USMNT – Post Gold Cup: Where do we Stand?

The CONCACAF Gold Cup finished up just over a week ago and it was the last competitive set of matches the USMNT will play prior to WC 2026. Leading into the Gold Cup we all knew that Manager, Mauricio Pochettino (Poch) was facing a tall task. Numerous key players were missing for a variety of reasons and for those who did make it to camp had very little playing time together. So the focus for the camp and the two friendlies was for Poch to find a set of players that could step up for the several week long tournament and to hopefully showcase what they could offer for the final WC 2026 roster. Things started ok in the first friendly with the Nats losing a tough match 2-1 to Turkey (FIFA #27).  It was a closely fought match and the guys did some good things (and some not so good things). All things considered a solid performance for this group.

But then the wheels fell off and they were thoroughly played off the field in the second friendly losing to Switzerland (FIFA #19) by the ungodly score of 4-1. But even in the face of such an abysmal performance things were learned to take back to training to prepare for the tournament. And prepare they did. What you look for in situations like this, with so many untested players, is progress. Can their work their way through adversity and progress both individually and as a team. And to most fans and pundits they did they in spades. They started Group Stage play with a 5-0 thrashing of Trinidad and Tobago (FIFA 101), followed that with a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia (FIFA #59) and closed out the stage beating Haiti (FIFA #90) 2-1. Now while those results, other than the TNT match, may not look that great bear in mind that not only was this mostly a B and C level roster but they did manage to go undefeated and on to the Knockout Rounds.

In the first knockout they faced a tough Costa Rican (FIFA #40) and drew 2-2 but advanced on PKs. Now this might not sound like a big deal but if you look at this a bit deeper it was. The CR keeper is the best keeper in the Federation (Kaylor Navas)l and he has always been tough on the US. And this was the first international tournament for our keeper, Matt Friese. More on this later but to win this in PKs was a huge lift for the young guys. Then on to Guatemala (FIFA #100). The US went out to a big 2-0 lead with Diego Luna scoring twice in the first 15 minutes. But the game got very physical with 6 yellow cards handed out (should have been several more to the Guatemalan side) as the side from Central America figured out that they could just hack Malik Tillman with little repercussions from the referee. But they got the W and on to the final against rival Mexico (FIFA #13).  And the final went about as expected. Mexico with its full A team roster was expected to win and they did. But not without plenty of controversy. They took a page out of the Guatemalan playbook and hacked and hacked the US players especially Tillman and the midfielders. And just like that previous match they got away with it. Then in the 66th minute this happened.

I’ve listened to every punidt, read every review, went back and re-read the Laws of the Game and now this wasn’t called a handball is just simply mind boggling. Poch put it best when asked about this no call. “The truth was that if that happened in the opposite half, in the other box, for sure its a penalty.”  And he’s not wrong. Still it was a decent showing and the team showed a lot of growth during the month long camp. But so what happens now?

As mentioned earlier, this was the last competition prior to next summers big show but there are 4 more FIFA windows before then giving the US the opportunity to get the players together and train and play friendlies.  These upcoming windows are:

September 1-9, 2025

October 6-14, 2025

November 10-18, 2025

March 23-31, 2026.

These windows will be very important for the team to integrate in those players who missed out on the Gold Cup and prepare for WC 2026. At this point excluding the September window, it needs to be all hands on deck. The September window may not see as many A team players as those recently moved to new teams may be better off staying and training with their new clubs to ensure their place in their plans versus coming to camp. Hard to say at this point what Poch will do. But the WC is less than a year away and its time to hone in on the final roster. With that in mind here’s a rundown on what I see as the current set of players most in the running for a final roster spot (currently set at 23 but many think FIFA will move it up to 26). And certainly, there is a lot of club soccer to be played over the next 10 months so some surprises could happen. Here’s a breakdown by position with players listed with their current clubs/leagues. Bear in mind that the transfer window is currently open in Europe and the MLS window opens in 2 weeks so some players will likely be moved from the current situation. So starting with the back (most important position…lol) and moving up the field.

Goalkeepers

Coach Pochettino like his predecessor Gregg Berhalter wants to play possession and build out of the back. This requires keepers to be cool headed and good with the ball at their feet. But at the end of the day the keepers primary job is still to keep the ball out of the net.

Matt Freese (NYCFC, MLS) – In his first international tournament Freese did well and was give every start. All he did in this tournament was to cement that him currently being the #1 is the correct choice. Freese made all the saves he should have albeit he could have done better on one goal he did let in but he was calm and decent with his passing. But what really did the trick was his PK play against CR stopping 3 of 5 shots. More than you could hope for so for now I see him as the guy,

Matt Turner ( Lyon, Ligue 1) – Turned is not far behind in most peoples minds with one big exception. He seems to have lost some of his confidence the last 2 years and has not been very good the last several times for the USMNT. Now he is still probably the best overall shot stopper we have and his foot play has improved but still not where it needs to be. Mostly what he needs is to get a lot of playing time with his new club. Its been clear that riding the pine the last several seasons hasn’t done his mindset or technical skills an favors.

Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids, MLS) – Steffen could be the best of the bunch but he has had injury problems for several seasons and can’t seem to get right. He was likely to get a start or two this last window but got hurt and had to withdraw. He was the backup for Manchester City for a reason. Keep and eye on how the rest of his season goes and perhaps a winter transfer back to Europe?

Outside Backs

Poch makes no secret that he will attack the flanks and his outside backs must be good in that area. Thankfully we have two starters who excel at both ends of the field. Unfortunately we also don’t have any guys currently wno don’t have some fairly big weaknesses.

Antonee Robinson (Fulham, EPL) – Jedi was 4th in the EPL in assists and was on the EPL Best XI as the best LB in the league. He’s a simply a world class player. The knock on him for a couple of seasons was that his defending wasn’t where it needed to be but that’s all changed. He defends well, is a menace down the wing, and he has a motor that just doesn’t stop. He’s a guy that you have confidence he can play every minute of a Group Stage and be ready to roll for the knockouts. He is one of our two most important players.

Sergino Dest (PSV, Eredivisie) – Dest was just coming off a long injury layoff and had rejoined PSV for the end of their season. He was called into the Gold Cup camp but after several sessions and review with the medical staff was determined to be not fit enough for the tournament and was sent home. Tough in that he hasn’t yet played a match under Poch but that should be corrected this fall. He is our best RB and its not close. Others are equal and maybe even better defenders but no one offers the defense and attacking prowess of Dest.

Joe Scally (Borussia Mochengladbach, Bundesliga) – Scally is a solid defender and offers a bit going forward but is best suited as a stay at home back. Nothing flashy but he is good 1×1 defending and good on defending set pieces.

Alex Freeman (Orlando City, MLS) – Freeman, son of Green Bay Packer WR Antonio, got his first reps with the senior team in this last window and impressed a lot of people. His defending is not where it needs to be for the WC but he is very good in the attack. He is an athletic specimen. Doesn’t get pushed around by opponents and has a great recovery speed. That is especially important in Poch’s scheme where he likes to attack down the wings with his outside backs. Sooner or later you are likely to get caught too far upfield and your best attribute then is just pure speed to get back. He has it.

Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew, MLS) – Arfsten is quite similar to Freeman. Leaves a bit to be desired defensively but is so good in the attack. His Gold Cup play has upped his chances to make next summer.  Today I’d have to give a nod to Freeman. Arfsten may be a little better in the attack (and he is left footed which is huge) but Freeman is much better defensively. Both could make the roster or neither of them at this point.

John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel, 2 Bundesliga) – Tolkin sits square between Freeman and Arfsten but he does play on the left which give him a leg up for next summer. He isn’t the attacking threat of Arfsten but he is a better defender. And when you have guys on the roster like Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams who have all played outside backs its hard to see if more than one or two at the most of Scally, Freeman, and Tolkin make the cut.

Center Backs

Its pretty simple in Poch’s system. Stay home and defend, be the first in progressing the ball out of the back, and be good in the air. Standard CB stuff.

Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, MLS) – Doesn’t matter how old you are if you still have the goods and Tim still has it. Captained the squad throughout the Gold Cup and was calm and steady in the back even if he is 36 years old. Clearly he doesn’t have as quick a first step as 5 years ago but he makes up for it with great positioning and thinking ahead. As for passing out of the back he’s the best in our pool.

Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, EPL) – No hyperbole we are seeing Richards develop into a world class CB in real time. He is just a beast on defense and oh my how important his head has become on set pieces scoring two headers in the Gold Cup including the first goal in the final. His pace is superb, his positioning is terrific, and he is great in the air and at 1v1 defending. Our most important defender IMO. If he can up his passing game a bit he’s going to be a total stud.

Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, Ligue 1) – McKenzie is a solid everyday player. Not fantastic at any one thing but adequate at everything. However, he has shown a tendency to have a major mistake about once/match when playing for the USMNT. That needs to be cleaned up for him to see much time next summer.

Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati, MLS) – A few years ago Miles was my favorite CB. Fast, solid, and pretty much mistake free when playing for Atlanta in the MLS. And it appeared he was soon to head to Europe. Then disaster struck in the form of a torn Achilles Tendon in the spring of 2022 that kept him out of the WC. His recovery was long and tedious and he’s still not back to where he was. He’s still a solid defender but if he can get that extra step back he could fight for a roster spot.

Walker Zimmerman (Nashville FC, MLS) – Zimmeramn is a solid defender and very good in the air. If he has a role next summer it would likely be as a late defensive replacement to hold a lead. He’s experienced and has had a solid club and international career.

The bottom line is that its highly unlikely that the final roster includes 5 CBs. Somebody is going to be disappointed.

Defensive Midfield

The system we use, in this case, is just what it says. You defend the middle of the field. Support wide especially when one of the outside backs has pushed forward, and you better be very solid with the ball at your feet, both dribbling and passing. Anything you offer in the attack is bonus.

Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, EPL) – When healthy and fit, which has been a struggle the last two years, Adams is very, very good. He is a superb defender and read the game exceptionally well. His passing is more than adequate and he surprises you in the attack on occasion. And he makes no bones about being with the team. If he can walk he will be there. His attitude is as good as it ges.

Johnny Cardoso (Real Bettis, La Liga) – Any day now expect to see that Johnny has moved to Atletico Madrid which would be a big step up for him. Atletico will play in Champions League this fall giving Johnny some time against very good competition. Johnny has been very good the last several years but as of yet hasn’t shown the same quality when playing for the USMNT. In fact, in general he’s been fairly pedestrian. We were hoping to see him change that during the Gold Cup unfortunately injury and illness kept him out.

Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC, MLS) – Although most experts have him on the outside looking in next summer he was featured prominently in the recent Gold Cup. Clearly Poch likes was he brings to the table. Hard to know at this point how much of that was his play versus others missing the camp?

Tanner Tessman (Lyon, Lique 1) – Tessman has shown well in his limited time in a Nats jersey (8 caps). He will need a strong club season in order to get called in but he does offer more in the attack that his competition.

Midfield

Probably the strongest overall position we have. Plenty of quality depth and more and more guys joining that depth it seems every window. Which is good because we also seem to have a problem keeping them healthy. This is the part of the field where we win or lose. When you want to have a possession style of play and build from the back its the midfield that makes it happen. They control the flow of the game and see the opposing team’s approach with dealing with that and that determines the how and when you attack. Is the space wide? Do you have a target holdup player near the 18? Or is a line breaking pass to a runner there?

Weston McKennie (Juventus, Serie A) – McKennie is a true box to box midfielder. Plays defense and attacks as well as controls the middle of the field often in tandom with Adams and whomever else is in the middle. But probably his strongest attribute is in making long ball switches across the field. He’s very accurate at those and that is often times how you break down an opposing defense. Additionally, he’s very good in the final third whether its taking a shot or finding that final pass. Oh, and he’s pretty good at getting on corners with his head.

Yunas Musah (AC Milan, Serie A) – Musah is still young and that’s the good news. He is very good on the dribble and working through multiple defenders giving other players opening spaces. The bad news is that he hasn’t yet developed the game sense to know what to do with the ball in the final third and how to find that open teammate. And at times he seems to disappear for long stretches of a game. Still the talent is there if he can get his game right.

Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga) – No single player’s stock rose as much during the Gold Cup as Tillman’s. Although he’s been in numerous camps his play for the national team hasn’t been close to what he’s displayed for his club team (PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie). His play was so good this past year that he was named to the Erevidisie Best XI and just the other day finalized a transfer to Leverkusen. Tillman was simply terrific in the Gold Cup across the entire competition although he was clearly playing on very tired legs in the final. But then after all the minutes he played and all the hacking he had gotten its a wonder he could still stand. Testament to his grit. He’s going to be a key playmaker next summer.

Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake, MLS) – Like Tillman, Luna’s stock soared during the Goal Cup. His flare, grit, and resolve were just a pleasure to watch. Defending, attacking, running to space. He was doing whatever it took. Some thought that he wasn’t the attacking presence during the final that he had been in the earlier matches but that was because he was busy supporting Arfsten in marking the Mexican forwards. Luna should make the roster next summer and fight for starting minutes.

Brendan Aaronson (Leeds United, EPL) – Aaronson is a bit like the Energizer Bunny. Buzzes around everywhere on the field disrupting opponents play and creating general havoc. He is probably not starter material but he can help hold a lead late or sub in as an extra attacker. He’s good at drawing fouls and earning free kicks. Valuable tools when you need a goal.

Gio Reyna (Dortmund, Bundesliga) – Wat to say about Reyna? Just 22 years old and all the skills and vision you could ask for in a soccer player. But he has been plagued by injuries and coaches who don’t seem to value him. Case in point. Reyna was not in the recent Gold Cup because Dortmund was in playing in the Club World Cup. So that’s where Gio was. Then just like Dortmund, they sat him on the bench. In 5 matches he saw a total of 12 minutes. There is no question that talent is there. When fit and in form he may be the most dangerous attacking player in the US. But he plays so little that he’s neither fit nor in form. Is it because he’s lost his step from so many injuries or does he having training issues?  Nobody really knows the story here but everybody agrees 100%. Gio needs to resurrect his career and to do so he MUST leave Dortmund. And if he has any chance to play in WC 2026 he really needs to move this summer to a place where he will play.  Current rumors say LAFC in the MLS is looking closely at him. Would love to see that. Oh how an attack in the middle of the field of Pulisic, Tillman, and Reyna would be special to watch.

Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, MLS) – Yeah the son of the last coach but that shouldn’t matter one way or the other. He got his first cap in the friendlies prior to the Gold Cup and earned a starting spot. While perhaps not at the level of most of his competition for a roster spot he can hold his own. But he has one attribute that he may be the absolute best at on the team and that is his free kicks. Its been a long time since we have had a player who consistently put his free kicks into dangerous spots. That singular skill might just earn him a spot on the roster especially if they expand to 26. The only other players close to him in free kick ability are Reyna and John McGlynn.

Wingers

Where most of the US attack happens. And if midfield is our deepest position winger is probably our shallowest. We have a couple of really good ones then some guys who can play the position but its a large drop off if the main guys can’t go.

Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, Serie A) – I am not going to join in on the debate on whether or not he should have been at the Gold Cup or not. He played over 3500 minutes this past season and felt he needed a break. To me he’s our most important attacking player and I’ll take him at his word. He’s skilled, has terrific vision, and plays with a ton of heart. They don’t call him Captain America for nothing. We need him next summer. Enough said.

Tim Weah (Juventus, Serie A) – Weah is in an interesting situation. He’s one of our better attacking players and loves to stay wide which is why he pairs so well with Dest who loves to cut in behind and go inside. But Tim doesn’t play wing much for Juve anymore so he has to get in plenty of training minutes with the Nats to get back in sink. But he’s fast, can dribble, and has a great shot and cross. At his best he’s a key player for our attack. He’s been pushing for a transfer to Marseilles in Ligue 1. May or may not happen and he’ll be fine either way but he may see more playing time if he moves to France.

Haji Wright (Coventry City, English Championship) – Could list Wright as a striker as well but he’s mostly played wide for the US and that’s probably where he’d be slated to play if he makes the roster. He’s a big guy but quick for his size. His ability to use his body to fend off defenders and get off a shot or cross is why he’d make the team.

Now that’s pretty lean but there are other guys who can easily play wing if needed (Aaronson and Reyna).

Striker

The simplest role to explain in soccer. They have one main job. Put the ball in the net. The good news is that we have several guys who have done this very well for their club teams over the last year. The bad news is that nobody has really stepped up when giving a shot for the USMNT. Surely some of that is do to the small sample sizes. The national team just doesn’t have that many games in a given year. Yet the same can be said for most every country. For the US to go far next summer we need one of these guys to find their peak at the right time.

Folarin Balogun (Monaco, Ligue 1) – US fans were super excited several years ago when Balo announced that he had decided to play for the USMNT over England and Nigeria. We finally had a guy who could play as a true #9 and had both the physical traits and skills to do so. And Balo has scored some terrific goals for the US but like so many other guys has had the injury bug. He was called in for the camp but an ankle injury suffered the last month of his club season hadn’t healed enough to let him play. But when fit he’s crafty, uses his body positioning better than anybody on the team, and has an accurate and quick shot. When fit I think he’s #1 on the depth chart.

Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven, Eredivisie) – Pepi, what can you say about him? All he does is get the job done. And over the last two seasons at PSV he has scored 18 goals in 45 league matches as a backup player. And hes shown well scoring for the US. I think he’s currently #2 on the depth chart but with a strong club season this year he could move to #1. Still a great guy to have coming off the bench.

Josh Sargent (Norwich City, English Championship) – Sargent is coming off his best season as a pro scoring 15 goals across 33 matches. He was the starting striker at the 2022 WC and was doing well until suffering an ankle injury. But the knock on him has been his ability to score for the US. Remember, that after all is the main job of the #9. Lost of rumors right now about him transferring to a big 5 league club in the next several weeks. I think for Josh to have a shot at making the WC roster he needs a move and a strong season. For whatever reason I don’t think Poch favors him. He just came off his best season yet was not called into the Gold Cup camp for, according to Poch, “was for football reasons.”

Patrick Agyemang (Derby County, English Championship) – Yeah unless you have been paying close attention you’d think I got his club wrong and that he plays for Charlotte FC in MLS. But no his transfer is official and this really helps him have a shot at making the roster next summer. The good – Big Pat is ….well big. More like a beast at 6ft 4in. Opposing teams don’t just push him around and he often takes up two defenders trying to contain him. And he’s faster than you think. But  the bad – his first touch is pretty rough to be nice. He has a really good work rate for such a big guy and knows the runs to make and when. If, and its a big if, he can improve his foot skills this winter he may punch a ticket to the WC. As it stands now he could go into next June as the #1, the #2, the #3, or not even on the roster. He does have one huge thing in his favor. Poch clearly rates him.

There are certainly some other guys to watch over the next 10 months that could find their way in:

Keepers – Diego Kochen, Ethan Horvath, Gabriel Slonina

Outside Backs – Nathan Harriel, Marlon Fossey, DeJuan Jones, Kristoffer Lund, Caleb Wiley

Center Backs – Cameron Carter- Vickers, Austin Trusty

Midfield – Aidan Morris, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan, Paxten Aaronson. Gianluca Busio

Wingers – Alejandro Zendejas, Griffin Yow, Matko Miljevic, Kevin Paredes

Forwards – Damion Downs, Brian White, Brandon Vasquez

So lots to keep an eye on over the next several months. I think by and large the October and November windows is where we will see how Pochettino is leaning.