The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed an almost entirely MLS-based roster for two upcoming friendly matches against Venezuela and Costa Rica.
Veteran defender and captain Tim Ream leads the squad alongside fellow World Cup veterans Jesús Ferreira, Shaq Moore, and Walker Zimmerman. Notably, Europe-based stars Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are unavailable due to club commitments, as these matches fall outside the FIFA international window and thus clubs are not obliged to release their players.
Having MLS currently in its offseason, Pochettino utilized this opportunity to select the top American talent from the domestic league.
“We are extremely excited to work with a new group of players and continue to implement our ideas,” said Pochettino regarding the player selections. “As I have mentioned, MLS is vital for the national team project, and these players deserve this chance.”
The games will take place on January 18 against Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and on January 22 against Costa Rica in Orlando. Here’s the roster breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), George Campbell (CF Montreal), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas), Jalen Neal (CF Montreal), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders: Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union)
Forwards: Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Caden Clark (CF Montreal), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire), Matko Miljevic (Unaffiliated), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Miljevic is among ten players aiming for their first senior international cap this month. Historically, the January camp has served as an important stepping stone to the stronger USMNT roster. Many players have transitioned from this camp to feature in World Cups for the U.S.
As of now, the USMNT holds a 3-1-2 record against Venezuela, with their last match resulting in a loss back in 2019. They haven’t clashed with Costa Rica since their final World Cup qualifier in 2022, where they lost 2-0.
