Howard Critiques McKennie’s National Team Omission

Tim Howard did not hold back when addressing Weston McKennie’s absence from the U.S. national team, stating that the decision “makes no sense to him at all.” The former USMNT star emphasized that McKennie would be left to train with a limited squad at Juventus during the international break, which would provide him minimal opportunity to showcase his skills to the club’s manager.

“Weston’s going to be training, while all the other internationals at his club are gone!” Howard remarked on the Unfiltered soccer podcast. “They’re heading to their national teams, which means he’ll be left with a skeleton crew of reserves and other players.

“I can assure everyone listening that impressing a manager during a 10-day international window back at your club is virtually impossible. If that were the case, I would tell my manager, ‘You want to evaluate my performance? Watch me in two international matches, because I will be on the field for those 180 minutes.’

Howard’s comments shed light on potential issues within the relationship between McKennie and the national team management. He questioned whether Mauricio Pochettino had even communicated directly with McKennie regarding the decision, expressing surprise that such an arrangement would be acceptable to the coaching staff.

“I don’t know how it’s impossible that the players and the managers don’t have a dialogue with the U.S. team. If they did talk, I’m curious: Did Poch say, ‘Hey Wes, I’m going to leave you out?’ I can’t understand how this was accepted by the player. This indicates to me that the national team isn’t a priority. People may argue otherwise, but I believe the World Cup is a priority for these players; however, the national team as a whole does not seem to be a priority.”

Howard expressed his astonishment at McKennie’s omission from the national team squad for the November 2025 friendlies, labeling the situation “baffling.” He pointed out that McKennie would have been present in only one national team camp over the past year, despite being one of the program’s standout players.

“I’m baffled by this situation, because I believe if he doesn’t come into this camp, which he will not, the next opportunity for him to join is in March,” Howard stated. “That would mean he has been with the national team just once in an entire calendar year. That’s astonishing, especially for one of our top three, if not top five, best players.”

McKennie’s absence continues to highlight ongoing challenges related to player availability that have affected the USMNT in recent international windows. Injuries and game management issues have also prevented key players like Chris Richards and Christian Pulisic from participating in this crucial November international window.