It has been 4 lengthy months since its final outing, however the U. S. Men’s National Team is lastly again in motion.
The squad is ready to face Belgium and Portugal in late March in Atlanta, Georgia, to organize for its World Cup matches this summer season.
The USMNT enters these two friendlies on one thing of an unprecedented excessive. After struggling within the opening months of 2025, the staff put collectively a five-game unbeaten run to shut out the 12 months, getting key outcomes in opposition to Japan, Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay. Two of these groups—Paraguay and Australia—are within the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup group, so these wins carry further weight for this system.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino has a problem on his arms in relation to roster choice for these March matches. With so few video games remaining between now and the beginning of the World Cup, the gamers he leverages now are extremely prone to be the gamers he leverages on the world’s largest soccer stage.
Which USMNT gamers are locked-in favorites to make Pochettino’s reduce? Which of them are on the perimeter? And that are prone to miss the mark altogether?
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Pochettino just isn’t a fan of “A-team” and “B-team” nomenclature, however he has relied on a core backbone of gamers all through his tenure: Matt Freese in purpose, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest and Alex Freeman in protection, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah in changeable utility positions, Tyler Adams in midfield, and Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman in assault.
Of that suite of gamers, simply two—Bournemouth’s Adams and PSV’s Dest—are anticipated to be unavailable for these March friendlies. Adams suffered an MCL tear in December and is working his manner again to full health; Dest suffered a hamstring damage simply final week and is preventing to get well in time for the World Cup.
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