Changes and observations from Christian Pulisic's turmoil, Josh Sargent's prime moment, Weston McKennie's absence, and five noteworthy points following the USMNT roster announcement by Mauricio Pochettino
USMNT Squad Announced for September Friendlies Against South Korea and Japan
Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of the United States Men's National Team (USMNT), has unveiled the squad for the upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan in September. The squad features a mix of established players and newcomers, as well as some notable absences.
September offers an opportunity for the newcomers, such as Noahkai Banks and Tristan Blackmon, to earn their first caps. Blackmon and Banks will be joined at the back by Tim Ream, Chris Richards, and Antonee Robinson (who is recovering from an injury), with Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman yet to join due to their injury statuses.
The return of Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, and Sergino Dest adds experience to the squad. Sean Zawadzki, Max Arfsten, Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman, and Damion Downs will be looking to build on their Gold Cup runs. Alejandro Zendejas, who was previously omitted, is back in the group to fight for a wing spot.
The roster includes 12 players from Major League Soccer (MLS), with Matt Turner, who was left with his club this window, set to get much-needed minutes due to MLS' scheduling quirks. Pochettino believes that MLS is more competitive than some leagues in Europe, a sentiment that is reflected in the strong contingent of MLS players in the squad.
One of the notable absences is Gio Reyna, who recently completed a transfer to Borussia Monchengladbach. Pochettino is excited to see what Reyna can do with his fresh start at the German club. Another absence is Weston McKennie, Yunas Musah, and Matt Turner. Pochettino offered multiple explanations for McKennie's absence, citing Juventus' odd preseason and the manager's familiarity with McKennie.
Josh Sargent was left out of this summer's squad but has been included in the current one due to his impressive form at Norwich. Sargent has four goals in four games to start the season and is the obvious starting striker in this camp. However, Sargent has a goal drought dating back to 2019 and needs to perform well in these friendlies to prove himself at the international level.
Pochettino wouldn't commit to Freese as the starting goalkeeper for the World Cup, stating that the competition is open. Matt Freese is the starter for the USMNT, with Jonathan Klinsmann and Roman Celentano as inexperienced backups.
As for the future, Pochettino has a database of 60 to 65 players and plans to shrink the number after this month. He believes that all players have the chance to show their quality and earn a spot in the national team.
The USMNT will face South Korea on September 2nd and Japan on September 6th. The friendlies will provide an opportunity for the newcomers to make their mark and for the established players to prove their worth.
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