Mauricio Pochettino mixes veterans, youth on USMNT roster for Nations League matches

Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie rejoin the squad alongside Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall as the Americans prepare for a quarterfinal clash with Haiti

Nov 4, 2026 at 12:55 pm ET • 7 min read

After a September/October international break where some United States men's national team regulars were able to get a rest while Mauricio Pochettino got to look at a younger group of players, now it's time to return to competitive play with two matches against Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. The USMNT will look to book their place in the last four with games on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17. While many regulars such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun have returned to this squad, many of the young players who got their first taste of USMNT camp, such as Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall, will be called on yet again for the full Concacaf experience of competing in Nations League play.

While some players such as Miles Robinson, Johnny Cardoso, and Ricardo Pepi have been dealing with injuries as of late, it could be a door closing for others like Tim Weah and Yunus Musah as young players have been called in at their positions. Pochettino did confirm that both Pepi and Balogun aren't 100% fit, so it only made sense to call in one while also giving opportunities to Justin Ellis and Hall to earn opportunities to play against Haiti.

Yet again, Pochettino has called in uncapped players, as Reed Baker-Whiting seeks his first USMNT cap, and Paderborn midfielder Santiago Castaneda, who is also eligible to represent Colombia, has been rewarded for his stellar play in the German Bundesliga.

With many members of the USMNT, such as Pulisic, Sebastian Berhalter, and Gio Reyna in good form, it will be an attack-heavy lineup. However, there are plenty of questions as to how Pochettino will set up his defense. After the core that made the World Cup, anything could happen, but there's a clear goal of bringing along the next generation of U.S. Soccer now, as we'll get to see what the younger players can do in competitive matches.

Speaking about the roster, Pochettino stressed balance, and he may have alluded to some interesting lineup mechanics as he integrates that youth with established players such as Pulisic. A U-23 camp may be going on at the same time as this one, and while many players in the current squad are eligible, if a player is good enough for the senior team and fits Pochettino's vision, then they'll be with the senior squad.

"I think it's important to always try to add new ideas, new ways to try to perform, and to create different patterns on the field with the ball. Always our priority is with the ball, but also when we don't have the ball is to create a good organization to recover the ball as soon as possible and to get the ball back," Pochettino said. "But I think that roster provides a very good opportunity to try different things. The most important thing is the combination, to try to see the chemistry between because I think for Christian and Matias [Albert] is the first time that they are going to be together. I think the combination, also, we need to see during the camp. From Monday, we are going to start to see the chemistry off the field, but also on the field that is really important too, and try to see how that works."

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Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese (New York City FC; 20/0), Diego Kochen (Lyngby Boldklub/DEN; 2/0), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC; 2/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville SC; 0/0), George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion FC/ENG; 3/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 46/3), Alex Freeman (Villarreal/ESP; 26/3), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union; 3/0), Bryan Reynolds (Stade Rennais/FRA; 7/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 43/4), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 62/5), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 14/1)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth/ENG; 62/2), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 4/1), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough/ENG; 22/4), Santiago Castañeda (SC Paderborn/GER; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 71/12), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York; 3/0), Gio Reyna (RC Strasbourg Alsace/FRA; 47/10), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen/GER; 39/7)

FORWARDS (5): Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 31/12), Justin Ellis (Orlando City SC; 3/2), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York; 4/3), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 90/33), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 3/1)

The camp of Julian Hall?

While Pulisic has come on as of late, signing a new contract with Milan and scoring twice in his last three appearances for the club, the forward who has been putting the ball in the back of the net for club and country as of late lies in Major League Soccer. Balogun has found it tough to get starting minutes during a strange time at Monaco since not departing during the summer transfer window, but with the rise of Hall with Red Bull New York, there will be goals against Haiti. Hall has scored 13 goals in MLS play while already adding three for the national team, and given Balogun's fitness, he'll earn minutes in this camp too. Since coming back to New York from national team camp, Hall has scored three more goals in six appearances and seems to have leveled up since spending time with the national team.

Pochettino is happy with his forwards, and why shouldn't he be?

"Balogun is a great opportunity to keep helping him to evolve after a tough summer after the World Cup. That is why I think the balance is there, because Justin and Julian are fully fit," Pochettino said. "That is why we didn't bring even though he played a few minutes last week, Ricardo. In our way to see and assess the players, we decided it was much better to keep him training and establish himself being more solid in his fitness and be more confident to attack the future. 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."  

Haiti will be a true test of who can withstand Concacaf play, so this is a camp that will go a long way to determining who is set for time with the U-23s versus who will stick with the senior team long term.

Trying new things

While these games are competitive, we're still in experimental mode with the USMNT, and that stands for almost every position. It was a tough first camp for Neil Pierre and George Campbell, but they've been called in again to show their growth. Campbell was withdrawn at half of West Brom's last match due to an injury, so there will be a late fitness test there to see if he can actually join the camp, but behind Chris Richards and Auston Trusty, other members of the USMNT will need to be ready as their time could come at any moment. 

Albert still hasn't played much for Dortmund, but Pochettino described him as a player who can bring something different, and that's what's going to be fascinating to watch with this squad. During his time as a club manager, Pochettino was excellent at taking players under his wing and improving the standing of young players, and as the Argentine has committed to another cycle, his excitement about being able to bring the next generation of Americans along is also showing. In his press conference, Pochettino pondered seeing Cavan Sullivan and Weston McKennie together, and it's hard not to imagine the duo as dual 10s that make something happen. Even listening to Pochettino ponder Albert, this is more than just the USMNT manager speaking; this is someone invested in American soccer.

"I think he is a player with a quality that is not easy to find in in another in another player. For me, Matias is one of the most talented players in the USA," Pochettino said. "And I think even if he's not playing too much or Borussia Dortmund is not giving him too much game time, I think he's fully fit and is he is capable of, you know, bringing something different to the national team. That is why I think we consider it, and I think the combination with the players that we have in front of us, he can perform, and we really trust, and we are very convinced that also giving the opportunity to be with us, I think we will help him to recover his confidence and also help in the future in his club, to have the possibility to play more." 

It's an exciting time for the national team, and it's one where Pochettino has the ability to truly make his mark. They're well positioned to dominate the region, and with more than 100 players being tracked by the national team, there's no room to get complacent because Pochettino has shown that if someone doesn't live up to his standard, he's willing to make the call to get a new body in.