USMNT
Roster Exclusion Categories
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
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.
USMNT
From Maradona to Messi
From Maradona to Messi: A Quick Look at World Cups 1986–2022
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
A quick look back at the last ten World Cups reveals how the world’s greatest sporting event has evolved and grown through the decades. With over 200 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, here’s a high-level recap of the tournaments that shaped its legacy, and a glimpse of what’s next.
1986 – Mexico
Diego Maradona delivered a World Cup for the ages, scoring both the “Goal of the Century” and the infamous “Hand of God” in the same match, then leading Argentina past West Germany to claim their second World Cup title.
1990 – Italy
The USA returned to the World Cup after a 50-year absence in what became the lowest-scoring tournament in history, as West Germany edged Argentina 1–0 on a late penalty. It marked West Germany’s final World Cup before reunification.
1994 – United States
The USA hosted its first-ever World Cup, setting all-time attendance records as Brazil defeated Italy in the tournament’s first final decided by a penalty shootout in front of the largest crowds in US since the 1984 Olympics.
1998 – France
FIFA’s first 32-team World Cup saw host nation France capture its first-ever title, becoming the seventh country to win the trophy. Led by Zinedine Zidane triumphed on home soil with a commanding victory over defending champions Brazil.
2002 – South Korea/Japan
The first World Cup with co-hosting nations saw South Korea stun many by reaching the semifinals, while Brazil claimed their fifth title, powered by Ronaldo’s two goals in the final against Germany.
2006 – Germany
Germany came up short on home soil, losing in extra time to eventual first-time finalist Italy in the semifinal. Italy went on to claim its fourth World Cup, edging France on penalties in a final forever marked by Zidane’s infamous headbutt in extra time.
2010 – South Africa
The first World Cup hosted by a CAF nation, South Africa, saw the host nation become the first ever to fail to advance past the group stage. Meanwhile, Spain captured their first World Cup, showcasing their tiki-taka mastery and defeating the Netherlands in extra-time with Andrés Iniesta’s decisive goal.
2014 – Brazil
Host nation Brazil reached the semifinals on home soil but suffered a shocking 7–1 defeat to Germany and then fell 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third-place match. Germany went on to defeat Argentina in extra time, with Mario Götze scoring the decisive goal, while Lionel Messi claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
2018 – Russia
France’s golden generation, spearheaded by tournament Best Young Player Kylian Mbappé, captured their second World Cup title with a thrilling 4–2 victory over Croatia, led by Golden Ball winner Luka Modrić.
2022 – Qatar
The 2022 World Cup, overshadowed by controversies over migrant worker treatment and extreme heat, which pushed the tournament to November and December, ultimately delivered a historic finale. Lionel Messi achieved crowning glory as Argentina triumphed on penalties in a thrilling 3–3 final against France, highlighted by Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick.
2026 – United States/Mexico/Canada
The 2026 World Cup will feature a major expansion from 32 to 48 teams and, for the first time ever, be hosted by three nations. Mexico will make history as the first country to host matches in three different World Cups, while the United States becomes the sixth nation to host at least twice. What unforgettable moments will define this landmark tournament?
USMNT
One Home or Many? The Debate Over a Primary Venue for U.S. Soccer
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
The logics of the United States make it almost impossible for the USMNT or USWNT to have a primary venue to play all of their home matches but a trend of playing in a handful of stadiums has been developing over the last couple of cycles. US Soccer says there are specific factors behind where matches are played, some make sense, while others come across as lazy or lacking creativity.
If and when Major League Soccer aligns with the FIFA calendar and observes international breaks, more MLS stadiums could become available for matches. While not all MLS venues currently feature natural grass, US Soccer has indicated they would be willing to invest in installing grass, though at a cost of around $500K and with potential concerns about surface reliability.
Global Approach to Scheduling
Many of the top-tier international teams play their World Cup qualifiers and other critical matches in a primary venue or two. Here’s a sample of some of those countries and generally where they play based on my research.
Here are some of the more notable nations that play nearly all of their home matches at a single venue, a setup made practical by their smaller size and simpler logistics, which also makes it easier for fans.
Germany and Spain are known for rotating their non-critical home matches across multiple venues.
Argentina-Estadio Monumental (River Plate)
Belgium– King Baudouin Stadium (Brussels)
Colombia-Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez
England-Wembley Stadium
France– Stade de France (Saint-Denis, near Paris)
Italy-Stadio Olimpico
Northern Ireland-Windsor Park (Belfast)
Norway-Ullevaal Stadion (Oslo)
Portugal– Estádio da Luz (Lisbon)
Republic of Ireland-Aviva Stadium (Dublin)
Scotland-Hampden Park (Glasgow)
Uruguay-Estadio Centenario
Wales-Cardiff City Stadium
What’s in a location?
Here’s a look at the past few cycles, highlighting the USMNT’s home matches and the venues they’ve used. While US Soccer has clarified that they don’t control Gold Cup or Nations League venue selection, a point still under debate, they do manage the locations for Friendlies and World Cup qualifiers and continue to review and adjust those choices.
2026 Cycle (Matches Scheduled Through the end of 2025) – 46 Home Matches – 30 unique cities
So far, half of the USMNT’s home matches in the 2026 cycle have been held across eight venues. Only two more windows, March and May/June, remain for Friendlies before the 2026 World Cup.
- 4-AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- 4-Energizer Park, previously CityPark, St. Louis, Missouri
- 4-Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas
- 3-Inter&Co Stadium (previously Orlando City Stadium and Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
- 2-Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
- 2-Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee
- 2-Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut
- 2-TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
2022 Cycle – 43 Home Matches – 24 unique cities
I can almost give US Soccer a pass on city and venue selection during the 2022 cycle, given the global circumstances at the time. That said, it’s interesting that they scheduled three consecutive home World Cup qualifiers in Ohio, with final round two matches in Columbus. Columbus has been a recurring choice, hosting multiple qualifiers in 2014, 2018, and 2022, handling one match each during both the semifinal and final rounds of qualifying in 2014 and 2018.
Lower.com, Columbus, Ohio
2018 Cycle – 47 Home Matches – 33 unique cities
During the 2018 cycle, the USMNT played in a wider variety of cities and venues. Aside from four matches in Carson, California for the January camp, they only repeated a location eleven times.
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
2014 Cycle – 43 Home Matches – 29 unique cities
During the 2014 cycle, the USMNT repeated cities twelve times, but only two cities hosted more than two matches: Carson, California, where two of three games were for Camp Cupcake, and Kansas City, Kansas, which hosted three matches.
Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas
2010 Cycle – 35 Home Matches – 18 unique cities
One of the leanest home schedules in recent cycles saw the USMNT play in just 18 different cities, with 11 of them hosting only a single match. Over half of their home games were concentrated in four cities: Carson, California (7 matches); Chicago, Illinois (5 matches); and Foxborough, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. (3 matches each).
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
2006 Cycle – 44 Home Matches – 24 unique cities
The USMNT played eight matches in Foxborough, Massachusetts—double the number held in the next two cities, Columbus, Ohio, and Miami, Florida, which each hosted four matches. Notably, the team has excelled in Foxborough, losing only once in 22 games played there.
Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, MA
2002 Cycle – 38 Home Matches – 16 unique cities
During the 2002 cycle, California was clearly a preferred destination for the USMNT, hosting matches in five different cities across twelve games. Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. each hosted five matches as well.
Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
1998 Cycle– 40 Home Matches – 21 unique cities
Washington D.C. was the city of choice for the USMNT during the 1998 cycle playing six matches. The USMNT would also play more than two matches in Los Angeles, California (5 matches), Foxborough, Massachusetts (4 matches) and Pasadena, California (3 matches) while playing only one match in twelve other cities.
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Long Term Venue Strategy
While US Soccer may favor a single venue for most USMNT and USWNT matches, doing so would limit access for thousands of fans across the country. However, with the move to Georgia and the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center set to open in early 2026, ahead of the World Cup, it’s likely that future matches will focus on venues within three to four hours of Atlanta. We can expect the majority of games to continue taking place in roughly ten to twelve core cities.
Club News
The constructing of a World Cup roster
Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
With the September FIFA window now in the rearview mirror, and only three more windows left before final rosters are set in late May or early June 2026, Mauricio Pochettino has drawn a clear line.
He’s stated that September’s camp was the “last camp to have the possibility for new faces.”
If we take him at his word, the nearly 70 players who’ve been called across six camps and the Gold Cup will form the pool from which he selects the 2026 World Cup squad.
Of the 60 players named to the 2025 Gold Cup provisional roster, only five, Maxi Dietz, Richie Ledezma, Tim Tillman, Caleb Wiley, and Griffin Yow, have yet to appear on a #USMNT roster under Pochettino.
Comparing the 2025 Nations League provisional roster to the Gold Cup list reveals over a dozen different players, raising the question: are these minor differences simply the edges of the player pool Pochettino intends to draw from?
Goalkeepers
Nine goalkeepers have been called into Pochettino’s camps, but it’s clear that Matt Freese is his first-choice right now, with Matt Turner likely the No. 2 as we sit just 10 months from the World Cup.
- Chris Brady
- Drake Callender
- Roman Celentano
- Matt Freese
- Ethan Horvath
- Jonathan Klinsmann
- Diego Kochen
- Patrick Schulte
- Zack Steffen
- Matt Turner
Fullbacks
Outside of Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson, the USMNT’s fullback depth remains a concern. Pochettino appears high on MLS defenders Alex Freeman and Max Arfsten, while Caleb Wiley, though yet to feature in a USMNT camp but named to recent provisional rosters, could still be on his depth chart.
- Max Arfsten
- Sergino Dest
- Alex Freeman
- Marlon Fossey
- DeJuan Jones
- Kristoffer Lund
- Shaquell Moore
- Antonee Robinson
- Joe Scally
- John Tolkin
Centerbacks
Center back remains another position with uncertain depth. Chris Richards and the veteran Tim Ream look like locks for now, leaving three spots up for grabs. If Pochettino opts for a back three, that tactical shift could influence which players ultimately make the cut. Notably, Jackson Ragen and Maxi Dietz are the only center backs from the recent provisional rosters who haven’t been called into a USMNT camp.
- Noahkai Banks
- Tristan Blackmon
- George Campbell
- Cameron Carter-Vickers
- Mark McKenzie
- Tim Ream
- Chris Richards
- Miles Robinson
- Auston Trusty
- Walker Zimmerman
Central Midfielders
The central midfield position is the deepest for the #USMNT, with many players in the pool capable of also playing fullback, center back, or winger. Although Richie Ledezma has primarily played as a right back and right wing-back for his current club and for PSV last season, USMNT coaches view him primarily as a midfielder. This likely explains why he hasn’t yet been called into a USMNT camp.
- Tyler Adams
- Sebastian Berhalter
- Gianluca Busio
- Johnny Cardoso
- Ben Cremaschi
- Luca de la Torre
- Emeka Eneli
- Jack McGlynn
- Weston McKennie
- Aidan Morris
- Yunus Musah
- Tanner Tessmann
- Sean Zawadzki
Attacking Midfielders
There are several players at this position who could add real quality and play pivotal roles for the #USMNT at next summer’s World Cup. Gio Reyna remains a major question mark, but his talent is undeniable. With his recent club change, there’s hope he can return to the high level of form we’ve seen from him in the past.
- Brenden Aaronson
- Paxten Aaronson
- Brian Gutiérrez
- Djordje Mihailovic
- Matko Miljevic
- Gio Reyna
- Malik Tillman
Wingers
The winger position remains thin for the #USMNT, though several players there can also slot in as attacking midfielders, strikers, or even fullback. Notably, two young wingers, Cole Campbell and Griffin Yow, appeared on provisional rosters but have yet to be called into any Pochettino camp.
- Cade Cowell
- Diego Luna
- Christian Pulisic
- Quinn Sullivan
- Indiana Vassilev
- Tim Weah
- Haji Wright
- Alejandro Zendejas
Strikers
Another area of concern for the USMNT is striker depth. While the top options have all produced well for their clubs when healthy, injuries have kept the pool thin. If everyone is fit, the primary competition for the starting role likely comes down to three players: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Josh Sargent. Haji Wright and Tim Weah can also step in as center-forward options if needed.
- Patrick Agyemang
- Folarin Balogun
- Damion Downs
- Jesus Ferreira
- Ricardo Pepi
- Josh Sargent
- Brandon Vazquez
- Brian White
Conclusion
It’s tough to read Pochettino’s mindset right now. Many expect fewer MLS players to be called for the October window, partly because the league continues through FIFA dates and the regular season ends mid-October.
Most World Cup rosters largely select themselves, with only a few surprising omissions, think of the 1994 squad, which left out several players many felt deserved a spot.
But with Pochettino still showing a shaky grasp of the USMNT player pool, this cycle could produce more notable snubs than ever, though there’s still time for him to get it right.
From Maradona to Messi
One Home or Many? The Debate Over a Primary Venue for U.S. Soccer
The constructing of a World Cup roster
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