Next week, the United States Men’s National Team will be back in action, playing in friendly matches against Uzbekistan and Oman. The roster for this period has been unveiled by U.S. Soccer, consisting of 24 players, who will gather in St. Louis for a training camp.
Among the players, 16 were part of the squad that secured victory in the Concacaf Nations League in June.
Additionally, there are two newcomers to the USMNT: Ben Cremaschi and Kristoffer Lund. Cremaschi has made appearances for the U.S. Under-19 men’s national team, having accrued three caps. However, it’s worth noting that he remains eligible to represent Argentina.
Notably, Kristoffer Lund, a Danish-American who previously represented Denmark in youth internationals, has requested a one-time switch to FIFA to play for the United States.
These upcoming matches also mark the return of Gregg Berhalter as the head coach of the USMNT. Berhalter, who began his second cycle as coach in June, is back in the role following the expiration of his contract at the end of 2022.
Folarin Balogun, the new rumored Monaco forward who opted for the United States over England and Nigeria, and subsequently earned his international debut in June, will be participating in his inaugural training camp with Berhalter.
Before joining the USMNT camp, Christian Pulisic and Sergiño Dest, along with several other European-based players, took part in club transfers this summer. Notably, Timothy Weah, Malik Tillman, Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, Matt Turner, and Ricardo Pepi also took steps to advance their club careers during this period.
The upcoming matches against Uzbekistan and Oman offer the USMNT its exclusive opportunity to go up against Asian adversaries before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team’s schedule over the next three years doesn’t include such matchups. Berhalter emphasized the significance of encountering diverse opponents in readiness for potential challenges at the upcoming World Cup, stating this in a formal statement.
Gio Reyna’s noticeable absence stems from his lack of appearances for Dortmund this season, owing to a calf injury he sustained over the summer. Berhalter remarked that he hadn’t communicated with Reyna during the summer, and with Reyna not included in the squad, the process of reconciliation will be postponed. Considering Reyna’s skillset, it’s inevitable that he will reintegrate into the team; however, the duration for this remains uncertain.
John Brooks has once again not been called up, marking a recurring pattern. The Hoffenheim central defender has faced recent omissions, having been snubbed in both the summer competitions of the CONCACAF Nations League and the Gold Cup under interim coach BJ Callaghan.
Captain Tyler Adams along with Walker Zimmerman, Josh Sargent, Zack Steffen, Sean Johnson, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Taylor Booth, are all nursing injuries and were consequently omitted from the 24-player roster revealed on Wednesday.
USMNT ROSTER FOR SEPTEMBER FRIENDLIES (CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 8/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 32/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 26/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 0/0), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 11/0), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 0/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 51/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 10/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 36/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 25/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 6/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 7/0), Ben Cremaschi (Inter Miami; 0/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 16/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 44/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 27/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 4/0)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 32/7), Folarin Balogun (Arsenal/ENG; 2/1), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/1), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 16/7), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 60/25), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 31/4)
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