Though he has reportedly agreed to become the next U.S. men's national team head coach, Mauricio Pochettino has not yet been officially named to the role. Yet he is likely watching the team's September camp closely.
There have already been a few significant changes with the squad selection under interim coach Mikey Varas. Several pillars of the USMNT under Gregg Berhalter were left at home, for varying reasons. Multiple new faces have been brought in. There have been little shifts to set the table for the next USMNT coach.
So what does that mean for these September friendlies? The audition process has already started for the members of the USMNT, and these friendlies are a chance to make a good first impression.
First up is a match with Canada. The U.S. will likely take it extremely seriously. After this summer's Copa America failure, the USMNT won't want another embarrassing moment against a CONCACAF rival so, knowing that, it's safe to expect a strong team against Jesse Marsch and Co. Even so, there are some big players missing, making Saturday's starting XI an interesting one to predict. Here's a look at how the USMNT could line up on Saturday against Canada in Kansas City.