Christian Pulisic will return to the U.S. men’s national team for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, but head coach Mauricio Pochettino left Weston McKennie off his roster for the two games and a training camp that begins next week.
Pulisic is back after opting out of the Gold Cup and enduring criticism from fans and pundits, including former USMNT players. His public back-and-forth with Pochettino raised questions about his place in the squad, but Pochettino chose to bring him straight back into the fold.
McKennie also missed the Gold Cup while with Juventus for the Club World Cup; ahead of this September window, he was available for selection for the first time since underwhelming performances in March losses to Panama and Canada. McKennie came off the bench, but played just two minutes for Juventus in its Serie A opener last weekend.
In addition to McKennie, Pochettino also omitted the likes of Yunus Musah, Johnny Cardoso, Matt Turner, Joe Scally and Gio Reyna.
Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi, meanwhile, were left off as they work their way back from injuries. Tillman, a core part of the Gold Cup team, has yet to feature for new club Bayer Leverkusen.
Among the notable call-ups in their stead are goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann, the son of former USMNT coach Jürgen Klinsmann; and 18-year-old center back Noahkai Banks.
Klinsmann’s inclusion means the sons of two former USMNT coaches are on this roster. The goalkeeper is joined by midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, the son of former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. The son of a third, Michael Bradley (Bob Bradley), will be honored before the U.S.’s game vs. Son Heung-min-led South Korea on Sept. 6 in Harrison, N.J.
Here’s the U.S. squad in full (deeper positional breakdown below):
GOALKEEPERS: Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena)
DEFENDERS: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace)
MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS: Damion Downs (Southampton), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) Josh Sargent (Norwich), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alex Zendejas (Club América)
USMNT Sept. 2025 Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS
Roman Celentano, Matt Freese, Jonathan Klinsmann
This position battle is wide open, and it’s clear Pochettino is giving every eligible goalkeeper a chance to make an impression. Freese won the No. 1 job at the Gold Cup. Turner is still working back into the groove in New England, which plays in the international break. Celentano and Klinsmann will now get a chance to get on the World Cup radar. Zack Steffen missed the Gold Cup due to injury, so it’ll be interesting to see where he stands come October.
FULLBACKS
Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Nathan Harriel
The absence of Robinson at left back still looms over this team (he came off the bench for Fulham last weekend for his season debut), and based on the group that Pochettino has called in, it’s quite possible that Dest will start on that side, with Freeman slotting in as the starting right back.
Depth is still a huge issue here. Arfsten struggled defensively against Concacaf opponents. Harriel did not look up to the level against Switzerland. Scally obviously has to work his way back into Pochettino’s good graces, but you have to think the door is open for any right back to push into the picture.
CENTER BACKS
Noahkai Banks, Tristan Blackmon, Tim Ream, Chris Richards
Pochettino’s approach to the center back position has become pretty clear. Richards and Ream appear to be his guys. The backup slots are wide open. Pochettino has already seen Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Walker Zimmerman. None has been particularly impressive. So, he is reaching for two more options, stretching the depth of the player pool.
Blackmon, 29, is a surprising choice for a second call-up, and first since a 12-man January camp amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Banks, on the other hand, is an intriguing prospect. The Honolulu native made his German Bundesliga debut earlier this year. He is far from a regular at Augsburg and a long shot to make the World Cup roster, but he’ll get a chance to impress Pochettino and his staff.
Tyler Adams is back to guide the USMNT’s midfield vs. South Korea and Japan (Photo by Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
CENTER MIDFIELD
Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Luca de la Torre, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Sean Zawadzki
This is a position where the start of the European season and the impact that has on the roster highlights what the depth of the overall pool looks like. Cardoso is likely being given a chance to settle in at Atlético Madrid. McKennie and Musah haven’t played much at their respective clubs, and it’s probably fair to say they have to work their way back into Pochettino’s favor.
With that trio out, the door is open for McGlynn, Zawadzki, De la Torre and Berhalter. It has to be frustrating for Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris to feel like that door has shut on them after shaky performances in previous windows, but they at least now know the path they have to navigate to get back into the mix.
WINGERS
Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Alex Zendejas
Pulisic’s status was the biggest question mark around this window. His reintegration into the group — and the U.S.’s ability to move on from the drama of the summer — is one of the most important stress tests.
The U.S. will welcome Pulisic and Weah on the wings, where danger was lacking throughout the Gold Cup. Both World Cup starters should immediately change the dynamic of how the U.S. team functions in the attack.
Zendejas was a surprising omission from the Gold Cup team. The Club América winger will get another shot at impressing the coaching staff in his first call-up since last October, which was Pochettino’s first camp.
FORWARDS
Damion Downs, Josh Sargent
With Pepi only just returning from his February meniscus surgery, and Folarin Balogun regaining full fitness after an ankle injury in preseason, Pochettino called in the two best available strikers in the pool.
That doesn’t mean they inspire confidence, of course. But it’s nice to see Sargent back after Pochettino curiously omitted him from the Gold Cup squad. He’s scored four goals in four games for Norwich City to start the season, and despite his six-year drought for the national team, he’s still a much more realistic contender for World Cup minutes than Patrick Agyemang, who misses out due to injury.
(Top photo: Alex Gallardo/Imagn Images)
Source link
