldan will make the 26: he’s a “glue” guy that everyone likes and lifts those around him, even if he isn’t playing. Stu Holden wasn’t fully fit in 2010, but he made the team for the exact same reason.
Put this here because it seems to be the only article with interest today.
——————
USA U17WNT won their first WC game 3-0 over Ecuador. Probably should have had a couple more.
“However, several positions are still up for grabs, including the starting No. 9 job, the right back position, and potentially the No. 1 goalkeeper role.”
That depends on how you look at it. It is way too early to predict. To me it is all over except for the inevitable surprises. For example, time will tell but Jedi may not make it back to what he was. Best left back inthe EPL? That guy is gone now. If so, it’s a terible loss:
Still;
A.) the starting No. 9 job,:
Barring a ridculous injury or a wave in loss of form, the starting #9 will be one of
Flo, Haji, or Pepi, all different but I’m fine with any of them. Next level would be Josh, Patrick or Damien. Less comfort there but probably at least equal to who we had in 2022, namely Josh and a less good Haji. In any case we should be upgraded from where we were in 2022.
B.) right back:
Rightback ( or right wingback) will be manned mostly by Sergino, Scally, Weah, or Weston. Whatever the case I’m comfortable with any of them.
C.) #1 keeper:
Barring Zach or Jonathan Klinsman doing something amazing and unexpected, it will be Freese or Turner. Schulte, Brady, Horvath, etc. I have to assume are all at the same level or less than the ZachMatts.
Freese, whether he is the #1 or not, has a spot on the roster because he is the desginated penalty shootout specalist. He is a worse distributor than Turner to the point that defenders regularly take the goal kicks. HIs decison amking is suspect and slow.. There are two reasons he remains the #1:
1) When Turner fucks up it is more spectacular. and it scares the shit out of his defense and makes them nervous for the rest of the game.
2) This defense has rallied around Freese and bends over backwards to take care of him. You don’t normally see that. Freese is very nervy and a slow decision maker. I’ve been wating for Pochettino to start Max or Patrick at keeper. Maybe if we build up a large goal cushion…………..
We will go into the WC with substandard goalkeeping . My guess is Pochettino consistently plays Freese because he wants the team to get into the habit of supporting a subpar goal keeper and not be destroyed the first time Freese drops a howler in the World Cup.
So, taking account of ths fact that I am an NE homer and generically a fan of Turner, aside from an “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” approach, I really dont see an argument for Freese over him.
I cant actually recall a “spectacular” fuckup for the nats, vs, say Freese’s continually sub-par footwork giving away a goal in the GC and leading to a lot of throw ins in the US half. His problems in England came from being asked to do something he really isn’t good at. He’s good at shot stopping, claiming, quick distribution and simple cycling of the ball around the back. You cant ask him to be a sweeper. But then, Freese is also terrible at that.
It’s worth pointing out that as poor as his season was at Forrest, his PSxG-GA/90 was actually significantly better than Sels’ over the same number of 90s (17 vs 16). Which is not something that seems to get mentioned much…
I don’t get the claim that his defense loses faith in him. Thats never happened at NE (he’s clearly improved the confidence of the defense since he got back) and I dont recall it happening with the Nats. If the coach doesn’t trust him, maybe, but then that’s a pretty common occurrence for a lot of Americans in England as I’m sure Pulisic would tell you, or even Howard in his first attempt with ManU.
And just numbers-wise, since stats in MLS should all be pretty comparable, Turners g+/96 is the best in the league as of last week among keepers with at least as many minutes as he has (which was >900). More than 3x Freese’s. And Turner only has one season in MLS in which his normalized g+ was below Freese’s best g+. And Turner has an assist, which is dont i dont think Freese or Schulte have.
The only real argument for Freese is that Poch has a personal preference for some reason or is really concerned about PKs.
2023 GC vs Panama would be the biggest blunder from Turner. But mostly I feel like it’s been death by a thousand cuts. Since he went to Europe it’s been a fairly gradual loss of sharpness. He faced one shot on target from Panama in March. Gives up a rebound on the 3rd Swiss goal off a fairly routine save.
————————
Not surprisingly getting regular minutes seems to have brought that sharpness back. I thought we’d maybe see him in net for one of the games this window. I’m assuming the Revs are going to purchase him.
nkh,
Your take is fair.
Before Freese went on his run I was of the view that Turner was the best keeper in the bunch, albeit a very bad bunch. I expected Turner back. Actually I expected Zach who remains the most talented keeper available , to mount a comeback but that never happened.
I was surprised that Freese has gone on this unbroken run of starts. He’s very raw.
On the other hand, I can’t argue with the result which is the USMNT seems to be getting better with every game.
“I don’t get the claim that his defense loses faith in him. ” I saw a number of his games when he was in England. With the Revs Matt is a legend, but in England, he was the back up. And I could be wrong but it seemed like his mistakes were his mistakes while the mistakes I’ve seen Freese make had more to do with mix ups with his defenders.
“If the coach doesn’t trust him, maybe,”
If Freese is playing so much ( during important games) and Turner is invisible that should tell you who the coach trusts more.
” but then that’s a pretty common occurrence for a lot of Americans in England as I’m sure Pulisic would tell you, or even Howard in his first attempt with ManU.”
I have zero patience with the anti American card. Prejudice exists and is real but Chelsea spent a ton of money on CP and he couldn’t stay on the field and he was not good enough to beat out the guys Chelsea brought in to outcompete him. He’s much better off at Milan, a much less competitive environment atmosphere more suited to where CP was in his career arc. These days CP is now a player who is better suited than he was back then to a tough cuthroat environment of a place like Chelsea.
Tim Howard, who has a Hungarian passport) couldn’t compete at Man U and was eventually dropped because he kept making high profile mistakes ( you only get one or two under SAF) and was replaced by one of the all time great keepers in Edwin Van de sar. SAF is brutal with everyone regardless of nationality.
At the end of the day Freese has made 11 straight starts. And he and the team have both gotten incrementally better.Had Pochettino done the same thing with Turner, he would have gotten equally good results.
But he didn’t and Freese is now the beneficiary of the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it argument.”
Whether Turner or Freese starts, the goalkeeper position for the USMNT will be substandard. I think it will remain this way until we finish the World Cup. Freese’s continuity is one small point of stability for the team.
JR, I think it would be silly of the Revs to not pick him back up. His numbers have been great since he came back. Of course, I think he could be fine in Ligue 1, though I dont see it happening. Petrovic was great there. And he’s not an unreasonable comparison.
Vacqui, I think it’s not unreasonable to play the “prejudice card” sometimes. It’s the footballing equivalent of “no one got fired for hiring from Harvard” or the bias you used to see towards big, strong-arm pocket passers in the NFL draft. Sure it’s a part of life, but it doesn’t mean it’s not real and that it doesn’t effect people’s careers.
Incidentally, I think Van Der Sar is pretty overrated.
My overall point was that Turner is, objectively, a better goalkeeper than Freese, whether that makes any difference or not.
I think that if the US suffers at GK in the WC, it will be from not having players with experience in higher level leagues, not necessarily because they’re less talented than before. Meola was a good MLS keeper at best. Keller had a pretty journeyman career. Friedel and Howard were legitimately great shotstoppers who both took a bit of time to find their place at a high level abroad. My take is that US keepers haven’t really developed yet in the direction that the game wants at the highest level. I dont think any of our previous “great” keepers would fit well nowadays, either. I cant recall the US ever having a keeper with the ability to sweep and play out of the back, which eveyone seems to think is a requirement now. Manuel Neuer ruined it for everyone.
Fortunately, the most valuable thing a keeper can actually do is stop shots. So, i think the key will be Poch not giving his keeper too much responsibility beyond that.
nkh,
Turner is a better keeper….until you get to that distribution business.
Then I think Turner and Freese both suck. But I notice that during Freese’s 11 start run, the USMNT has things set up so that Freese mostly just passes the ball on the ground to a defender on the wing. They don’t even take the goal kicks.
I suppose they could set up Turner the same way and protect him from his own flaws . But since he never plays we have yet to see that.
“Sure it’s a part of life, but it doesn’t mean it’s not real and that it doesn’t effect people’s careers…..”
Being a regular player for a top 5 league club in Europe is exceedingly difficult regardless of your race, religion, skin color, your general personality, where you are from and what your passport says, what high school you went to,etc., etc. Worrying about all that is a useless distractionin a business that is as serious as a heart attack.
What I think of is how Gio and Pulisic, experienced and highly talented euros at that point, would roll their eyes and refuse to pass the ball to Seba Lletget because he was slowing things down. I have no problem with being prejudiced agianst another player if they suck. They are taking food out the mouths of your kids.
“Incidentally, I think Van Der Sar is pretty overrated.”
So was Timmy Howard. In 2009 we needed Brad Guzan to shut out Egypt 3-0 to stay alive in the Group stage and advance in the Confederations Cup. In the 2010 World Cup he was shaky, You could argue he lost that Ghana game for us.. In 2014 he finally found some measure of redemption in the Belgium game.
I think Freese is #1 until the World Cup is over but it would not surprise me in the least if it was Turner instead or even Zach..
I think you are a Pochettino favorite as long as you give him what he wants for the team.Which is why I think Luna is in trouble.
Nkh: I guess my only question was if ol’Bob would pony up the money. If he’s not, I’m assuming somebody in MLS would give him DP money.
He’s not taking 4 strikers. I think everyone probably agrees at this point the 3rd striker is between Pepi and Pat.
I also don’t know if he brings 5 center backs. I’ll bet he’s keeping it open to playing 4 in the back if he thinks it’s the best formation against a particular team.
Roldan is probably a lock at this point.
I hope Musah is brought in, should be a part of this team no doubt in my mind
And yes, I still hope Gio makes it…
Yunus at his best sure. Yunus in his form of the last 12 months? In his first couple years it didn’t seem to matter how much or with what quality he was playing at Valencia he was good for the US. He’s just seemed to lose all his confidence since his move to Italy. Not sure he’s going to get enough consistent minutes to get out of his funk.
————————
Monchengladbach just hired a new sporting director from Red Bull, who will hire the new manager as his first task. He was in various other places before joining the Red Bull group, but if he’s looking to convert BM to the Red Bull way I don’t see that being good for Gio.
JR,
” Monchengladbach just hired a new sporting director from Red Bull….but if he’s looking to convert BM to the Red Bull way I don’t see that being good for Gio.”
Gio has to start showing progress before the next transfer window (January). No progress by then, no World Cup for Gio.
I don’t know what kind of roster they have now at BMG but unless they have a lot of billionaire oligarch money around, you’d think Gio has until at least the next transfer window ( next summer) to show progress before they dump him.
If he’s still not looking good then we won’t care what he does because he won’t be on the World cup team.
V: I just can’t think of a worse system for Gio to play under than the Red Bull way. It just doesn’t fit his skillset.
“can’t think of a worse system for Gio to play under than the Red Bull way.”
Maybe. But just because this guy spent some time at RB it doesn’t mean he’s going to out there as an RB zealot, proselytzing “The Way”.
Gio ain’t got time to worry about the sporting director especially if he’s thinking about the World Cup. He shouldn’t be but it’s understandale. He has to work on his health and fitness.
He has to get on and then stay on the field.
Once he can do that reliably, the rest will follow whether it’s a BMG or somewhere else.. I remember a period when Jozy could not walk from the locker room to the bench w/o pulling a hamstring. I’m kidding but not by much.
Right now Gio is a clown, a bad joke. He has work to do if he wants to stay at the top levels. If Roldan can make a World Cup team at 30 years old then so can Gio., Maybe.
I think there’s a spot for a January camp surprise. Perhaps Ferreira to have a good 3 weeks with the staff and then get called into March and grab a late spot. Zawadzki could be another surprise candidate, very experienced in the 3 CB or perhaps Blackmon has a better Jan than MRob.
———————
I wouldn’t count out Noahkai Banks sneaking in if he continues to start at Augsburg.
———————-
Right now I don’t see Musah making it.
Nah. Take out Agye and put in Roldan. No need for 4 strikers.
Quite clearly Roldan has gained the respect from Poch, and his teammates love him. He will push every player to be their best in training, and quite frankly his leadership is needed.
Yeah, right now Roldan isn’t just going to make the roster, he’s going to start…and I cannot believe I’m saying that with a straight face, but here we are – and Roldan has been shockingly good. A few of us noticed he’d been on fire for Seattle this year and has looked like a man transformed…and far from being a flash in the pan he seems to have carried that form into the USMNT. I’m not used to guys blossoming at age 30…but hey, late bloomers happen and I don’t hate it. And Roldan’s an easy guy to cheer for anyhow. Whatever, he isn’t an “eyes and vibes” guy with Pochettino, and I think Roldan could be a core starter. (Again…wild.)
Poch isn’t looking for flash in the middle of the park; he’s looking for solidity in assignment, sound decisions, rock-solid defense…and no drama. Whether it’s a 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1, Poch is going to deploy what’s essentially a double pivot and one guy is the destroyer – that’ll be Adams and one of either Aidan Morris or James Sands – and there’s still an open competition going at the shuttler role and right now Roldan is winning it and I’d have Tanner Tessmann as the other main contender. I think Luca de la Torre, Sebastian Berhalter, Yunus Musah, and even Weston McKennie are fading as double-pivot candidates, though I do think McKennie makes the roster as a winger or supersub since he’s too good to leave at home. But defensive solidity is not his thing, to use McKennie effectively he’s got to be allowed to wander and freelance and find the game and that’s a big no-no at the 6 spots for Pochettino. (I don’t think Musah makes it unless there’s injuries.)
so the most hilarious part is the fact that after all these years, Roldan doesn’t suck and the coaches have gotten it right all along. it’s flipping hilarious man
all the flak about MLS not good enough, and if in Europe = better by definition, even as teams in CONCACAF field MLSers that compete and even beat us sometimes
anyway, injuries still going to play a big part I think, optimally it’s Adams and then some choices, but Adams goes down or cannot play 3 straight group games, who is that guy? That’s the question Poch is trying to answer imho with all the looks at all these players. He knows Adams is top choice, but also that he very well may not be available, or at least not for all the group games, so he’s been searching for that guy(s)
to their credit, many players have stepped up to make his decisions on this interesting. I never thought Yunus was a 6 anyway altho he’s not terrible at it. the guy is awesome on the turn and has some skills in midfield other candidates don’t, but he plays with a little more risk/reward to his game, gets caught on the ball at times and misfired releases, and Poch not looking for that in there (see Tessman). also, moving Weston so high shows that too; if you play that way, which Weston does as well, you play up there so when it doesn’t work out, there’s the whole team still behind you, AND the risk taking is encouraged up there actually, right? Wes as skilled as any on the team, as good as any in the air in the area, and Poch moving there
for Yunus to make this team, he’d have to make it playing a position much higher up the field. not sure that’s happening or that he even gets a look there
Beach: love that breakdown of Musah. I had a similar thought while watching Wes this window that Yunus probably fits in better up high just as Wes does. I think that probably makes his competition greater though. Pulisic is going to get most of the minutes on one side. Then you’ve got Tillman, Luna, Weston, Aaronsons, Weah (when Dest is at RWB), Zendajas in there as well.
beachbum,
I’ve always thought of Yunus as Darlington Nagbe 2, in that everything is wonderful until you start talking about scoring goals.
I thought for a long time that Darlington had everything you needed to be a perfect 6 but as much as I like Yunus seems to lack Darlington’s feel for the game.
V: definitely see a similarity, I will say Darlington was always good about using his body to draw fouls but maybe that’s just the difference in officials between MLS and Serie A. Older Darlington was less turnover prone but probably not much different between 22 yr old Darlington. Hmmm, if Atalanta doesn’t work out we’d love to let Wilfred Nancy tutor him in Columbus, we’ve got an opening for press resistant CM who can run for days.