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Entertainment

Mauricio Pochettino releases his first USMNT roster — here are the three biggest surprises

By David Moore October 2, 2024
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The new era begins.
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New United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino will oversee his first game in charge on Oct. 12 in a friendly vs. Panama. On Wednesday the first-ever Pochettino USMNT roster was announced featuring 25 players.

Let’s look at the players Pochettino will call upon for the upcoming friendlies vs. Panama and Mexico.

First Mauricio Pochettino USMNT roster

Goalkeepers

  • Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids)
  • Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)
  • Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City)
  • Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew)

Defenders

  • Tim Ream (Charlotte FC)
  • Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati)
  • Auston Trusty (Celtic FC)
  • Mark McKenzie (Toulouse)
  • Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
  • Joe Scally (Gladbach)
  • Kristoffer Lund (Palermo)
  • Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege)

Midfielders

  • Weston McKennie (Juventus)
  • Yunus Musah (AC Milan)
  • Malik Tillman (PSV)
  • Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough)
  • Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis)
  • Gianluca Busio (Venezia)
  • Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)

Forwards

  • Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
  • Timothy Weah (Juventus)
  • Haji Wright (Coventry City)
  • Folarin Balogun (Monaco)
  • Ricardo Pepi (PSV)
  • Josh Sargent (Norwich City)

Here were our three biggest takeaways and surprises from the roster.

Zack Steffen is back

It’s no secret that the USMNT goalkeeping situation is dire as there's no clear No. 1 shot stopper. Matt Turner, the usual starter, hasn’t played a single minute for Crystal Palace all season.

Pochettino has decided to bring back Steffen who last played for the USMNT in March 2022. The 29-year-old was the go-to guy back in 2019 when he made 11 appearances that year for the national team.

He’s been sensational with the Colorado Rapids this season after joining the club in January. Now he could finally get another chance with the Stars and Stripes. It’s anyone’s guess as to which goalkeeper Pochettino will start vs. Panama.

Injuries hurting USMNT

Several usual starters didn’t receive a call-up due to injuries. Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Gio Reyna, Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers are the most prominent names missing from the squad.

Dest (ACL) and Adams (back) are dealing with major injuries and aren’t expected to return anytime soon. Richards (hamstring), Reyna (groin) and Carter-Vickers (toe) are dealing with less serious injuries and will miss this international window.

With so many key players out, it will be interesting to see how Pochettino approaches the upcoming friendlies.

Striker situation still unclear

The starting striker for the USMNT isn’t a lock. Typically, Folarin Balogun gets the start with Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent sitting in reserve. Pochettino will get to experiment with all three in this window to get an idea of who will become his go-to No. 9.

All three players have been scoring for their clubs this season as Balogun scored twice in six appearances, Sargent has three goals plus three assists in eight games and Pepi has found the back of the net four times for PSV.

The USMNT will host Panama in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 12 and then head to Mexico to face El Tri on Oct. 15.

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