U.S. Men`s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has elected to leave star player Christian Pulisic off the squad list for the team`s upcoming June friendly matches against Turkey and Switzerland. These final preparatory games before the Concacaf Gold Cup are being utilized to take a look at a wider selection of available players.
Pochettino`s decision to omit Pulisic allows the player to rest after a very demanding recent season with AC Milan. However, Pulisic is not the only key figure absent. Fulham`s Antonee Robinson was also not included in the roster. Furthermore, Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie, who play for Juventus, and Gio Reyna from Borussia Dortmund are unavailable due to their club commitments at the expanded Club World Cup tournament, which is scheduled to occur simultaneously with the Gold Cup in the U.S. this summer.
Regarding Pulisic`s absence, U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker provided a statement explaining the situation, as reported by The Athletic. “Christian and his team approached the federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break,” Crocker stated. He added that, after careful consideration and discussion, the collective decision was made for this to be the appropriate time for Pulisic to get the necessary rest. The primary goal, Crocker noted, is to ensure Pulisic is in peak condition for performance at the highest level next season.
Pulisic has faced a substantial workload this season alone for Milan, participating in 49 matches and accumulating 3,542 minutes on the pitch. Should he play this weekend as anticipated, it will mark his 100th appearance for the club since the 2023-24 season began. He has also made 12 appearances for the United States men`s national team in 2024, earning two caps within this calendar year.
As a consequence of prominent players missing out, Pochettino will be working with a relatively inexperienced cohort. The current roster features players who average just 18 caps each, with an average of 11 caps in official competitive matches. This group includes four individuals who are receiving their inaugural call-ups to the senior national team: Sebastian Berhalter, Damion Downs, Alex Freeman, and Quinn Sullivan.
The USMNT squad is scheduled to convene in Chicago on June 2 to commence their training camp. They are set to play against Turkey on June 7 at Pratt and Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut, followed by a match against Switzerland on June 10 at Geodis Park in Nashville.
USMNT Roster for June Friendlies
(Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (4)
- Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0)
- Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0)
- Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 30/0)
- Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)
DEFENDERS (8)
- Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0)
- Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 33/2)
- Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 0/0)
- DeJuan Jones (San Jose Earthquakes; 10/0)
- Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 19/0)
- Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 68/1)
- Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 24/1)
- Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 32/3)
MIDFIELDERS (10)
- Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 47/8)
- Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 44/2)
- Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0)
- Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 18/0)
- Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 24/1)
- Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 4/0)
- Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 4/1)
- Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0)
- Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 17/0)
- Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew; 1/0)
FORWARDS (5)
- Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3)
- Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 17/5)
- Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0)
- Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1)
- Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 15/4)
