US Men’s National Team Announces Roster for Upcoming Friendlies

omidbasir- On Thursday, U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino announced a 25-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.

The roster includes the return of Borussia Mönchengladbach players Giovanni Reyna and Joe Scally, as well as Ricardo Pepi from PSV Eindhoven. However, several notable players are missing, including Weston McKennie from Juventus, Christian Pulisic from AC Milan, Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards, and Tim Weah from Marseille.

The U.S. will face Paraguay in Chester, Pennsylvania, on November 15, followed by a match against Uruguay in Tampa on November 18.

“As we continue to develop our squad and build on the culture we’ve established, this presents a valuable opportunity for the selected players to demonstrate they belong on the final roster for the World Cup,” Pochettino stated. He emphasized the importance of players arriving prepared to showcase their abilities and dedication to being good teammates. “We will focus on competitive training and challenge ourselves against two high-quality South American teams.”

Injuries have sidelined Pulisic, Richards, and Weah. Pulisic is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the last international window, while Weah is dealing with a thigh injury, and Richards is managing a calf issue. Pochettino commented that Pulisic was omitted from this roster to ensure his complete recovery.

Details regarding McKennie’s absence remain unclear, though he recently played the full match in Juventus’ draw against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, amid efforts to impress new manager Luciano Spalletti.

The injury list also includes Fulham’s Antonee Robinson and Club América’s Alejandro Zendejas, resulting in a roster that is far from full strength. Robinson is recovering from knee surgery and has yet to appear in a Premier League match this season. “We are, of course, concerned about Robinson’s extended absence,” Pochettino noted.

Reyna and Scally make their return for the first time since participating in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals in March. Reyna has switched clubs, moving from Borussia Dortmund to Mönchengladbach. Both players contributed to a recent 4-0 victory over St. Pauli, marking Mönchengladbach’s first win of the season. The absence of McKennie, Pulisic, Weah, and Zendejas may provide Reyna with significant playing time.

Pochettino reiterated that club playing time plays a critical role in national team selections. “Reyna has exceptional talent; despite limited club appearances, he has a great opportunity in November. We must understand that some players might struggle to get playing time but can still be valuable to us. That is why my message is consistent.”

Pepi returns to the USMNT for the first time since November 2024 and arrives with momentum after scoring a stoppage-time equalizer for PSV in their recent Champions League match against Olympiacos. He will compete for playing time against Folarin Balogun of Monaco and Haji Wright from Coventry City.

Richards, a regular starter in defense, was excluded from the roster, and Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner expressed disappointment over the U.S. utilizing Richards despite his calf injury. “Neither Milan nor Palace has the right to complain,” Pochettino remarked. “Our priority is player welfare, and we never intended to field a player who was not fully fit.”

Pochettino expressed disappointment over clubs’ frustrations with the national team, emphasizing his respect for all coaches involved.

Players are expected to report to camp in Philadelphia on November 9.

**Roster Breakdown by Position:**

**Goalkeepers (4):** Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 11/0), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena/ITA; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0)

**Defenders (9):** Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 14/1), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 35/2), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 11/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse FC/FRA; 24/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 78/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 37/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 21/0), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER; 4/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 4/0)

**Midfielders (7):** Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 7/0), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 11/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 32/8), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 41/0), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 10/0), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew; 1/0)

**Forwards (5):** Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 54/9), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco/FRA; 27/7), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 16/3), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 33/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 19/7)