Christian Pulisic headlines the U.S. men’s national team roster for September, joined by AC Milan teammate Yunus Musah and Norwich City striker Josh Sargent as key players for upcoming friendlies against Canada and New Zealand.
While the anticipated appointment of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino remains unconfirmed, U.S. under-20 coach Mikey Varas has assembled this squad, which was announced on Sunday. The team is currently gathering in Kansas City to prepare for Friday’s match against Canada, managed by Jesse Marsch, and the exhibition against New Zealand on September 10 in Cincinnati.
Notably absent from the roster is midfielder Weston McKennie, who did not participate in Juventus’ preseason as the club sought to transfer him. Although McKennie has returned to training with Juventus, he is yet to feature in a Serie A match this season.
Injuries have also impacted the selection, with Tim Weah sidelined due to a hamstring injury from Juventus’ season opener, and Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers dealing with a minor toe issue. Left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson is being rested and will remain with Fulham in the Premier League. Key players from the 2022 World Cup, Tyler Adams and Sergiño Dest, are unavailable due to long-term injuries.
The complete roster for September includes:
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City, Wales); Diego Kochen (Barcelona II, Spain); Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew, MLS); Matt Turner (Crystal Palace, England)
Defenders: Auston Trusty (Celtic, Scotland); Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege, Belgium); Kristoffer Lund (Palermo, Italy); Mark McKenzie (Toulouse, France); Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, MLS); Chris Richards (Crystal Palace); Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany); Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg, France)
Midfielders: Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis, Spain); Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain); Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough, England); Yunus Musah (AC Milan, Italy); Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, England); Folarin Balogun (Monaco, France); Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven); Christian Pulisic (AC Milan); Josh Sargent (Norwich City, England); Haji Wright (Coventry City, England)
Pulisic stands out with 71 appearances for the USMNT, while veteran Tim Ream follows with 61. Eighteen of the 24 players were part of the USMNT’s roster for the 2024 Copa América. Among the selected, two players are poised to earn their first senior international caps this month: 18-year-old Diego Kochen, a promising goalkeeper from Barcelona, and Marlon Fossey, a left back currently playing in Belgium.
Auston Trusty, a center back who made 32 Premier League appearances last season with Sheffield United, is another name of interest. Despite his solid performance, he saw limited opportunities with the national team under the previous coach, Gregg Berhalter. Additionally, Caleb Wiley, a 19-year-old who represented the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, has also made the roster.
Mikey Varas expressed optimism about the upcoming matches, stating, “We have a chance in these next two games to really show what we are about as a team. Our focus is on bringing a winning mentality and an aggressive approach so we can continue to move the program forward.” Varas is not expected to join Pochettino’s coaching staff if the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager takes the helm.
Assisting Varas this month will be Nico Estevez, the former head coach of FC Dallas, who previously served as Berhalter’s assistant with the USMNT from 2019 to 2021.
