Fans of the U.S. men’s national team won’t have to wait long to see their team in action in 2025.
While Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and the rest of the USMNT’s European-based stars will remain with their clubs until FIFA’s next international window opens in mid-March, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is scheduled to name on Monday a roster comprised of almost entirely of MLS players for the Americans’ annual January camp — Pochettino’s first since being hired last September.
Around 28 members strong, the invitees will report to Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 7 to prepare of a pair of year-opening friendlies in Florida: against Venezuela on Jan. 18 at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium, and four days later versus Concacaf rival Costa Rica in Orlando.
MLS clubs answer Pochettino’s call
During a November Zoom conference with reporters, Pochettino said the following: “In January, we want the commitment of all the MLS clubs.”
It was an interesting comment: the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur manager hadn’t been asked about January, and MLS teams — which, like clubs everywhere, are not obligated to release players for international duty outside FIFA dates — have a long history of cooperation with the USMNT.
Yet for various reasons, some MLS clubs have refused to let their players participate in recent years. Pochettino clearly wanted to get out in front of any availability issues early: During last month’s MLS Cup in Los Angeles, he and top assistant Jesús Pérez met with Nelson Rodriguez, MLS’s executive vice president of sporting product and competition, to discuss cooperation and planning in the lead up to next year’s all-important World Cup on American soil. A few weeks before that, Pochettino made it clear that staying in or moving to MLS is a viable option for U.S. players vying to survive the cut for 2026.
As such, securing releases for MLS players this month shouldn’t be a problem. The league has been “very supportive” of Pochettino on that front, a source with knowledge of the roster selection process told FOX Sports.
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Plenty of familiar faces
With most of the USMNT’s regulars in the middle of their club seasons overseas, Pochettino and his staff have to recruit almost exclusively from the domestic league’s 29 franchises. The MLS players summoned for the Argentine’s first two camps of 2024 will offer some much-needed continuity, and most of them figure to be in Florida next week. World Cup veteran Tim Ream, who left Premier League Fulham for Charlotte last summer, served as captain in each of Pochettino’s first four games. Even at 37, there’s no reason to think that Ream won’t reprise that role again this month.
FC Cincinnati center back Miles Robinson started Pochettino’s second match in charge, a 2-0 loss away to Mexico in October, while keepers Patrick Schulte and Zack Steffen were on both the October and November squads but didn’t play.
Qatar 2022 vet Jesus Ferreira, who was just traded from FC Dallas to the Seattle Sounders, is another possibility. Fellow forward Brandon Vázquez could be one now, too: Mexican powerhouse Monterrey recently terminated the 26-year-old former MLS standout’s contract, according to reports on both sides of the border.
Vázquez, who has drawn interest from multiple MLS teams this winter, appeared as a substitute in the USMNT’s final three games of 2024. Meantime, New York City defender/midfielder James Sands won’t participate with the national team this month after signing on loan with St. Pauli in Germany’s Bundesliga. The most recent of the 24-year-old’s 13 caps came in July 2023.
Opportunity knocks for all
Other veterans could get their first look under the new coach. Longtime Nashville SC captain Walker Zimmerman, a starting defender at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Olympics who is still just 31, offers experience and leadership.
Keeper Brad Guzan’s heroics for Atlanta against Lionel Messi’s Miami during last fall’s MLS playoffs raised eyebrows; could the 40-year-old former Premier Leaguer be rewarded by Pochettino, especially considering the American’s lack of depth behind No. 1 Matt Turner?
Inter Miami backstop Drake Callender is another option in goal. Callender, 27, was named to U.S. rosters in 2023 and 2024 but is still looking for his first cap.
Historically, though, the invaluable platform provided by the national team’s year-opening get-together has mostly benefited young prospects desperate to prove that they deserve to stick with the varsity.
Nine members of the 2022 World Cup team earned their first or second USMNT caps at a January camp. So did a laundry list of the program’s all-time greats, including joint top scorers Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
Several youngsters will hope to add their names to that list early this year. Among the more intriguing possibilities are left back John Tolkin (22, New York Red Bulls) and midfielders Josh Atencio (22, Seattle), Benjamin Cremaschi (19, Miami), Diego Luna (21, Real Salt Lake) and Jack McGlynn (21, Philadelphia Union).
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