Pulisic, Weah headline USMNT squad for Concacaf QF

United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has named a 25-player roster to compete in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals this week against Jamaica.

Among those included are AC Milan‘s Christian Pulisic and the Juventus duo of Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah.

The quarterfinal matchup will be contested over two legs, with the first leg to be played in Kingston, Jamaica on Nov. 14, and the second leg contested in St. Louis four days later. In 10 meetings in Jamaica, the U.S. has a record of 3-1-6.

Players will report to the camp on Sunday and Monday, with the team departing Wednesday afternoon for Jamaica.

Pochettino will have a greater number of first-choice players available compared to last month’s international window, the Argentine’s first in charge. Weah is recalled for the first time since his red card against Panama in the Copa América, and his subsequent suspension will carry over into the first leg in Kingston.

Other returnees include Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, Fulham defender Antonee Robinson and Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso. Pochettino will also get his first looks at Barcelona Atletic goalkeeper Diego Kochen and CD Guadalajara forward Cade Cowell.

However, a host of regulars miss out for U.S. due to fitness concerns. Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams just recently returned to play after a lengthy injury layoff due to back surgery. Monaco forward Folarin Balogun continues to recover from a separated shoulder, while Norwich City striker Josh Sargent recently underwent groin surgery that is set to sideline him for up to eight weeks. Coventry City’s Haji Wright also suffered an ankle injury late in Sunday’s match against Sunderland.

The injuries to Balogun, Sargent and Wright mean plenty of eyes will be on the group of forwards which in addition to Cowell includes PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi and Monterrey FC’s Brandon Vasquez.

The roster does seem light on outside defenders, with just Robinson and Joe Scally having extensive experience in those roles. That hints that Pochettino may resort to playing with three defenders plus wingbacks, though Richards and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream have played played at outside back in the past in a four-back system.

The USMNT is aiming to win its fourth straight CNL, having previously claimed every edition of the tournament since the first final was held in 2021.

USMNT Nov. training camp roster:

Goalkeepers: Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona Atletic), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

Defenders: Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards: Cade Cowell (Guadalajara), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Brandon Vázquez (Monterrey), Tim Weah (Juventus), Alex Zendejas (Club América)