The United States men's national team will return to competitive play with two Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17, and head coach Mauricio Pochettino has selected a roster that mixes proven regulars with the next generation of American talent. A place in the last four is on the line.
After an international window in September and October during which several regulars rested while Pochettino evaluated a younger group, familiar names such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun have returned. They are joined by prospects including Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall, who got their first taste of senior camp earlier this year and will now be called on again for the full Concacaf experience of Nations League competition.
Injuries helped shape the selections. Miles Robinson, Johnny Cardoso and Ricardo Pepi have been dealing with fitness issues, while the door may be closing for Tim Weah and Yunus Musah, who were passed over as young players were brought in at their positions. Pochettino confirmed that neither Pepi nor Balogun is at full fitness, so only Balogun was called in, with Justin Ellis and Hall given chances to earn minutes against Haiti.
"That is why we didn't want to bring both, because I think both are not 100%, but I think the combination of Balogun, Ellis, and Hall I think is perfect," Pochettino said.
Pochettino again included uncapped players on his 25-man squad, which is made up of three goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and five forwards. Nashville SC's Reed Baker-Whiting is seeking his first senior appearance, and Paderborn midfielder Santiago Castaneda, who is also eligible to represent Colombia, was brought into camp.
The squad leans heavily on attack, with Pulisic, Sebastian Berhalter and Gio Reyna all in good form. Pulisic recently signed a new contract with AC Milan and scored twice in his last three club appearances, while Balogun has found starting minutes hard to come by at Monaco. Hall has been the most productive forward of the group, scoring 13 goals in Major League Soccer play for Red Bull New York along with three for the national team, and he has added three more goals in six club appearances since returning from his first national team camp.
The bigger questions are in defense. George Campbell was withdrawn at halftime of West Bromwich Albion's most recent match with an injury and will need a late fitness test to see if he can join the camp. Campbell and Neil Pierre endured a difficult first camp but have been recalled to show their growth, and behind Chris Richards and Auston Trusty, other defenders must be ready because their chance could come at any moment.
Pochettino also singled out Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mathis Albert, who has seen limited playing time at his club. "For me, Matias is one of the most talented players in the USA," Pochettino said, explaining that Albert is fully fit, capable of bringing something different to the national team, and able to rebuild his confidence during the camp.
With camp opening on Monday, Pochettino stressed balance and experimentation, noting that Pulisic and Albert will be together for the first time. "From Monday, we are going to start to see the chemistry off the field, but also on the field that is really important too," he said. A U-23 camp will run at the same time, and with more than 100 players being tracked by the national team, these matches against Haiti will go a long way toward determining who sticks with the senior team long term and who moves to the U-23s.
