Mauricio Pochettino named a 23-player United States roster for friendlies against South Korea and Japan. The roster recalls Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest and Tim Weah, all of whom missed the Gold Cup. Weston McKennie was a notable exclusion. Giovanni Reyna and Matt Turner were left out after recent club moves to Borussia Monchengladbach and the New England Revolution. Matches are scheduled for Sept. 6 in Harrison, New Jersey, and Sept. 10 in Columbus, Ohio. Pulisic's Gold Cup absence provoked debate about his commitment. Pochettino emphasized strengthening the squad and building fitness ahead of 2026 World Cup preparations.
United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino named his 23-player roster on Tuesday for upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan, and it features a recall of several players who sat out the Gold Cup, including AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, PSV Eindhoven's Sergino Dest and Marseille's Tim Weah. There were some notable exclusions, however, headed by Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.
There is also no place for Giovanni Reyna and Matt Turner, who both switched clubs in recent weeks to Borussia Monchengladbach and the New England Revolution, respectively. The U.S. will face South Korea on Sept. 6 in Harrison, New Jersey, followed by the match against Japan four days later in Columbus, Ohio. Pulisic returns after sitting out the Gold Cup due to fatigue, which caused some heated back-and-forth between former USMNT players and Pulisic about his commitment to the squad.
We continue to strengthen the squad and narrow in on the pool of players who can help us achieve our goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Pochettino said. "We have a number of players just returning from injuries or who have had very limited minutes in the last couple months, so they can take this moment to continue to build fitness and sharpness for the upcoming opportunities in the fall.
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