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Roster Exclusion Categories

Published

5 years ago

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It’s easy to get lost in all the meltdowns and outrage that takes place on USMNT Twitter any time a roster is released.  Inevitably, anyone who follows the team, and the player pool passionately will disagree with one decision or another.  That isn’t a helpful exercise.  A constructive exercise is to break down the exclusions by categories, reasons they were not called or status on the team.  When you do this for the October roster, here is how it breaks down:

INJURED (Self-explanatory.  Unavailable due to injury)

Christian Pulisic YNT USMNT USYNT Star Chelsea

Christian Pulisic

Gio Reyna

Pulisic is close to a return and may even feature this weekend for Chelsea.  Gio is likely not far behind.  But neither needs to be risked here and I would imagine neither of their clubs would be very happy that important players were injured while away on international duty, come back and don’t play for a month then go right back out on international duty where they could be risking further injury.  I think leaving them off is sensible, both from a risk standpoint and from a club relations standpoint.  This is fine.

SNUBS (Legitimate snubs.  Guys who have been part of the group and who wouldn’t have been surprising starters but instead weren’t even included in the roster)

Konrad

Sargent

Pefok

Sargent and Pefok haven’t performed, so others get looks here.  Striker is a form-based position on national teams.  Sometimes that is harsh but if you don’t put the ball in the back of the net consistently, you are risking your place in the team.  Pepi was the productive one on the roster in September.  He is retained and the other two are replaced by other strikers who get their chance to perform.  This makes sense for this camp even if I personally think we could have used a big, strong target forward like Pefok against Jamaica. 

However, I don’t understand Konrad’s exclusion.  With Pulisic out with an injury, the closest like for like replacement for him is Konrad.  Both are two of our best 1v1 attackers, both are comfortable with the ball at their feet and are extremely skilled dribblers capable of changing the game by themselves.  Berhalter seemed to want more verticality in this squad, explaining why Arriola was included.  That makes sense.  Not enough players on the US regularly get behind the defense.  It has been a big factor as to why the US attack has been so inefficient at times under Berhalter.  The problem with that is Berhalter is already bringing Hoppe, Weah (new inclusions this camp and both of which have this characterstic) and Aaronson (retained but one of the only players who was consistently getting in behind.  Arriola seems surplus in this area and in general the verticality thing seems to be an overcorrection.  Now it seems like we don’t have enough on-ball creators and this is something to watch out for during the games.

LESS CONTROVERSIAL “SNUBS” (Guys who have been on the fringe of the roster or mainly second or third choice selections and miss out due to form, playing time or simply because there are better options)

Miazga

Zimmerman

Cannon

Dike

Vines

Sands

I don’t have an issue with any of these exclusions.  We will cover this a little further below, but Miazga, Zimmerman and Sands are casualties of a numbers game in central defense, Sands also didn’t look good enough in midfield to warrant his inclusion over other guys in that position, Cannon isn’t getting games at Boavista and right back is one of the US’ deepest positions and Vines isn’t getting games at Liege.  Dike perhaps has a case here.  He has been playing well of late in Orlando and again, the US may have been able to use a strong target forward against Jamaica.  We will see if Berhalter regrets not having this profile forward in that game, whether it had been Pefok or Dike.

LEFT OFF / NOT RATED BY BERHALTER (Guys consistently left off, not typically included in the core group of selections for the manager at this point)

Green

CCV

EPB

Boyd

I teased this above with Miazga, Zimmerman and Sands.  Center backs have largely performed well the past 18 months with a couple exceptions like Brooks recent appearances and McKenzie in the Nations League Final.  CCV and EPB can’t break into this group because it is at this point 8 or 9 deep of players who have been playing well.  When you have 8 or 9 guys similarly rated, you are either sticking with the guys who are performing (the case with Miles and McKenzie), sticking with your top rated defender hoping he figures it out (Brooks) or calling the highest upside young defender (Richards).  It doesn’t mean Miazga, Zimmerman, CCV or EPB are bad options, but they are going to find it difficult to get calls until the current contingent either have poor performances or are injured. I know a lot of people (myself included) have found it difficult to justify Ream’s continued inclusion at this level with his age and performances the past year.  This is the position to target if you are any of the above players.  But that is one open job for five players.  Difficult situation to break in.  Green simply isn’t rated by Berhalter at this point.  Furthermore, the Roldan inclusion is for a very specific utility role off the bench for multiple positions.  Green is certainly a more technical, better attacking midfielder than Roldan, but that isn’t really the reason Roldan is included.  Green would need to be called over Luca de la Torre or Musah or McKennie and the latter two certainly aren’t happening.  You could argue Lletget would be the spot for Green and I may agree if Lletget hadn’t literally done everything he has been asked to do every time he has seen the field.  Lletget is a good soccer player.  He isn’t elite.  But he executes his assignment well.  If you are the manager, it is difficult to replace a guy who is executing the job you are asking him to execute.  Boyd has fallen far down the pecking order at this point it seems.

TOO YOUNG FOR BERHALTER / NOT READY (Players who are too inexperienced in the eyes of the manager)

Scally (note: this is according to Berhalter, not me)

Reynolds

Clark

Cowell

Otasowie

Johnny

Soto

Some controversy here.  Scally shouldn’t be in this category.  He is literally one of the most in-form American players in a top five European league at the moment.  The full back just won player of the month for one of the most storied clubs in the Bundesliga and is a locked down starter for the team.  Berhalter said he was too inexperienced, and he was looking forward to his future integration.  The problem?  How is Scally supposed to gain experience if he isn’t called in?  It defies Berhalter’s own logic.  The major note with all of these exclusions too is the fact that it doesn’t necessarily have to be zero-sum.  It’s not like calling Scally meant Berhalter had to leave Moore or Bello at home like some have said.  There is no restriction as to the amount of players a national team can call to these camps.  The only requirement is limiting the gameday squads.  Want to integrate Scally?  Bring him to camp, build chemistry, have him train with the group and learn the system.  I don’t want to make this a big deal.  The sky isn’t falling because Joe Scally wasn’t included at this point.  But this is a missed opportunity and the logic of not calling him simply doesn’t make sense.  Reynolds is likely a cross between here and the poor club situation category above.  Guys like Clark and Cowell could add some things, but I agree they are a bit too young and inexperienced for this.  A camp invite to train with the group and integrate into the system?  Sure, that would have been fine.

UNAVAILABLE DUE TO TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS / WOULDNT HAVE PLAYED (Only one guy and it’s self-explanatory)

 

Horvath

Everyone knows who our top three keepers are.  Steffen can’t travel to Panama and will stay in the States.  The backup to Turner in that game must be able to travel.  This is fine.

So, after doing this exercise, all in all there are only two guys I am really disappointed are not here: Konrad and Scally.

Arriola over Konrad baffles me. I honestly mean no disrespect but there isn’t a lot that Arriola gives you that Roldan wont.  Konrad is better out wide than both and gives the squad something different as mentioned above.

So, if you’re going to continue to call Roldan for the hard work utility player off the bench role (and I’m on the record saying “this is ok for now”) then Arriola is surplus to requirements.

On Scally, I simply disagree with Berhalter that he’s too young.  Bello is young too.  Joe Scally is less than a year younger than him and is playing at a higher level.  I think Scally is a more complete defensive player than Bello. You are more likely to get defensive mistakes out of Bello than Scally.

Not just that, the versatility makes sense for this roster.  Antonee Robinson won’t be going to Panama due to UK travel restrictions.  So, either Dest will be a defensive liability on the left or Bello will be a defenseive liability on the left against a good counter attacking team.  Having more defensive options isn’t a bad thing.

And again, this wasn’t mutually exclusive. Berhalter could have called in both AND kept all the guys he has.

But all in all, two changes isn’t bad.

I know Green is a popular snub for folks but no matter what you think of him, he isn’t the savior.  He’s a depth guy.  Why freak out about his exclusion?

The good news is there are way more exciting INCLUSIONS here than the two disappointing EXCLUSIONS.

Musah, Richards, Hoppe, Weah and Busio are all new from last camp and add interesting things to the group.

I’m excited to get another look at breakout guys like Pepi, Miles and Antonee.

We have established stars like Adams, McKennie and Dest.

It’s a good roster!  Now, let’s unite and cheer on our boys as we try to qualify for a World Cup.

 

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The Next USMNT Star That Never Was: Revisiting America’s Biggest Teenage Prospects

Published

2 days ago

on

September 25, 2026

By

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

With the next wave of highly rated teenagers likely to be brought into the #USMNT during the 2030 World Cup cycle, I decided to look back at some of the young players who were once hyped as the next stars of the U.S. Men’s National Team but never established themselves as regular internationals.

Freddy Adu would seem to be at the top of this list. While he never became a regular for the #USMNT or the world-class face of U.S. Soccer many expected, he still earned 17 caps, scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists. In many ways, he accomplished more at the international level than most of the players who are listed below combined.

Which former USMNT prospects did I miss, players who are no longer playing or are past their prime, who deserve to be on this list?

Cody Cropper – GK – 0 caps

U.S. youth international and longtime goalkeeper prospect who reached the Southampton and MLS systems but never earned a senior cap.

Junior Flores – AM – 0 caps

Creative midfielder who joined Borussia Dortmund’s system as a teenager and was viewed as a major U.S. prospect, but never reached the senior USMNT.

Eddie Gaven – MF/W – 8 caps

Teenage MLS phenom who became a league standout, but despite eight USMNT appearances, his international career never developed further.

Luis Gil – AM – 2 caps

One of the most hyped American midfield prospects of his generation; debuted for RSL at 16 but never translated that promise into a sustained USMNT career.

Emerson Hyndman – MF – 2 caps

Highly rated central midfielder who broke through at Fulham and earned two USMNT appearances, but never established himself internationally.

Perry Kitchen – DM/CB – 5 caps

U.S. youth captain and defensive midfielder who became a regular MLS starter, but his senior international career stalled after five caps.

Will Packwood – CB/DM – 0 caps

Birmingham City prospect who became the youngest American to play in the English Championship, but injuries severely disrupted his development.

Marc Pelosi – LB/CB – 0 caps

Highly regarded defender who moved to Liverpool as a teenager, but injuries and limited senior opportunities derailed his path to the USMNT.

Gedion Zelalem – MF – 0 caps

Arsenal wonderkid and one of the most highly regarded U.S. prospects of his generation. Injuries and inconsistent senior opportunities slowed his development, and he never made a senior USMNT appearance. 

The number of young USMNT players in this September/October window is something we haven’t seen in quite some time. Some will catch the eye of newly extended USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino, while others may not, but all of them have an opportunity during this cycle to make their case for World Cup qualifying and, ultimately, a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.

It all starts now, and it should be fun to follow their development over the next four years.

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Building the Next Generation: Who Should Be on Pochettino’s USMNT Radar?

Published

1 month ago

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August 25, 2026

By

Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)

Header_NextGen

With the USMNT manager in place and the new cycle underway it’s time for recently extended Mauricio Pochettino to get some new young players on his radar and what better time to do this than the September/October double FIFA window.

There are several U-23 players like Josh Wynder, Jalen Neal, Rokas Pukstas, Diego Kochen, Jonathan Gomez, Caleb Wiley, Cole Campbell, Chris Brady, Gaga, Slonina, Niko Tsakiris, Damion Downs, and Benjamin Cremaschi who have no caps order less than a handful with the USMNT. 

Will USMNT snubs or overlooked players opportunities be during the 2030 cycle look like? Players like Diego Luna, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Camron Carter-Vickers to name a few, we have to wonder how or if they will be part of this cycle of players. I would suggest some will likely get the opportunity in the early part of the cycle but will need to be performing n with their club to remain getting called back into camps.

Integrating a few of these youth USMNT players during each window for the first half of the cycle will allow Pochettino to evaluate them up close and see if there might be a role for them during this next cycle.

It’s extremely important that the USMNT have a few on their current U-20 teenagers’ breakthrough and become a reliable part of the USMNT in the second half of the cycle. 

The below players will have an opportunity to play in next years U-20 World Cup being hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as well as hopefully if their clubs release them being part of the 2028 Olympics USA Football squad to hopefully medal for the first time since 1904 when the US had two teams win Silver and Bronze. I think it’s also important to look at these players alongside some of the core USMNT in the upcoming window to see how they can integrate with one another.

Mathis Albert-17-Winger

Noahkai Banks-19-Centerback

Cole Campbell-20-Midfielder/Winger

Zavier Gozo-19-Winger

Julian Hall-18-Winger

Malik Jakupovic-17-Striker

Adri Mehmeti-17-Central Midfielder

Peyton Miller-18-Left Midfielder/Winger

Neil Pierre-18-Centerback

Cavan Sullivan-16-Attacking Midfielder

Whether we see all of these players, or just a handful, through the first half of the cycle, hopefully leading into another Copa América appearance, it’s clear that the time has come for Pochettino to begin integrating the next generation of USMNT players into the senior pool. How quickly that transition happens will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.

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Mauricio Cuevas Taking “Huge Step Forward” in Liga MX

Published

2 months ago

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August 9, 2026

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CHICAGO — Four years on from captaining the United States to their last CONCACAF Under-20 title, Mauricio Cuevas is quietly stepping back into the spotlight. Still only 23 years old, the talented right back just moved abroad, leaving his boyhood Los Angeles Galaxy for Liga MX side Santos Laguna in a summer move that slipped under the radar.

“To be able to get sold to a big club like Santos is a huge step forward for me,” Cuevas said in an exclusive interview this Saturday. “From the first day, I knew the challenge coming into it because the club hasn’t been meeting expectations in the past few years. Coming in and trying to be a difference-maker is something that I wanted. It’s a new challenge for me, and overall I’m just super excited.”

New Challenge in Mexico

As a teenager, Cuevas showcased himself as one of the country’s most exciting young fullbacks. Known for his technical prowess and set piece ability, the L.A. area native spent time at Belgium’s Club Brugge before returning to the Galaxy in 2023. There, he won an MLS Cup in 2024, appearing 78 times in total before his departure this summer.

“It’s always tough leaving home,” Cuevas said. “Obviously, it’s my boyhood club. My family still lives there, and I was great with all the guys at the club as well. I knew everybody, from the staff and the front office to the coaches. It’s never easy when you’re leaving home.”

“Honestly, the people in Torreón and Santos have all welcomed me with open arms since the first day. They’re all amazing people. It’s an amazing club and an amazing city.”

The move to Liga MX made sense from a number of angles; Santos manager Renato Paiva wanted a new right back, Cuevas’s Galaxy contract was winding down, and his Mexican passport made a move south of the border quite easy. Since joining, Santos have faced an extremely difficult run of games against CF Monterrey, Atlas, Club América, and New York City FC — all of which Cuevas started.

“It’s been great, to be honest,” Cuevas said of his adjustment to life in Torreón. “There hasn’t been much of an adjustment tactics-wise or playing-wise because Renato, our head coach, has similar concepts to what we had at the Galaxy. The players are really good as well. There’s so much quality on the team.”

“The only thing I’ve probably had to get adjusted to is the weather. It’s a little too hot out there, the sun is beaming a lot. But I love it, man. It’s a super-calm city. It’s beautiful, with great food and great people.”

Back in the U.S.

The game against NYCFC came in Leagues Cup, a competition with a razor-thin margin for error. To advance past the first round, teams ideally need to earn at least seven points from their three matches; after losing to New York City, qualification for the knockout rounds is now nearly impossible for Santos. They’ll face Gregg Berhalter, Robert Lewandowski, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday (8 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple TV) in a game where anything but a win in 90 minutes would certainly eliminate them.

“I think we go into every game with the belief that every game is a must-win for us, so that doesn’t really change much. We know now that there’s more on top of that, we have even more reason to win. We’re just focused on ourselves tomorrow. We had a long travel day yesterday, so it’s all about recovery now and setting a game plan that puts us in the best position to win.”

Having started against the Fire at Soldier Field in 2024 and facing former youth national team teammates Chris Brady and Sergio Oregel, Cuevas will hope to give something extra in this game and help keep Santos alive in the tournament.

“Any tournament that this club steps into, we always have that goal in mind of wanting to bring that trophy back to Mexico, back to Torreón with us. We’re a competitive club. We’re one of the best clubs, history-wise, in Mexico, so we know what this badge carries.”

USYNT Hero

Coincidentally enough, the U.S. U-20s advanced to a fifth consecutive CONCACAF final on Friday, setting up a date with hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday. The semifinal win also qualified the U.S. for next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, ensuring qualification for back-to-back editions.

In addition to being a central figure in the last U.S. U-20 CONCACAF victory in 2022, Cuevas was part of the last Pan Am Games team in 2023; the U.S. finished fourth in an unusual competition that included several intriguing names like Sergio Oregel, Brooklyn Raines, Danny Leyva, and a then-relatively unknown Alex Freeman. For Cuevas, that tournament was a special memory, and one he remembers fondly.

“I remember the whole trip, to be honest. I made a lot of great friends and met a lot of great people on and off the field, from the staff to the players – people I’m still in contact with. There are some that are in Liga MX as well, Nico (Carrera), Antonio (Carrera), Danny (Leyva).”

“Every player from that age group and that camp has been doing great. It’s lovely to see, to be honest, seeing everybody shine.”

On the immediate horizon for the U.S. is Sunday’s U-20 final (6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on FS2). The Americans will be hoping that this year’s final is more reminiscent of Cuevas’ age group (a 6-0 final win over the Dominican Republic) than the 2024 edition (a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Mexico). As is often the case, the U.S. and Mexico will be without many of their top youth players for the tournament due to its concurrence with club games, but that has opened the door for others.

“We have two players from (Santos) that are representing Mexico, so congrats to them,” Cuevas said. “Huge shout out to (LA Galaxy’s) Ruben Ramos as well and Dylan Vanney, who are with the U.S.; they’ve been killing it. I’m just happy for all those guys. Proud of those guys.”

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