Arya News - Mauricio Pochettino retained several young standouts from the team`s unbeaten fall run while bringing back key veterans for a two-leg showdown with Haiti.
Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie will return to the U.S. national team for the first time since the World Cup, joining a young squad that roared through four friendlies earlier this fall.
Left off the previous roster because they had recently recovered from injuries — and because coach Mauricio Pochettino wanted to take a hard look at young players — the three veterans were among 25 players summoned Wednesday for the two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals vs. Haiti.
Camp will open Monday at the national training center outside Atlanta, followed by matches on Nov. 14 in Miami and Nov. 17 in Cincinnati.
It will mark the first activity for the high-profile trio since the World Cup round-of-16 loss to Belgium — a match in which Balogun was allowed to play despite a red card the previous stage against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pulisic was also in the spotlight that afternoon in Seattle, leaving early with what was later diagnosed as a microfracture of his tibia and fibula.
Back at full health last weekend, Pulisic scored the opening goal in AC Milan"s 3-1 victory over rival Inter Milan and Balogun, as a sub, scored his first goal since the World Cup during Monaco"s 3-1 loss to Paris FC.
Pochettino invited 19 players who took part in the September-October camp, which featured home victories over Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.
Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are back on the U.S. men"s national team for the first time since the World Cup.
(Alex Grimm via Getty Images)
Aside from Pulisic, Balogun and McKennie, the other three additions this month came as a surprise: Nashville"s Reed Baker-Whiting, a 21-year-old left back, and Paderborn"s Santiago Castañeda, a 21-year-old midfielder, were invited to their first senior camp, and Rennes" Bryan Reynolds, a 25-year-old right back, will seek his first U.S. match appearance since 2023.
The senior camp will take place at the same time as the under-23 squad begins the 2028 Olympic build-up with a camp and friendlies overseas. (There is also an under-20 camp taking place at the national training center.)
Pochettino had introduced a dozen Olympic-eligible players to senior competition in September-October, and for the Haiti matches, he decided to retain seven of them, including teenage forwards Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall and Justin Ellis.
The others are expected to join the junior camps. Roster details will be announced this week.
"We are excited to bring this group together at the beginning of our journey in this important competition," Pochettino said in a written statement. "These players have earned the opportunity to compete and help achieve our main objective, which is to win and advance in the tournament."
Pochettino is expected to speak at length about the roster later Wednesday morning.
The most notable absence among the September-October campers is AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah. Pochettino also declined to bring back World Cup members such as winger Tim Weah, attacker Brenden Aaronson, center back Mark McKenzie, right back Joe Scally and goalkeeper Matt Turner.
World Cup striker Ricardo Pepi wasn"t selected either, and although he had a goal and an assist as a sub for PSV Eindhoven last weekend, he is still working his way back from an injury that cost him a place at the last U.S. camp.
Right wing Jack McGlynn, who is in terrific form for Stoke City, was also passed over.
A three-time champion, the U.S. has never failed to qualify for the Nations League semifinals since the competition was launched in 2019. The first leg will take place in Miami because of security issues in Haiti.
USMNT roster for Nations League quarterfinals
Goalkeepers : Matt Freese (New York City FC), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC).
Defenders : Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville SC), George Campbell (West Brom), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union), Bryan Reynolds (Rennes), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic).
Midfielders : Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg Alsace), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards : Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Justin Ellis (Orlando City), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union).