In-form Pulisic leads Pochettino’s first U.S. squad

Mauricio Pochettino’s first roster as United States men’s national team manager contains plenty of familiar names, a group headlined by AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and Monaco forward Folarin Balogun.

Pochettino was officially named as USMNT manager back on Sept. 10. His first match in charge will see his 25-player roster face Panama at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Tex. on Oct. 12, with a match against bitter rivals Mexico at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara three days later.

Overall, the roster contains 19 players that performed at the 2024 Copa América, a tournament in which the USMNT fared poorly, failing to get out of their group stage and losing 2-1 to Panama.

Overall, the U.S.’s record against the Canaleros in all competitions is 17W-3L-6D.

Against Mexico, the U.S. is riding a seven-game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2021 Concacaf Nations League final. But the USMNT will be facing El Tri in a friendly on Mexican soil for the first time since 2012, a 1-0 victory for the U.S. at the famed Estadio Azteca. That is the only away win for the U.S. in this storied rivalry.

There are several players who weren’t called in due to injury, a group that includes Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, PSV Eindhoven defender Sergiño Dest, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Gio Reyna and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards.

The roster also saw a recall for Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zack Steffen and Venezia midfielder Gianluca Busio. Steffen’s last appearance for the USMNT came in March of 2022, while Busio last played for the U.S. at the 2023 Gold Cup. Busio was part of the U.S. Olympic team that reached the quarterfinals in Paris.

Pulisic, the most capped U.S. player on the roster with 73 appearances, enters the camp in electric form, having scored five goals and added two assists to start the season.

The likes of Balogun, PSV forward Ricardo Pepi and Norwich City’s Josh Sargent have also been sharp of late. Balogun has scored in his last two league matches, Pepi scored twice in his first start of the season last Saturday against Willem II, while Sargent recorded two assists against Derby County.

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – OCTOBER TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 45/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; 1/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 5/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 14/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 62/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 46/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 29/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach/GER; 12/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 44/8), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 13/1), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 17/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 56/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 7/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 41/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 14/0)

FORWARDS (6): Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 17/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; 30/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 73/31), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 25/5), Timothy Weah (Juventus/ITA; 41/6), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 13/4)