From the inclusion of Reyna to Pochettino's admiration of Tyler Adams, GOAL takes a look at the big takeaways from the latest U.S. squad
U.S. national team manager Mauricio Pochettino made it clear several times during a media call Tuesday to discuss his call-ups: trimming down the player pool to select the CONCACAF Nations League roster wasn’t fun. After naming a 60-player preliminary list, he had to cut it down to 23. It’s not the best part of his job – nor the easiest.
“When you can only call 23 when the preliminary list was 60 players, it’s really painful,” he said. “It’s not only about performance; it’s about balance and how you connect the characteristics of the players in the squad.”
There were some notable exclusions from Pochettino’s 23-man squad. Brenden Aaronson was left off, signaling that he has work to do if he wants to stay in the squad over the next year. Alejandro Zendejas was omitted as well, despite his incredible run of form with Club America. They were two of several difficult decisions, Pochettino said. If it were up to him, he’d have a much bigger squad. But that’s not how this works.
Pochettino did get the opportunity to add some newcomers, at least for him. Tyler Adams is back. So, too, is Gio Reyna. Both could be starters by the time the World Cup comes around, and both will now get the chance to work under the Argentine for the first time next week. That’s the fun part of the job – one that begins now that Pochettino has trimmed his list.
GOAL looks at main takeaways from Pochettino as he discussed his squad, the balance he’s aiming for, upcoming competitions, and the road to the CONCACAF Nations League final.
Getty ImagesOn Aaronson's absence: 'Too many players in that position'
"Sometimes it's not about a player having to improve," Pochettino said. "It's just about numbers".
For Brenden Aaronson, in particular, his absence came down to just that: Numbers. It isn't necessarily fair and, for Aaronson, it won't feel that way, but Pochettino can only call on 23 guys and, for this camp in particular, those 23 didn't include Aaronson.
Pochettino broke it down in the simplest terms. He sees the Leeds United star as a No. 10 and, right now, he's loaded with options in that position. Dortmund's Gio Reyna is back and could start there. So, too, could Real Salt Lake star Diego Luna, who shined in January camp. Weston McKennie has played extremely well as Juventus' No. 10 at times this season – and Pochettino even name-checked Christian Pulisic as someone who can play there, as well.
Again, it's a numbers game, and Aaronson's wasn't called.
"I think we have too many players for only one position and this was a possibility to provide balance," Pochettino said. "When you have 23 players to call in a competition for two games in a short space of time, balance is important. It's only really 20 players because you have three keepers, of course. We talk about [Brenden], but we can talk about many other players and we are disappointed we cannot call all of them. In our mind, Brenden is still a player that we consider so highly, but he'll have to wait until the next one."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesReyna's return: 'I think he can help'
Reyna is back in the group for the first time under Pochettino. His return comes at a tough moment as he continues to struggle at Borussia Dortmund. That makes this opportunity feel even bigger.
Just a year ago, Reyna was recognized as the Nations League's Best Player. That's the level he can reach, and Pochettino knows it, even if he has yet to really work with the 22-year-old midfielder. Opportunities such as this will be limited going forward if Reyna stays at Dortmund, whose participation at the Club World Cup would rule Reyna out of the USMNT's Gold Cup squad.
"I think his talent is there, and it's good to feel and see how he can help," Pochettino said. "I think one of the reasons to call him is because was a great opportunity. If not, it's going to be difficult to see him."
Reyna's place, though, isn't guaranteed. As Pochettino alluded to, the No. 10 competition is heating up, reaching a point now at which a regular such Aaronson can be left out of the squad. That'll serve as a reminder to the likes of Reyna, who needs to be playing at a high level by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around.
"Everyone recognizes that he's talented and, of course, he's improving and he needs to improve," the manager said. "Of course, he can do better. We need to push him, but, secondly, we need to understand how he thinks, what he likes, what he doesn't like. I think it's important to create this relationship for the future. We want to win this competition, and I think he can help."
Getty Images SportAdams is back: 'I wanted him at Chelsea!'
Pochettino knows all about Tyler Adams. If not for a late breakdown on a transfer from Leeds, he would have had him in his squad at Chelsea. It didn't work out that way. Chelsea splashed the cash on Moises Caicedo, Adams went to Bournemouth, and Pochettino, ultimately, left Stamford Bridge after last season.
"We know him very well as a player," Pochettino said of Adams. "He's a player we wanted to sign at Chelsea because he's a very good player."
That admiration remains, though, as Pochettino will finally get the chance to work with Adams in a USMNT shirt. The Bournemouth star hasn't been with the team since the Copa America and has largely been out of the team since the 2022 World Cup due to injuries. He's back to his best now, though, which gives Pochettino a new defensive bully in midfield.
"He needs to prove that he's better than the others," Pochettino said. "We have a good competition in midfield with [Tanner] Tessmann, [Johnny] Cardoso, [Yunus] Musah and McKennie, who all play that position. This is a good opportunity for us to see [Adams] and it's great to have him here again. This last month, he was performing really well with his team and I think he deserves an opportunity. For us, it's a great opportunity to get to know him."
GettyStriker pool takes shape: 'Going to compete this week'
The forward line has been decimated by injuries. Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun are both out, leaving the USMNT without two of its top strikers. In this camp, the line will be led by Josh Sargent, Patrick Agyemang and Brian White – all of whom have a point to prove.
Sargent is the obvious frontrunner. He's in incredible form for Norwich, having scored eight goals in his last eight matches. He's playing better than he ever has before, which almost certainly gives him a leg up on the other two. Even so, Pochettino isn't quite ready to announce him as the starter, insisting that Sargent still has to prove himself leading up to the March 20 semifinal against Panama.
"We need to pay attention to him," Pochettino said. "We are talking about a player that is doing really well in the Championship. Of course, Brenden Aaronson is also in the Championship and it's not the Premier League. It's not Calcio [Serie A], not La Liga, not a first division, but we need to know our players, know that they're performing well and, of course, if they do, they deserve the opportunity."
As for Agyemang and White, both are here following goalscoring performances at the January camp. Neither has ever been in a USMNT camp outside of that annual January gathering, which makes this a meaningful opportunity. Beating out Sargent for starts will be difficult, but both will hope to play some part of called upon by Pochettino.
"I think it's good competition," the USMNT coach said, "and it also then provides the national team a good three strikers competing to play in a very important tournament like the one we are going to compete in next week."
