Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and Weston McKennie are set to rejoin the U.S. national team for their first appearance since the World Cup, integrating into a promising young squad that showcased impressive performances in four friendlies this fall. The three seasoned players were omitted from the previous roster due to recent recoveries from injuries and coach Mauricio Pochettino’s focus on exploring younger talent. However, they are now part of the 25 players called up for the upcoming two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti.
Training camp will kick off on Monday at the national training center near Atlanta, leading up to matches on November 14 in Miami and November 17 in Cincinnati. This will be the first competitive action for the trio since their round-of-16 exit against Belgium in the World Cup—a match where Balogun played despite having received a red card in the previous game, and Pulisic had to leave with a microfracture in his leg.
Last weekend, Pulisic returned to form by scoring in AC Milan’s victory over Inter Milan, while Balogun netted his first goal since the World Cup as a substitute for Monaco. Pochettino has also included 19 players from the September-October camp, which featured wins against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada.
In addition to these veterans, the roster includes a few surprising faces: 21-year-old Reed Baker-Whiting of Nashville and Santiago Castañeda of Paderborn will make their senior team debut, while 25-year-old Bryan Reynolds returns for the first time since 2023. This senior camp overlaps with the under-23 squad’s preparations for the 2028 Olympics. Pochettino previously introduced several Olympic-eligible players into senior competition and retains seven of them for this round.
Pochettino expressed excitement to assemble this group for a crucial tournament, emphasizing their readiness to compete and aim for victory. Noteworthy absences from the roster include Yunus Musah from AC Milan and several World Cup teammates like Tim Weah and Brenden Aaronson, while striker Ricardo Pepi was omitted due to ongoing injury recovery.
Since the inception of the Nations League in 2019, the U.S. has a perfect record in reaching the semifinals. The first leg of the quarterfinal will be held in Miami due to security concerns in Haiti.
USMNT Roster for Nations League Quarterfinals
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese (New York City FC), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC).
Defenders: Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville SC), George Campbell (West Brom), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union), Bryan Reynolds (Rennes), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg Alsace), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Justin Ellis (Orlando City), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union).
Fan Take: This news is pivotal for soccer fans as it signals a resurgence of key players, potentially revitalizing the U.S. squad’s performance in crucial matches. The blend of experienced stars and fresh talent could set a strong foundation for future competitions, further elevating the profile of soccer in America.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
