Janice R. Andrews
The US Men’s National Team (USMNT) has announced its squad for two matches in September. The team is focusing on young players and players from Europe. The USMNT will play its first games since it was kicked out of Copa América and head coach Gregg Berhalter was fired on September 7. They will play Canada on September 7 and New Zealand on September 10.
There are 13 players on the roster who are younger than 24 years old, which shows that the team is moving toward a new wave of ability. In September, Mikey Varas will be the team’s temporary coach because the U.S. Soccer Federation has not yet officially named Mauricio Pochettino as Berhalter’s substitute. Pochettino, who used to manage PSG and Tottenham, is said to be taking over, but for now, Varas is in charge of these matches with a young team.
A Movement of Young People
The USMNT team for the matches in September is full of young players and new players. Thirteen of the 24 players are younger than 24 years old, and only six have played for their country more than 30 times. Christian Pulisic (71 caps), Tim Ream (61 caps), Matt Turner (44 caps), Brenden Aaronson (42 caps), Yunus Musah (39 caps), and Gio Reyna (31 caps) are some of the team’s most experienced players.
The two teens who stand out as being the youngest on the team are defender Caleb Wiley (19 years old) and goalie Diego Kochen (18 years old). Wiley has already earned two caps for his country while Kochen, who plays for FC Barcelona’s reserve team, is getting his first call-up. Kochen is joined by Standard Liege’s 25-year-old defender Marlon Fossey, who is called up for the first time since 2019.
Only two of the chosen players, goalie Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew) and defender Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), play for Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. This shows that European-based players are still being used a lot.
A New Time for the USMR
The upcoming matches against Canada and New Zealand give the USMNT a chance to get back on track after a tough Copa América season. When they play New Zealand, it will be the first time since 2016 that these two teams have played each other. In the three times they’ve played each other, the U.S. has never lost to New Zealand, winning two times and drawing once.
The competition with Canada, on the other hand, is stronger. Over a year ago, at the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, these two teams played each other for the first time. In the semifinals, the U.S. won in a penalty shootout. The game against Canada on September 7 will be the latest in this long-running feud.
A Look at Key Absences and Future Fixtures
The USMNT is looking to its future stars, but there are some well-known players missing from the list. Weston McKennie and Tanner Tessman have decided to stay with their current teams because they need more time to prepare for the season. Both are likely to return to the team for the October international break. Antonee Robinson is also out because he had two surgeries over the summer. He hopes to be back in October.
Next up, the USMNT has two more games in October: a repeat against Panama on October 12 and a very important match against CONCACAF rival Mexico on October 15. These games will give the younger players more chances to show what they can do and give the team a chance to find its new identity under Mauricio Pochettino’s expected direction.
The full USMNT team for the September friendlies
- There are four goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona II/ESP; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 1/0), and Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 44/0).
- The eight defenders are Auston Trusty (Celtic, Scotland; 2-0), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege, Belgium; 0-0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo, Italy; 3-0), Mark McKenzie (Tolouse, France; 13-0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 61/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, England; 21/1), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany; 11/0), and Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg, France; 2-0).
- Midfielders (6): Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis, Spain; 15/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain; 22/0), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough, England; 5/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan, Italy; 39/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany; 31/8), and Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands; 12/0).
- Forwards (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, England; 42/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco, France; 15/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands; 28/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, Italy; 71/30), Josh Sargent (Norwich City, England; 25/5), Haji Wright (Coventry City, England; 11/4)
A team based on young players and a mix of European stars will make for an exciting set of games as the USMNT tries to get back on track and get ready for future tournaments.
