The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 113 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 October and November windows.
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 will hamper his chances, but should he get back to fitness next spring, he could be back among the options. However, it looks very likely at this point in time.
Noahkai Banks is also up for consideration given his productive Bundesliga season with Augsburg but it seems hard to see him jumping over experienced centerbacks in the squad.
Antonee Robinson is the USMNT’s No. 1 left back option, and despite a slow start to his Premier League season last summer, the veteran defender is back available for Fulham. A healthy Robinson is key heading into the World Cup, but should a setback arise, Max Arfsten could be set to jump into the left back role once again.
John Tolkin featured during the November window and could be in the No. 3 spot right now at left back.
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 now-Villarreal 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 both on their respective benches abroad.
Missed The Cut – Noahkai Banks, 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, Aidan Morris, Malik Tillman, Tanner Tessmann, Cristian Roldan, Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson.
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 the summer. Despite missing two months due to an MCL injury, Adams is now back and ready to get back to his best for Bournemouth ahead of the March international window.
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. He also does remain important as a central midfield option, especially with goals and assists coming regularly for him at Juventus.
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 despite suffering a slight injury hiccup in the fall/winter.
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 and work rate, Malik Tillman, Aidan Morris, Brenden Aaronson, and Sebastian Berhalter are my four 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.
He’s had a solid season in Germany, showing glimpses of why the club paid a large fee to PSV for him.
Aaronson brings veteran experience to the midfield, especially in comparison to guys like Gio Reyna, Johnny Cardoso, and others. With the goal contributions increasing and performances improving at Leeds United, expect Aaronson to be among the final guys fighting for roster spots.
Berhalter enjoyed a positive 2025 for club and country and could very well take over set-piece duty if he jumps back into the squad next March. The key thing for him is staying fit, especially with an early start to the season in CONCACAF Champions Cup action.
Cristian Roldan delivered a busy year for club and country in 2025 and was key in the October window. Similar to Berhalter, it will be interesting to see if Roldan can stay fit and injury-free.
Reyna, Cardoso, and Yunus Musah are three guys that are on the bubble and could force their way in with strong second half of the seasons abroad. Cardoso’s tough start at Atletico Madrid hurt his fall and looks to have trickled into the new year.
Morris missed time in the fall due to a knee injury, but is now back to playing a key role for Middlesbrough during the second half of the season. He is playing week in and week out, which will be key in him fending off others for a roster spot.
Musah and Reyna, two of the key names from 2022, are on the outside at this time. Musah has found playing time hard to come by at Atalanta while Reyna has missed time due to a muscle injury this winter.
Both still have chances of making it, but those are getting slimmer by the week.
Missed The Cut – Diego Luna, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, 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, Patrick Agyemang, 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 first-half of the season with AC Milan hasn’t carried over to the winter, but he does remain important for the Rossoneri this spring.
A healthy and confident Pulisic could be vital to how far the USMNT goes.
Tim Weah’s versatility should see him at either right wing or right wing back. Despite playing week in and week out at Marseille, Weah had a quiet October window and was not named in the November roster.
His club performances have been pretty strong throughout the season, but he’ll have to keep it up over the next three months.
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. Balogun scored in both of the October and November windows and overall might have an edge over the other forwards in the pool due to his consistency when called in.
He most recently eclipsed 10+ goals this season with Monaco, scoring twice in UEFA Champions League play.
Wright would get the nod over Ricardo Pepi at this time due to Pepi’s arm injury and Wright’s positive run for Coventry City. However, plenty could change with four months of club action left to go.
Should Pepi come back fit and get back amongst the goals for PSV, he could leapfrog Wright in the pecking order.
Patrick Agyemang would round out the attacking options for me as he continues to deliver a successful first EFL Championship campaign. Agyemang’s physicality makes him hard to keep off the roster, especially given the fact that Wright could play out wide as well.
Missed The Cut – 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 disagree that there will be no experiments in march. i think it will be mostly regulars. but i think he might evaluate 9s and tinker in the back.
at 9, pepi remains out with the arm break, and sargent imploded with his career move where he is just now getting a 2026 team. i could see him spending slots on strikers looking for last slot candidates or for injury contingencies other than sargent. eg agyemang downs ferreira.
in the back, i could see banks and maybe someone like fossey getting a chance. the backline has remained a little shaky, and an effective defending wingback can double as a 3 man CB. i would be dissatisfied with my CB other than richards. at minimum, i’d be looking for other 3 man back options than the backup CBs.
so i see regulars at GK, mid, AM — athough perhaps fighting for the roster — but i could see him tinkering at 9 and back a little. not much, and likely not for a starting role.
I don’t think there will be experiments in March but more fine tuning. I do think Banks probably gets another look since he got hurt in October. Fossey for me is a bridge too far. He hasn’t been in since last March, and missed half the season with injury. I’m just trying to read tea leaves from Poch saying the WC starts now. He seems done with tryouts. Ferreira hasn’t been called by Poch since last January where he showed up out of shape and/or more interested in joining Seattle. He’s not coming unless 5 or 6 forwards go down. I think it will be just is it Miles or Joe, Roldan or Morris. Minor battles for those last spots. If Gio is healthy I hope he gets one more look because good Gio is definitely a difference maker.
IV and JR,
Regardless if Gio is called into the March camp, come the end of this Bundesliga season, if he is healthy and fit, he will be on the World Cup roster.
Pochettino is full of coach speak aka bullshit and has shown to be a beacon of contradiction, so he can say anything he wants to push and prod the player pool, but he knows that Gio has undeniable talent and because of that, offers something that no one else in the player pool does.
As long he can go, there isn’t much risk bringing Gio as the 26th roster spot. Who had on their bingo card 12 months ago that Seb Berhalter might be at the WC and not Gio?
“Pochettino is full of coach speak aka bullshit”
Hahaha…..you are such a dunce. Mauricio Pochettino is a highly regarded manager known for developing young talent and has coached several of the world’s elite players across his time at PSG, Tottenham, and Chelsea, most notably superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar Jr., and Harry Kane……..and you think he’s “worried” about Gio Reyna??? LMAO
IV,’
“i think he might evaluate 9s and tinker in the back….at 9, pepi remains out with the arm break, and sargent imploded with his career move where he is just now getting a 2026 team. i could see him spending slots on strikers looking for last slot candidates or for injury contingencies other than sargent. eg agyemang downs ferreira.”
Injuries will tell the tale but your vision is not likely to be realized.
If you assume there are 4 striker slots ( debatable) , Flo and Wright , assuming they retain their current form are #1 and #2 . And even if they don’t retain their form they remain the most well rounded players with a good USMNT track record for that striker slot. Pepi and Patrick are specialists and more limited but also have good USMNT track records. Pepi hasn’t been around much but that is mostly because of injury. Patrick is one of Pochettino’s pet MLS cupcake fuck you projects like Luna, can’t play leftback Max, and Freese who y’all hated because he shoved them in your unwilling faces and they are still around. And they still matter.
Assuming Pepi can show something decent between now and March he’s in. Assuming Patrick retains his hotness it becomes a matter of whether they think they can translate his very specific role at Derby to whatever they plan to scheme up for the USMNT. I’d like to take all 4 but it depends mostly on how dire the midfielders and defenders look.
The other thing about the striker slots is that CP is our most consistent and best scorer. He is likely to lead the WC team in goals. And Weston is getting dialed in.
The productivity potential of those two will likely affect the striker slots.
“in the back, i could see banks and maybe someone like fossey getting a chance. the backline has remained a little shaky, and an effective defending wingback can double as a 3 man CB. i would be dissatisfied with my CB other than richards. at minimum, i’d be looking for other 3 man back options than the backup CBs.”
Pochetttino probably does not see the defense like you because he doesn’t think like you.. You would clearly set up a team differently from Pochettino so your perssonnel choices are likely going to be different from Pochettino’s. If Banks is playing hair on fire he has a chance but he’s still learning how to play and the World Cup is no place to learn your job.
Pochettino has had Fossey in for evaluation a few times and has not seen fit to play him. This is bad for Fossey. Most managers, if they like a player, find a way to get him on the field. Pochettino has had chances to play a fit Fossey and chose to pass on him. He seems to want someone with more offensive potential ( Alex F.?) . If Dest isn’t the right back Pochettino, barring injury, isn’t going to be looking at Fossey.
Pepi back with a goal today.
i think aaronson is on thinner ice than the analysis suggests. i think the formation switch took away some of his swiss army value — what we want are pinched AMs. only. wing forward vaporized. or you need to be a DM or a wingback who can defend on an island. (i think he gave the old naive 433 some time, and saw it was soft and couldn’t stop his grandmother, was losing game after game, and so now it’s a 5 back arrangement and 2 DMs, which means some pure attackers from a poor-to-middling version of the team, are out of jobs).
i think he’s competing for a backup role behind 1 of 2 AMs. i think there are a long list of talented, productive guys competing for about 3-4 slots alongside pulisic. mckennie luna reyna tillman etc.
I think the formation change helps BA as he’s more a tucked in AM than a wing.
—————————
We are still defending in a 4-4-2. Just as we have been throughout the Berhalter and Poch era. Watch when the opponent gets into the final 3rd. The 3 CBs and 1 of the FBs form a back four. The other FB the 2 CMs and one of the AMs makes the midfield 4 and Pulisic and Balo make the top 2. That’s why Freeman looks so comfortable to 2tone as the “RCB” because it’s no different than his role and location this summer in the GC. Poch can either play a natural FB like Scally or Freeman as that RCB or a mobile CB like Banks or Miles. The question then is do you play Dest on the left and sit the still ailing Jedi or move Dest into a midfield/wing role? (Note: these are not my ideas, they are how Poch has been setting the team up. So please save your typing fingers telling me how that’s not how you played because they’re Poch’s tactics not mine. Complain Mauricio not me.)
re the luna discussion, it’s weird to make it about the bloody nose alone. the coach is not rostering a symbol. what he does is defend an AM position with the scrappiness of a DM, while producing some as AM. no sane coach is going to pout about that. that’s how the youth team i came up with expected you to play. you try to create chances, and then you defend tough as a unit.
no, if he has a roster issue it’s finite slots for high attacking players. turning one mid into a second DM and then having the wide players be hybrid backs and not wing forwards, basically cuts the attacking roles in half. so you have several creatives fighting for 4-5 slots, one of which has to be pulisic. if luna loses that, it’s not a referendum on the bloody nose, it’s we think we have other, better setup people.
and the health of someone like reyna may matter.
based on our lineups and results the past 2 windows, we will play 2 DM in something like a 343 or 1243. that likely results in 3-4 dedicated DMs getting rostered plus one more player who is either dedicated or can play another role. so 4 or 5 DM total. recent usage would favor adams tessmann morris berhalter roldan. this bodes poorly for johnny musah LDLT sands.
where i see the real pinch is a lot of supporting attacker slots disappear if you switch to hybrid wing/backs and 2 DMs. you end up with like 2 starting AM/wing forward roles. then 3 or so subs. pulisic takes the left side start role. you then have mckennie luna tillman reyna weah aaronson all fighting for maybe 4 or so spots, 1 starter, the rest subs.
i think this means musah gets cut and weah is making the team as a wing/back sub if he is at all. his old job turned into more of a pinched AM/forward hybrid. the wing/back guy is the one we want to get down the line.
Musah is definitely out at this point. I’m sure there’s a comment below somewhere from me about how he’s not playing for club and has no success with Poch to fall back on. That hasn’t changed since fall.
———————-
If Weah is coming off the bench that’s the best problem we’ve had in a while. He fits well with Dest because Dest wants to come in side and Tim likes to get down the line so it might not be the problem you think it is. I also think Weah is suffering from some fan recency bias because most of us don’t have BeIn so we aren’t watching him regularly, as we are others.
————————-
Luca and Sands definitely out barring multiple injuries. Johnny has never played well for Nats and can’t stay healthy for more than 3 weeks so he seems out at the moment too. I could see Malik Tillman being tried again in a DM role. I think it was at Jamaica he played there after Johnny went off. Poch needs a good passer there because Tyler gets bogged down if he has to unlock defenses.
Gio > Teasman
Prove me wrong.
-Not really the same position.
-If both healthy I agree.
-Gio plays so little it’s hard to prove.
There is nothing to prove…….you have to play and see consistent time on the pitch first in order to have “something” to compare and contrast.
He seems to have a lingering thigh injury, and was recently sidelined again with an unspecified muscle issue that has caused him to miss consecutive games.
The kid has bigger issues than being able to play for the National Team
The John O’Brien vibes have only gotten stronger.
They play two different positions: it’s like sing this running back is better than that wide receiver, or that shortstop is better than that third baseman. Tessmann can play 6 or 8 and can’t even fill in at center back. Gio is a 10 or winger.
That being said, Tessmann is consistently starting for a team that will contend to win the Europa league. Gio always seems to be the brunt of some vicious tackles, and his injury prone. Additionally, he has a fragile, ego, and still seems to be dealing with the unfortunate death of his older brother and having two helicopter parents. Until he starts getting regular minutes again and performing well, he’s not making this team.
Poch was impressed with Luna’s play with a broken nose. But while, Luna has not really shone for the US since then. I think Poch takes him just to have a bulldog in the mix.
With a 4-man back line, I think Dest is the right back. If it is 3 in the back, Dest is likely moved up if the other potential rbs. are playing well enough.
With Balogan, Wright and Agyemang scoring goals, Pepi and Zendejas are duking it out, Also, each of Wright and Zendejas can play as wing.
I am most worried about the back line, but I dont know of ant players who might be better than we have, maybe Noah.
Unless Kevin Paredes has switched countries. I think he is in contention for. Spot this summer
Probably not. Still lingering issues with him.
I am not sure he is. He’s never been in under Poch. Might be back a little too late. Transfermkt listed him as “ill”, last week.
Probably should start a new article here instead of bumping this one from October
SBI Player of the Week Alex Zendejas would like a word with everyone.
At least he should be on the missed the cut list, at best he could be selected ahead of Brendan Aaronson. Poch seemed to rate him before his injury….
I feel like that was a typo since Caden Clark and Ben Cremaschi are still on the list. I think Larry traded out Zendajas for Agyemang on the roster and forgot to put Zendajas back on the missed cut list.
Man IMO, having Tyler Adams, Tanner Tessmann, and Cristian Roldan on the roster Poch can afford to bring Mr. Zendajas instead of Aidan Morris
It’s going to be interesting to see whether he’s going to go defense midfield or Forward heavy……as I believe even Timmy Tillman and Diego Luna are still heavily in the mix?…….
*** moving this to the top to ensure that you are able to see it ***
Johnnyrazor,
Agreed, in that it is very unlikely that anyone new will be invited to the March camp, let alone make the 2026 World Cup roster. The one person that has a chance is Banks, and he is not literally new…he just has not earned a cap. That said, if he is healthy, and his playing time and level of play continue the same for the rest of this Bundesliga season, he has a very good chance of making the WC roster.
Cavan being as good, or better, than Mathis is false…objectively and categorically false. I am not sure what you are basing your assessment on, but I would assume your doing so based on their respective performances at the 2025 u17 World Cup. While that is apples to apples, that is not a true representation of the path that each one is on. Agreed, that Mathis will probably not get much time, if any, this season with Dortmund’s first team, but the competition at the Dortmund academy is much stronger and more difficult than the same at the Union’s academy. Additionally, breaking into the first team at Dortmund is much harder to do than doing the same with the Union…no if, and’s, or but’s about it.
Make no mistake about it, Cavan being in Philly is definitely representative of a lack of interest. If he could help another team, even NYCFC, and play more than he does at the Union, there would be interest and dialogue, regardless of his unique situation with the Union and Man City. I can assure, as of right now, with respect to that topic, all you hear is the sounds of crickets.
And the reason you loan him to Lommel or Serie B is so that he can get regular playing time, maybe even start, and continue to develop more so than he is currently doing so with either the Union or Union II.
The same reason Lommel and Troyes wouldn’t play Vassilev is the same reason they wouldn’t play Cavan…as of right now, neither is good enough.
I’ve said before, pro soccer is not about if you are old enough…it is about whether you are good enough.
And no, Vassilev did not lead the Union to MLS Cup glory, but he did lead them to the Supporters Shield glory, which is more than Cavan did.
Whatever reason the Sullivan’s gave for Cavan staying in Philly until he is 18 is irrelevant and just banter. Bottom line, at this time, he is not good enough to start in MLS, let alone in Europe. Maybe that changes this season in MLS, but as of now, it is not the case.
It is clear you don’t rate Carnell, and that is okay, but Jim Curtin never won an MLS Cup either…does that mean you don’t rate him either?
Also, 29 other teams / coaches did not win the MLS Cup in 2025, including your beloved Wilfred Nancy…does that mean all the other 29 MLS coaches, including Nancy suck?
I should say against age group opponents he’s equal or better to Albert. I don’t think there’s much in Mathis’ game that suggests he’s anymore ready to play against grown men (especially in the Bundesliga). I like them both I hope they both do well and in 2030 we’re talking about the attacking trio of Albert (BVB) Sullivan (MC) and Berchimas (makes the rumored move to BMunich). The likelihood they all make it is pretty small though.
———————-
Carnell’s system is flawed that is his problem. He won the Supporters Shield by beating up on the weaklings of the league. Against playoff teams they had a poor record (less impressive). That’s how I knew they wouldn’t win. You saw it with Jesse Marsch’s NYRB teams and with Carnell his 1st season in STL. Their high press destroys weak teams but they struggle to create against teams that don’t turn it over. And because they commit so much forward in the counter press if the opponent beats them there are opportunities at the back. Carnell owes a lot of his coaching success to Burki and Blake allowing less than their xGot.
——————-
Nancy did win an MLS Cup though. Carnell has twice in four years had the number one seed and not made it past the 2nd round. He has one way to manage, that’s what got Wilfred axed in Glasgow and will likely see Carnell’s tenure in Philly be much shorter than Curtin’s.
Cavan will get plenty of minutes this season. Already getting minutes tonight in the CCL.
Cavan Came in in the 65th minute and assisted on Damian goal in the 69th minute.
And Cavan was upended in the box for a PK in the 81st. Seems like Cavan is off to a great start. Almost scored too. Barely missing the top corner.
I’m not sure beating up on a team from Trinidad is a fair look at how Cavan will do or how much he’ll play.
Seems to have gone unmentioned but the U17s qualified for the WC next Nov. Jakupovic from Phi. Union was the big star of qualifiers. Malik had 8g last year for Union II, scoring a goal every 55 minutes, in a primarily super sub role.
With players to move around and Poch having to choose whether he wants to go Defense, Midfield or Forward heavy…….CURRENTLY there is no way Gio Reyna makes this team with Diego Luna (MF), Timmy Tillman (MF), James Sands (MF/CB), Patrick Agyemang (FW), Joe Scally (RB) healthy.
Gio was ruled out with a muscle injury AGAIN and has not returned to the Gladbach bench since. He missed:
The game versus Stuttgart (JAN 25) – They lost 3 – 0
The game versus Werder Bremen (JAN 31) – They drew 1 – 1
The game versus Leverkusen (FEB 7) – They drew 1 – 1
He suffered an injury in training….A BENCH PLAYER HURT IN TRAINING….ahead of the game. Overall, he’s made 14 appearances for Gladbach this season, including ONLY FIVE STARTS, and has yet to tally a goal or an assist for the Foals…….and he is inked in as a starter for the USMNT??? lol…No way
Yep Gio out, and also Berhalter. Too many guys in the “missed cut” are ahead of these two. No way Poch leaves off Luna and Cardoso would be my other pic. I also would take Morris, Musah, and even Busio before either of Reyna/Berhalter. D and forwards look set. Also, Weston McKennie is the USMNT’s best player right now.
Busio???
James Sands is not making the WC.
———————
I don’t disagree that Gio would be a tough choice to bring but not because of Sands.
Johnny has played less than Gio this year and is also currently out. When Gio has played for the US has been good and at times great. Johnny has never moved passed meh for the US. If neither are fit for March they are probably off.
i thought gutierrez had officially flown the coop. one-time switch for him and ledezma to mexico in january.
the horserace aspect to this doesn’t help much. we canceled january camp. the only pre-tournament window is march, barely after MLS started. and then the story goes that may/june will be the final roster.
in which case i anticipate limited or no march experimentation, and a fairly predictable world cup roster unless someone gets hurt. and if they get hurt he probably calls someone we have seen lately.
someone could play themselves off the field or roster with a “berhalter 2006” style horrorshow, but otherwise, is what it is.
and if he experiments with someone MLS it will be someone he’s wanted to see for a while as opposed to they start strong in MLS. there’s not enough league games before the march window would get picked, to identify “form” players.
i’ve already said my piece that i think the inertia at GK and CB is risky. i also think our identified depth at wingback is poor if we needed someone other than the obvious.
it’s more likely health triggers contingencies than we have a real horserace for jobs. i am not naming names because jinx.
Poch has basically said as much. He’s seen the players he has wanted to see. March he said is the start of the WC. It would take someone like Cavan Sullivan having 5g 2a in the first two weeks to even get a chance in March (Poch sounds like he’s got his roster basically narrowed). The only break-ins I could see would be Banks who got hurt in his fall camp and Albert if suddenly starts getting normal and effective minutes for Dortmund. I guess maybe Paredes who has been hurt most of Mauricio’s tenure.
—————————
Gutierrez didn’t have to file a switch so would still be eligible as he hasn’t represented either nation in official competition. Seems fairly unlikely though.
Johnnyrazor,
Agreed, in that it is very unlikely that anyone new will be invited to the March camp, let alone make the 2026 World Cup roster. The one person that has a chance is Banks, and he is not literally new…he just has not earned a cap. That said, if he is healthy, and his playing time and level of play continue the same for the rest of this Bundesliga season, he has a very good chance of making the WC roster.
Cavan being as good, or better, than Mathis is false…objectively and categorically false. I am not sure what you are basing your assessment on, but I would assume your doing so based on their respective performances at the 2025 u17 World Cup. While that is apples to apples, that is not a true representation of the path that each one is on. Agreed, that Mathis will probably not get much time, if any, this season with Dortmund’s first team, but the competition at the Dortmund academy is much stronger and more difficult than the same at the Union’s academy. Additionally, breaking into the first team at Dortmund is much harder to do than doing the same with the Union…no if, and’s, or but’s about it.
Make no mistake about it, Cavan being in Philly is definitely representative of a lack of interest. If he could help another team, even NYCFC, and play more than he does at the Union, there would be interest and dialogue, regardless of his unique situation with the Union and Man City. I can assure, as of right now, with respect to that topic, all you hear is the sounds of crickets.
And the reason you loan him to Lommel or Serie B is so that he can get regular playing time, maybe even start, and continue to develop more so than he is currently doing so with either the Union or Union II.
The same reason Lommel and Troyes wouldn’t play Vassilev is the same reason they wouldn’t play Cavan…as of right now, neither is good enough.
I’ve said before, pro soccer is not about if you are old enough…it is about whether you are good enough.
And no, Vassilev did not lead the Union to MLS Cup glory, but he did lead them to the Supporters Shield glory, which is more than Cavan did.
Whatever reason the Sullivan’s gave for Cavan staying in Philly until he is 18 is irrelevant and just banter. Bottom line, at this time, he is not good enough to start in MLS, let alone in Europe. Maybe that changes this season in MLS, but as of now, it is not the case.
It is clear you don’t rate Carnell, and that is okay, but Jim Curtin never won an MLS Cup either…does that mean you don’t rate him either?
Also, 29 other teams / coaches did not win the MLS Cup in 2025, including your beloved Wilfred Nancy…does that mean all the other 29 MLS coaches, including Nancy suck?
Johnnyrazor,
Still a Cavan Sullivan fanboy, huh?…good to see that hasn’t changed for 2026. 🙂
Interesting, especially given how much you heckle IV about Cole Campbell.
No chance Cavan makes the 2026 USMNT World Cup roster.
Additionally, as of now, it is extremely unlikely that he starts for the Union.
Before you respond that the Union don’t know what they are doing and that Philly start journeyman in front of him, due note, he is now 16 years old and holds a German passport, which means he is eligible to go on loan in Europe.
Under the Man City Football group, there are various options for a loan, including Lommel, Troyes, Palermo, and Girona, but as of now, no one is taking him on loan because at this time, he is not good enough to start or contribute significant minutes in MLS, so there is no way he would do so in Europe.
I know you have a man crush on him ( it’s really a boy crush, but that would be weird ), but at this time, the reality is that within the professional soccer world, he is just not that good.
Papi: just used him as an example, it would take an incredible couple of performances in MLS to even get a tryout in March from anyone outside the current pool and you’d still have to beat out guys with over a year with what Poch wants. I could have said Zavi Gozo, Cole Bassett, or Brooklyn Raines. None of them have much of any chance of making the WC roster.
———————
As for not ready, Cavan is today better or equal to Albert, we’ve seen it on the field. Albert may soon be getting chances with Dortmund. Kovac in the past has not been keen on giving youth minutes so I don’t think Mathis or the other teens brought to the bench by BvB will get much time.
——————
I’m not sure that the fact he is still in Philly signifies lack of interest. It is tricky because Union still own him, but he has the agreement with Man City when he turns 18. If you look at Lommel and Palermo they don’t have guys from Man City on loan, Lommel has a few from City Groups other clubs but not many. Man City itself has only loaned out a player or two the last couple of years to their affiliates. Pointing to that’s not their strategy. Why loan him to 2nd division in Belgium or Italy where the level of play is below MLS? And no he wouldn’t start in Troyes or Girona but those places wouldn’t play Vassilev either. I forget did Indy lead the Union to MLS Cup glory?
————————
Also part of the reason the Sullivans gave for staying in Philly until 18 is the chance to play at home and with his brother. I don’t know if Cavan ever makes it or not, but I am pretty confident that Union will never win an MLS Cup under Carnell.
I prefer either Luna or Cardosa over Roldan and lean towards Luna. Forever impressed after he took the pop to the nose and kept on ball’n.
Johnny is once again injured.
Agree. Luna is on the bus over Roldan.
Defense and forwards are set.
Midfield is where I think is still in flux.
You are probably wrong on two bench players.
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.
he’s not going before reyna or luna.
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.
“– 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?”
Unless it was for a guaranteed role in a legend club ( like Liverpool) and for stupid money guys like Freeman and Max would have a hard time justifying fixing what ain’t broke.
Right now it looks like they have a good chance at being given significant minutes at the World Cup. If the USMNT and they do well, they will be able to name their price.
Of course there is always the chance something goes bad and they either don’t make the team or they don’t play well if they do make the team.
So there is risk all around.
Overall I’d say it would take quite an amazing offer for them to risk their World Cup involvement by transferring so soon before the World Cup..
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.
IV,
“ferreira not sargent should be the one on the batphone as a contingency, as he’s actually productive for the Nats”
Nonsense.
Bullshit. Ferreira was prodcutive for Gregg’s USMNT vs weaklings . When he played in the World Cup vs a real team, he was nothing, had nothing , showed nothing. Pochettino’s 2026 WC team is a completely different team and going by your logic, belongs nowhere near it.
“and zendejas, no. we need to trial RFs. based on U20 worlds and not breaking into dortmund, that’s probably not campbell this cycle.”
Zendejas has been productive for Pochettino’s USMNT, which is a lot more than you can say for either Ferreira or Cole who have done nothing for Pochettino.
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.
Tele57,
“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.”
Whatever goodwill or credit Yunus built up from playing at the 2022 Wolrd Cup has already been used up.
Pochettino has seen 2022 and can see the present version that we all can see.
Present day Musah isn’t good and is not more attractive than other options that you and I can see.
Barring injuries and Musah ripping it up at Atalanta there is no reason to give Musah a chance.
He’s already had his chance.
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.