Overview

Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the Concacaf Gold Cup is set, featuring expected absences such as Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson, alongside unexpected withdrawals from regulars like Folarin Balogun, who left due to injury, and Sergino Dest, who opted for a personal recovery program for his ACL injury.

With crucial competitive matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup, this Gold Cup presents a chance for Pochettino to assess a mix of experienced players and newcomers. The roster includes 15 MLS players and four fresh call-ups: Alex Freeman, Quinn Sullivan, Sebastian Berhalter, and Damion Downs.

Roster Composition

Goalkeepers (3):

• Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0)
• Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0)
• Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)

Defenders (9):

• Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0)
• Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 0/0)
• Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 0/0)
• 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)
• John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER; 4/0)
• Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 43/3)

Midfielders (9):

• 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)

Forwards (5):

• Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; 1/0)
• Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3)
• Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0)
• Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1)
• Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 15/4)

New Faces in the Squad

Particularly, Damion Downs, who performed impressively in the 2. Bundesliga, has the potential to become an engaging addition with his dual-national eligibility for both Germany and the USA. Similarly, Alex Freeman, coming from a football lineage, has demonstrated his quality as a right back with four goals this season.

Expectations and Challenges

The pressure is on the USMNT to not only qualify among the top teams in Group D, which includes Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Saudi Arabia, but to also aim for victory to prevent other nations like Mexico from reclaiming the Gold Cup title.

Pochettino faces the task of effectively preparing a largely unfamiliar squad for this competition, balancing tactical growth with the urgency of results as the 2026 World Cup approaches.