The U.S. Men’s National Team roster has been updated for the first since March. Gio Reyna is one of 11 new players on the roster, who were not part of the October friendly matches, a 1-1 tie with Ecuador, and a 2-1 victory over Australia. Some of this turnover can be explained by the availability of the players. Tyler Adams is back after missing the matches last month while waiting to give birth to his second child. Sergino Desta and Ricardo Pepi have also returned after recovering from injuries. A handful of the notable exclusions are down to injury, too – Christian Pulisic picked up a hamstring issue against Australia, while Antonee Robinson has been dealing with a knee injury for several months now.Call it What You Want: A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. Catch the show YouTube live every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.Even then, some of the absences – and inclusions – are more notable than others. Matt Turner, who is the USMNT goalkeeper for 2022 World Cup but has not played since June, along with fellow World Cup veterans Weston McKennie & Tim Weah, were left off after their October games. Reyna has been called up for the very first time after his summertime transfer to Borussia Monchengladbach. The team desperately needs playing time. Joe Scally, who is also a member of the club and the country, was also included.
“We started a year ago, and due to different circumstances, we did not have the opportunity to see and hear all of the players perform, behave and explain with us. [what] Pochettino, in a Thursday press conference ahead of the penultimate break for his international team before the World Cup, said: “We expect them to deliver.” It is therefore a great opportunity to have someone like Gio who is so special. I think that we are going be [in agreement] Gio has a unique style of play. It is to give him the chance to be with us.”The USMNT continues their preparation for 2026 World Cup, with a friendly match against Paraguay Nov. 15, and one against Uruguay Nov. 18.” Both of this month’s opponents have already qualified for next summer’s tournament, with Uruguay serving as the latest opponent in FIFA’s top 30 to face the U.S. en route to the World Cup.USMNT November rosterGOALKEEPERS (4): Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergino Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse FC), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Auston Trusty (Celtic)MIDFIELDERS (7): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)FORWARDS (5): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Haji Wright (Coventry City)
Weston McKennie: “It’s common sense to leave out Christian Pulisic” Pulisic hasn’t played since he was injured against Australia, but he could play when AC Milan plays Parma on Saturday. It is not yet known how many minutes Pulisic will be able play. Pochettino stated that calling Pulisic up next week, when the USMNT reconvenes, would not be worth risking his health.Pochettino stated that it was not common sense to summon a player. “It is true, the injury was minor. This is to allow him to recover fully, be healthy and ready to play with his team after their international duty. [club] team. It’s just common sense. We never risk players. He was really against Australia. [felt] The player said that the doctors’ and medical staff’s assessments were correct and he agreed. He did not play against Ecuador due to a problem he had when he arrived at camp. [had]”McKennie is fit but will stay in Italy this month and continue to train with Juventus.”McKennie, who is in good shape, will remain in Italy and train with Juventus this month. Luciano Spaletti replaced Igor Tudor as manager of the Turn-based club last week. McKennie played in all four games that Spaletti coached in his first weeks in Turin, but Pochettino feels it’s better for him to stay and continue training with Juventus.
Pochettino explained that a coach who is new to the club will play all games. “But I believe the next few months, when the new coach can work with the team and not compete, it’s very important for Weston be there to try to convince him. [to] Keep playing. It’s more important to me that he stays with us, because we know what he brings to the team.Gio Reyna ReturnsOn talent alone, Reyna has to be one of most prominent players in the USMNT’s talent pool. But things haven’t always gone according the plan for this player who is full of promise. Even though the 22-year old is prone to injury, he still struggles for playing time in club football. Reyna has only 10-plus league games in a season once in his entire career – the 2020-21 season with Borussia Dortmund – and has not played a 90-minute league match since 2022. Reyna’s inactivity caused him to fall down the depth chart of the USMNT, even after the family feud between Gregg Berhalter and the former head coach was resolved. Pochettino insists that Reyna play at club level. Despite only starting once for Monchengladbach due to injuries, Reyna is slowly building match fitness. Pochettino was impressed enough to give Reyna at least another look. He wants to learn as much as he can about all the players before deciding his World Cup squad.
“We know Gio already, his potential and talent. Pochettino stated that although he has a lot of talent, he is not playing enough. I believe it’s an excellent opportunity to get together in November as we won’t be seeing each other again until March. “It’s not just about performing on the field, but also being with him to share time and get to know him,” Pochettino said. [him] better. Now that he has started, he will be able to start.[ing] It can give him a motivational boost to stay with us. It is very important to us.”Forward race hots upThe USMNT has seen its results trend upwards in recent months. This is in part due to the fact that it now boasts several forwards in excellent form. Folarin balogun scored twice and had an assist in the last four matches he played for the National Team. Haji Wright also scored twice in his first appearance under Pochettino. The pair have coupled that with strong performances for their club teams and for November, another in-form player will join them – Ricardo Pepi. PSV’s striker, who has been out of the team for a year with a knee problem, is now back in the team. He has picked up from where he left off at the club level, though – he has five goals in 12 games across all competitions, most recently a stoppage-time equalizer in PSV’s 1-1 draw at Olympiacos on Tuesday.Diego Luna, meanwhile, joins the forward ranks this time around after months of being listed as a midfielder. Pochettino’s recent switch to a rear three has forced some changes in position on the pitch. Luna’s minutes as a midfielder have decreased in October. However, Pochettino thinks he can play another role for the team.
Pochettino described him as an offensive midfielder. “He can play as an offensive midfielder. He can also play on the wing, or even like a no. 10. I find him offensive [as] A midfielder who can only play and contain the ball is not a good player. He’s an offensive player. Even if he is played a bit deeper, I believe he has the ability, and the consistency, to get to the box in any situation and try to score. His mentality and characteristics are such that he always wants to score. He’s a player who is offensive. It’s because he is an offensive player.”Matt Freese is the new No. It seems that the trend in goalkeeping is changing, even as Pochettino continues to experiment. Matt Freese is the New Yorker’s best chance to win this job. City FC shot-stopper went from relative anonymity to start 11 of their 12 last matches. These 11 caps make him most experienced ‘keeper in the squad, as Turner is nowhere to be found. He was on the October team but didn’t play for a minute. Freese now has goalkeepers who have little experience flanking him. Turner may not make the World Cup squad, but it is still too early to say. Pochettino might be focusing more on Freese’s experience before the World Cup.
2025-11-06 22:22:24
