With an official announcement on the new USMNT head coach still lacking, interim head coach Mikey Varas will lead the group of 24 players into their upcoming friendlies against Canada and New Zealand.
The public announcement came unusually late on Sunday afternoon US time, as many of the players called into the squad were likely already on their way to the training camp in Kansas City.
With the supposed appointment of head coach Mauricio Pochettino rumored to be temporarily held up due to financial arrangements with his most recent club Chelsea, the late release could be an indication that US Soccer had hoped to have the new coach in place for the release up until the final moments.
For the pessimists amongst the fanbase, it could also simply be a sign of continued disorganization in the organization.
Whatever the cause, roster release came with little fanfare and without the usual accompanying press conference from the acting coach, in this case the recent U-20 head coach and current USMNT assistant Varas – a name that has been thrown about as a future prospect for the top job.
The roster comes with few surprises, possibly apart from the fact that only two of the 24 players are coming from MLS clubs, despite the two games being on US soil. Whether this trend is a courtesy to MLS coaches preparing for the final home stretch before the playoffs, or a sign that the European-based players are being given priority by a yet-to-be-named Argentinean puppet-master in the background could become more clear in the coming days.
While several of the team’s top and upcoming players were left off the roster due to ongoing injury issues (Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest, Tyler Adams, Kevin Paredes, Gianluca Busio) or possibly to acclimatize to new club situations (Tanner Tessmann), several omissions do stand out.
Weston McKennie, who had his first appearance for Juventus after seemingly falling out of their plans in the summer, was left behind in Italy. His omission is somewhat puzzling when put alongside Giovanni Reyna, who was selected despite playing a bit role at best for Dortmund this season, although it could benefit the Texan’s overall standing at the club to remain in training through the window.
Antonee Robinson’s snub is also somewhat of a surprise as the defender has been as impressive as usual for Fulham in their early games, however the complete lack of any drama surrounding the player likely signals an agreement between US Soccer and his club.
The inclusion of Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath as two of the four keepers is not surprising, as is the call to Olympic starter Patrick Schulte. However, FC Barcelona youngster Diego Kochen was also included as the fourth keeper on the roster, which comes as somewhat of a surprise since the 18 year-old is still in the process of establishing himself as one of the key players in the US youth setup. This could also be a sign that he is viewed on at least equal footing by the program as 20 year-old Gabriel Sloninia, or simply that Barcelona was more willing to release a youth player for what will probably be nothing more than a spectator role outside of practice.
In the defense, the call to Marlon Fossey, who currently plays for Belgium’s Standard Liège was a minor surprise, however has been growing in reputation in the two seasons since joining the club. Auston Trusty’s inclusion could also be questioned, not so much for his quality, but since he only landed at his new club Celtic less than two days before the roster was announced, and has never really developed into a mainstay for the US.
Apart from those, Tim Ream, who recently returned to the US to play for Charlotte, is the most experienced of the defensive corps, with 21-times capped Chris Richards having the second most amount of experience.
In midfield, Varas will have the advantage of two players – Aidan Morris and Malik Tillman – who have started off their seasons in fine form, albeit for arguably second-tier European leagues. Apart from those two, the quartet of Johnny Cardoso, Luca de la Torre, Yunus Musah and Reyna seen more limited action for their respective teams so far in the new season. Of those, Musah started one game for AC Milan in league play, while Cardoso has seen most of his action so far in European qualifying.
The same can’t be said for the crew of forwards, as each of the six selected, apart from Folarin Balogun, have generally had strong starts to their European seasons. Ricardo Pepi might have the most reason to complain, as he still languishes behind Luuk de Jong at PSV, however as with last season, he has still made the best of his limited chances, with one goal in 93 minutes of play.
Josh Sargent and Haji Wright have been arguably two of the best forwards in England’s second-tier Championship over the last year, while Brendan Aaronson has been instrumental in Leed United’s early success in the same league.
This leaves Christian Pulisic, who has been consistently excellent for AC Milan through their first three games, despite the team struggling overall in Serie A.
The team will train in Kansas City, where they will face northern neighbors Canada during the afternoon on September 7. Three days later, they travel to Cincinnati to take on New Zealand.
USMNT Roster for Canada & New Zealand Friendlies (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
Goalkeepers (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona II/ESP; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 1/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 44/0)
Defenders (8): Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege/BEL; 0/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Mark McKenzie (Tolouse/FRA; 13/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 61/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 21/1), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 11/0), Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg/FRA; 2/0)
Midfielders (6): Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 15/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 22/0), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 5/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan; ITA; 39/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 31/8), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 12/0)
Forwards (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 42/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 15/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 28/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 71/30), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 25/5), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 11/4)
