If the U.S. men’s national team is to win its first Concacaf Gold Cup since 2021 this summer, it will do so severely shorthanded.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday named a 27-player USMNT training camp roster ahead of the biennial regional championship and the two early June friendlies that precede it. And as expected, many of the American regulars are missing.
FOX Sports reported on Wednesday that star attacker Christian Pulisic would skip this summer’s tournament following two grueling seasons with Italian club A.C. Milan. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah are unavailable because Juventus is participating in the FIFA Club World Cup instead, as is Gio Reyna’s Borussia Dortmund.
Regarding Pulisic’s absence, U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said:
“Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break.
“After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”
Several other prominent names are absent; Antonee “Jedi” Robinson is still dealing with the minor injuries that prevented him from participating in the Concacaf Nations League final four in March. Yunus Musah and Tanner Tessmann, who both started the Nations League semifinal loss to Panama, were also left off the squad, which will be trimmed to 26 on June 4. The Gold Cup begins on June 14, with the Americans kicking off group play against Trinidad and Tobago the following day.
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Understandably, Pochettino is focusing on the players that are available, a group led by 2022 World Cup veterans Brenden Aaronson, Sergino Dest, Matt Turner and Haji Wright, and Premier League center back Chris Richards. Now recovered from an ACL tear he suffered last spring, Dest is participating in his first camp under the Argentine manager.
Some of Pochettino’s selections were still surprising. Four players have never been capped at senior level: Sebastian Berhalter, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder and the son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter; Orlando City fullback Alex Freeman; Philadelphia Union midfielder Quinn Sullivan; and German-born forward Damion Downs, who helped Cologne earn promotion to the Bundesliga this season by scoring 10 goals in 29 games.
The USMNT will face European foes Turkey and Switzerland in tuneups on June 7 and 10, respectively.
The full training camp roster is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese, New York City FC (MLS); Patrick Schulte, Columbus Crew (MLS), Zack Steffen, Colorado Rapids (MLS); Matt Turner, Crystal Palace (England)
Defenders: Max Arfsten, Columbus; Sergiño Dest, PSV Eindhoven, (Netherlands); Alex Freeman, Orlando (MLS); DeJuan Jones, San Jose Earthquakes (MLS); Mark McKenzie, Toulouse (France); Tim Ream, Charlotte (MLS); Chris Richards, Crystal Palace; Miles Robinson, Cincinnati (MLS)
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Leeds (England); Tyler Adams, Bournemouth (England): Sebastian Berhalter, Vancouver (MLS); Johnny Cardoso, Real Betis (Spain); Luca de la Torre, San Diego (MLS); Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake (MLS); Jack McGlynn, Houston Dynamo (MLS); Quinn Sullivan, Philadelphia Union (MLS); Malik Tillman, PSV; Sean Zawadzki, Columbus
Forwards: Patrick Agyemang, Charlotte (MLS); Folarin Balogun, Monaco (France); Damion Downs, Cologne (Germany); Brian White, Vancouver; Haji Wright, Coventry (England)
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