U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino announced his final training camp roster of the year — a 25-man squad preparing for friendlies against Paraguay (Nov. 15) and Uruguay (Nov. 18). The camp begins Monday near Philadelphia, with matches in Chester, PA, and Tampa, FL.
Major Absences
Several top players were left out due to injury, fitness, or club situations:
- Christian Pulisic (hamstring, AC Milan) – staying in Italy to recover fully.
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) – resting after ankle issues.
- Weston McKennie (Juventus) – remaining in Italy to impress new club manager.
- Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, and Alex Zendejas – injured.
- Malik Tillman and Johnny Cardoso – recently recovered from injuries.
- Yunus Musah – healthy but lacking playing time at Atalanta.
Pochettino defended his cautious approach, saying it was “common sense” to prioritize players’ recovery and club stability, adding that recent criticism from European managers was “not right.”
Reyna Returns
The biggest surprise was Gio Reyna’s recall, his first since March. Despite limited minutes at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Pochettino said it’s a chance to evaluate him before the next camp in March. Reyna’s inclusion marks a potential comeback after his post-World Cup fallout under Gregg Berhalter.
Other Notable Call-ups
- Goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann.
- Defenders Joe Scally, John Tolkin, and Auston Trusty (now playing regularly at Celtic).
- Midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Sean Zawadzki.
- Forward Ricardo Pepi, in strong form at PSV.
- •Sergiño Dest and Tyler Adams return after missing the October camp.
Looking Ahead
Pochettino remains optimistic despite limited time before the 2026 World Cup, saying, “We have time enough … we are going to build a very good roster that can compete in the best way.”
⸻
U.S. roster for November friendlies
Goalkeepers: Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew).
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Mönchengladbach), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew).
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Haji Wright (Coventry City).