Soccer
Mauricio Pochettino’s June roster will be without several of the U.S. men’s national team’s leading stars.
Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Yunus Musah were three leading players not named to Pochettino’s 27-player roster on Thursday, U.S. Soccer announced. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna will miss the June window and CONCACAF Gold Cup due to their involvement at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Pulisic, who has logged a career-high in minutes played at AC Milan this season, was given a break this summer.
“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,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said.
“After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”
In addition, forward Josh Sargent and defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty were also left out.
Among the players called in were forwards Haji Wright and Folarin Balogun, defender Sergino Dest, and midfielder Tyler Adams.
There will be several players aiming to make their senior international debuts including dual-national forward Damion Downs, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, attacker Quinn Sullivan, and defender Alex Freeman.
The race for the No. 1 goalkeeper spot continues with Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, Patrick Schulte, and Matt Freese all competing for action.
“As we continue preparations for the World Cup, this is a fantastic opportunity to work with this group of players for an extended period and it’s important we take advantage of every moment we have together,” Pochettino said. “Of course, we want to win and to perform in a very good way. These players have earned the chance to compete for our fans and to show their quality and mentality.”
The USMNT will host Turkey on June 7 in Hartford, Connecticut before closing their two friendlies against Switzerland in Nashville, Tennessee on June 10.
These will be the final preparatory matches for the squad before opening the Gold Cup against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15.
Here is the full USMNT June roster:
GOALKEEPERS: 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: 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: 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: 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)
Read MoreLarry Henry Jr