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USMNT Projected Roster 1-1GOAL

USMNT roster prediction: Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun back? Will Cavan Sullivan make the cut for Nations League quarterfinals vs. Haiti?

GOAL projects the USMNT’s squad for November’s Nations League quarterfinals.

Ryan Tolmich

  • The first post-World Cup camp ushered in a new era for the U.S. Men's National Team in September. This one brings something different: competitive games. And it's not just the games that are real; the storylines are, too.

    With the CONCACAF Nations League fast approaching, the U.S. will soon reconvene for the final competitive fixtures of 2026. Their opponent is Haiti, and with a win over the two-legged fixture set in South Florida and Cincinnati, the U.S. would book their place back in the competition's semifinal round.

    Many members of the USMNT have been down this road before, but many also haven't. U.S. Manager Mauricio Pochettino opened up the player pool last camp, ushering in a new generation that could quickly become familiar. Still, there are outside factors at play in roster selection, as the U.S. Under-23s will also be gathering for two matches in Europe. That means that some talented young stars won't be in this group. Others, though, have shown they're ready for inclusion with the very best.

    So who could Pochettino pick? GOAL looks at a potential 23-man squad...

  • GOALKEEPERS

    United States v Mexico - International Friendly
    Getty Images Sport

    Is Kochen the goalkeeper of the future or the present?

    Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Diego Kochen

    In the mix: Brian Schwake, Matt Turner

    The makeup of this position depends largely on one question: does Pochettino think Kochen is ready to play in these games? If the answer is yes, then he's in. If the answer is no, it makes plenty of sense to send him with the U-23s to get minutes there. Given his performance against Mexico, we'll bank on the answer being yes, or, at the very least, maybe, which would mean the staff would take a closer look.

    As for the other two spots, one will likely go to Freese given his experience, leaving Schwake and Brady fighting for that last spot. It's a toss-up. Brady has more USMNT experience while Schwake performed better last camp. If Kochen is in, we'll lean Freese just to put some more experience around him.

  • DEFENDERS

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    Icon Sportswire

    Chris Richards, Alex Freeman and Sergino Dest look locked in as Mauricio Pochettino weighs his remaining defensive options for the USMNT’s next camp.

    Sergino Dest, Alex Freeman, George Campbell, Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty, Tim Weah

    In the mix: Max Arfsten, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Peyton Miller, Neil Pierre, Miles Robinson, Frankie Westfield

    There are some players here that quite obviously choose themselves. Richards, Freeman and Dest, for example, are essentially written in Sharpie. Scally's form is too good to ignore. There's competition for center back spots, but Campbell, McKenzie and Trusty seem logical inclusions.

    The interesting piece, then, is the younger portion of this player pool. Pierre and Miller are the two more interesting names, but, given the choices ahead of them at their spots, it's hard to see them getting real minutes in this camp. Both would be crucial for the U23s, though, so that decision seems easy.

    One of the harder ones, though, comes at fullback. Weah plays as a wingback for his club, and it would be interesting to see if Pochettino uses him in that spot. Or he could recall Arfsten despite the fact he hasn't fully seized a Middlesbrough role yet. Either way, we're nitpicking a bit there as those spots seem somewhat set for this camp with Robinson and Freeman involved.

  • MIDFIELDERS

    United States v Mexico - International Friendly
    Getty Images Sport

    Adams is the USMNT's designated captain and one of few locked-in call-ups.

    Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman

    In the mix: Johnny Cardoso, Jack McGlynn, Adri Mehmeti, Aidan Morris, Brooklyn Raines, Tanner Tessmann, Yunus Musah

    Midfield is perhaps the hardest position to nail down because it is so deep. To illustrate that point, two midfielders who are among the best in the Championship in Morris and McGlynn, one who is regularly playing for one of Ligue 1's biggest clubs in Tessmann, and an occasional starter for Atletico Madrid in Cardoso were all left out.

    Musah is the difficult omission here. Last camp suggested Pochettino is still figuring out where he fits, with the midfielder getting little opportunity as a No. 8. His play at AC Milan keeps him firmly in contention, but in a crowded midfield, the uncertainty over his role leaves him just outside this projection.

    As for the youngsters, Mehmeti is the obvious one to watch, but again, given the names ahead of him, it would be hard to see him starting in this camp, which makes him a prime candidate for U23 duty.

    Another thing to watch: McKennie's recent injury, which could open another door for someone in the mix.

  • FORWARDS

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    Crystal Pix

    Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun could lead a youthful USMNT attack against Haiti, with Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall among the emerging talents pushing for places.

    Mathis Albert, Folarin Balogun, Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, Christian Pulisic, Cavan Sullivan

    In the mix: Brenden Aaronson, Cole Campbell, Zavier Gozo, Ricardo Pepi, Alex Zendejas

    The USMNT's two big-name attackers in Pulisic and Balogun are back, and they're surrounded by new faces. As a result, the AC Milan star and Monaco striker are more important than ever as these two generations fuse to create something cohesive.

    As for those around them, there's no denying the talent of Albert, Ellis, Hall and Sullivan, and all have earned their place in the mix. The one interesting plotline to watch would be Pepi, who only recently returned from injury. In this projection, similar to some of Pochettino's previous moves in the past, it might be more valuable to have Pepi build fitness with PSV, which is why Ellis is here and not with the U-23s.

    In general, we'll learn a lot about the newcomers in this camp, but most of all, the ones in these attacking positions.