Doug McIntyre
Soccer journalist
Things are looking for the US male team. UU. The first game of the FIFA World Cup of the Americans at the Sofi stadium in Los Angeles is only 500 days away. Christian Pulisic is the best AC Milan player and in pace for his best season so far. Heart and Soul Tyler Adams midfielder is finally completely healthy again and plays some of the best football in his life. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Chris Richards, Joe Scally, Yunus Musah are also on their way to having a professional year in 2025.
The star coach Mauricio Pochettino began his first full year to the helm with a couple of convincing victories earlier this month, since a team composed of MLS players showed the growing depth of the program behind the cohort -based cohort in Europe.
Demons, even bad news, such as the fact that Gio Reyna still It is not a normal opener with Borussia Dortmund, it does not seem so terrible at this time. Reyna is healthy, after all, and will soon have the opportunity to change her fortune under a new black and yellow manager.
With the USMNT inactive until the finals of the Concacaf Nations League at the end of March and the largest World Cup in history that is approaching the Warp speed, now it is as good time as anyone to take a snapshot Where is the group of American players.
Goalie
Although Matt Turner is likely to play only once for Crystal Palace (in a Copa Fa versus Doncaster match on February 10) before Semi Versus Panama on March 20, he is still the clear No. 1 of Pochettino for now.
“Today Matt I think he deserves the [role]Because in the last two games against Jamaica it was fantastic, “said Pochettino, referring to the rooms of the Nations of the Nations of November.
Things are getting interesting behind Turner. He presumed the second election, Patrick Schulte was not injured in the 3-1 victory of the Americans over Venezuela earlier this month, but Zack Steffen’s backing performance in the posterior whitish of Costa Rica gives the coaching staff something in What to think about Turner’s difference. Steffen has a lot of experience, is still 29 years old and has all the motivation in the world to forge a role after being left out of the list for Qatar 2022 by former coach Gregg Berhalter.
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Another veteran, Ethan Horvath, now appears completely out of the image. Matt Freese, the only January camper that does not appear in any of the friends, could quickly increase the ranks if it leaves MLS for Europe this month, as rumored, and begins to play immediately. The eighteen -year -old Barcelona prospect, Diego Kochen, will remain in the mixture, but remains a more realistic candidate for 2030.
Whatever the hierarchical order, the goalkeeper’s situation is not as serious as it seemed last summer, according to the coach.
“We can feel,” said Pochettino last week, “that we are very sure in the goal.”
(Photo of Brad Smith/Isi Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Immediately
Sergiño is going to his return, but it could be difficult to immediately evict Scally, who has prospered as a third hybrid center in the Pochettino system so far. The consistently stubborn defensive work of Scally could even move Pochettino to display the creative destination on a more attacker.
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There is a great fall after those two. Pochettino did not even bother to call a backup for Scally the last time the full force team was convened, then explained that others could complete if necessary. That makes sense: McKennie and Weah have covered the corner sometimes for Italian Juventus Titans this season. Adams, Musah Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards and Miles Robinson also have experience there.
Back down
Tim Ream served as Captain during the first four Pochettino games in charge. Is that now that Richards is playing once again every week in the Premier League of England? McKenzie was Ream’s partner in October and November and has always been established as a present for the French 1 Toulouse Ligue side. Those are probably the first three of Pochettino.
Meanwhile, Miles Robinson began the two January games, while the veteran World Cup Walker of 2022 Zimmerman saw his first minutes under the new staff.
Among the newcomers, George Campbell of CF Montreal impressed. “I really like Campbell,” said Pochettino. “George was incredible, he was very happy with him.”
But it is a game of numbers. Are there MLS options ahead of Cameron Carter Vickers and Auston Trusty, who only helped the Celtic Scottish club each in the elimination stage of the Champions League? We will see in March.
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Left back
Sunday’s defeat against Manchester United did not change anything for Jedi, the upper part of the permanent left that seems to be prepared to leave Fulham for a participant of the Champions League this summer. However, Robinson would hurt, it would be a real problem for the US. “First, I’m back,” Scally told Fox Sports earlier this month.
The best left -footed natural options are Kristopher Lund, who regularly plays again for Palermo on the second Italian level, and John Tolkin, who left the January January camp to sign with Holstein Kiel and made his debut in the Bundesliga last week. Another name to monitor here: Dejuan Jones, one of the best American artists last week against the Ticos.
Midfield
If he is healthy, Mckennie’s midfield, Musah and Adams will meet in March for the first time from Copa América. That is great news for the USMNT. The competition behind them is also fierce, even with Malik Tillman of PSV indefinitely with an ankle injury.
Johnny Cardoso continues to excel in his first complete campaign with Real Betis; Now the 90 minutes have passed in five consecutive games of the League. Gianluca Busio de Venezia has an even longer minutes in the Italian Series A, while Breen Aaronson has gone to distance in five consecutive games for Leeds in the English championship. His younger brother, Paxten Aaronson, has registered more than 1,500 minutes and has scored five goals so far for Utrecht in the most important division in the Netherlands.
Aidan Morris is now completely recovered from a knee injury and has registered 90 in two in a row for the Middlesbrough championship team. In Germany, James Sands has just obtained his first beginning of the Bundesliga for St. Pauli, while Lenny Maloney left Heidenheim threatened by the descent for the sixth Mainz place.
The minutes have been more difficult to find for others; Reyna did not leave the bank in Dortmund’s first game under the interim boss Mike Tullberg. In France, Tanner Tessmann has been an unused substitute in each of the last three Lyon games.
Even so, Reyna and Tessmann almost surely remain ahead of the perspectives based in the MLS such as Emeka Eneli, Benjamin Cremaschi, Diego Lun San Diego FC Expansion after losing its place with Celta Vigo in Spain.
Abroad
Pulisic and Weah have been closed for a long time here, although Pochettino has already played with the positioning of both and might prefer to use the first centrally. Who else would the Argentine try? Dest, Jedi, Reyna, Musah, Luna, Cade Cowell, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright, Alex Zendejas and both Aaronsons have experience in the wings at club and international level.
Striker
With Folarin Balogun injured, Pepi obtained the initial work by scoring on both legs of the successful November League series with the Reggae Boyz. He also continues to score for PSV, getting his goal 17 on Saturday in just over 1,000 minutes played in all competitions this season for the participants of the Champions League.
Josh Sargent scored twice on Saturday in his first start for Norwich City since he underwent English surgery in October. Balogun (shoulder surgery) is out until April, so Sargent should be involved in March, especially with Wright (ankle) also in the long term.
Brandon Vázquez could also be there if the 2025 mls season begins with the New Club Austin. He could go down to Vázquez or Patrick Agyemang de Charlotte, who ended in January as one of his greatest winners after packing his first two Usmnt goals.
“We have different options” at the top, said Pochettino.
Doug McIntyre is a Fox Sports soccer writer who has covered the USA National teams for men and women in the world cups of FIFA on five continents. Follow it in @Bydougmcintyre.
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