Now that the United States men's national team roster for the September international break is set, the Mauricio Pochettino 2.0 era begins. The Argentine has called in a youthful squad where he'll get to have an extended look at many players in the national team pool. While this is a camp that may operate like a January camp in some ways, with the three-week window and a chance to also evaluate players for Steve Cherundolo's U-23 squad, it's a good chance to mix things up a bit after a World Cup that ended in disappointing fashion.
But after a September and October that will feature four games, what's there to look forward to for the USMNT? This current roster looks quite different from the World Cup roster, with only 13 players who went to the World Cup, which gives a chance for younger players to show why they belong in the national team. Twelve members of the squad hail from MLS, and with the squad having an average age of 22 years and nine months, youth is very much on display.
Who stands out?
In the immediate term of this window, the United States will be able to see who can stand out. Pochettino has stated that the door is always open for players during the lead-up to this coming camp, and he doubled down. With such a young squad, they'll have to lean on USMNT veterans such as Tyler Adams and Chris Richards, but as Pochettino said in his press conference, if Lamine Yamal was good enough for Spain at 17, what's stopping people like 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan from sticking with the USMNT?
There's a balance between the two, as this camp will also be about setting up the road to the 2028 Olympics, which will be overseen by Steve Cherundolo. Eight members of this camp have already featured for the USMNT at youth World Cups, and with tough friendlies on the horizon, they'll be tested by players not only from Concacaf rivals but also from other nations. Even for someone like Yunus Musah, who wasn't playing much last season, en route to missing the World Cup squad, this is a chance to show why he needs to be here. Pochettino knows what he can get from Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun in a USMNT squad, but now he can see if others can push them.
"And I think that is for me a great opportunity to meet these guys, to see them, to analyze, to see the things to improve, in the way that they can evolve. Because they are not all the same, all they have different characters, different personalities, different backgrounds, different feels, different, you know, are brave in different ways," Pochettino said after the roster was revealed. "They need to make the mistake, but we need to be there to try to fix that, to provide different arguments, different tools for them to keep improving."
Center back is a must
Tim Ream's exclusion from the roster firmly thrusts Chris Richards into a leadership role. While the defense is one of the more experienced units for the USMNT, Pochettino is bringing George Campbell and Neil Pierre, and they have opportunities to leave the camp as starters if they play their cards right. It's no secret that center back is an area where the USMNT will need to improve in the coming years, and no one has taken up the spot next to Richards. With the USMNT mainly operating out of a back three during the World Cup, it brings even more room for commanding center backs who can keep pace with their opposition. It will be one of the storylines surrounding this team until players settle into roles, but with an inexperienced side, the defense will need to work hard in order to keep pace, which will put eyes firmly on Pochettino's young defenders.
Trophy hunting
One goal that Pochettino has is to set the stage on the road to 2030, but on the way to doing that, there are still a few things that need to be accomplished to show that his squad is ready for the next World Cup. After dominating Concacaf under Gregg Berhalter, the USMNT has yet to win silverware under Pochettino. The road to that will begin in November when the USMNT enters Concacaf Nations League play. It's easy to stomach experimentation and things that could happen in the lead-up to the World Cup if they still result in winning, but if Pochettino ends the Concacaf Gold Cup next summer still in search of his first piece of silverware, questions about whether he's the guy to lead this team to 2030 will only continue to fester. Getting that first trophy out of the way sooner rather than later will be critical.
USMNT schedule
- USMNT vs. Peru - Sept. 26, 4:30 p.m.
- USMNT vs. Chile - Sept. 29, 8 p.m.
- USMNT vs. Mexico - Oct. 3, 9 p.m.
- USMNT vs. Canada - Oct. 6, 8 p.m.
- Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals leg one - Nov. 14
- Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals leg two - Nov. 17
