Pochettino Establece Prioridades para la Selección de Estados Unidos de Cara a la Copa Oro
The United States manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has set clear expectations for the team ahead of the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup, following a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Nations League in March.
The main message is clear: leave the golf clubs at home.
“If you arrive at the camp and want to have a good time, play golf, go to dinner, visit my family, visit my friend, is that the culture we want to create? No, no, no, no, no. What we want is to go to the national team, arrive and be focused and dedicate all my concentration and energy to the national team. If we want to be good in a year, we need to think that today is the most important day,” Pochettino stated in a virtual press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino
The United States is preparing for a summer packed with activity, including friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland in early June, and the Gold Cup, which will be played from June 15 to July 7.
The team will suffer notable absences, including Christian Pulisic, who will take a break after an intense season with AC Milan. Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, and Giovanni Reyna will also be absent, as they will participate with their clubs in the Club World Cup, coinciding with the Gold Cup.
Pochettino hopes that the absence of some of the team’s stars will give other players the opportunity to prove their worth and convince the fans of a change of direction.
“It’s our responsibility to send them a signal. I believe our fans need to see our team fighting, playing and performing well, yes, but fighting for the flag and always being in every match to match the opponent’s aggressiveness,” Pochettino added.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pulisic requested not to be included in the call-up for the last competitive matches before the 2026 World Cup, seeking rest after playing around 120 matches in two seasons.
Yunus Musah also requested not to be called up, while Antonee Robinson was ruled out due to injury. Josh Sargent, Joe Scally, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Tanner Tessmann, who have just finished their seasons in Europe, were omitted due to “footballing decisions”, according to Pochettino.
Matt Crocker, sporting director of the United States Soccer Federation, confirmed that Pulisic and his advisors requested this possibility due to the number of matches played in the last two years.
“Many people can say that it is really important that we are all together one last time before the World Cup. We decided that the best thing for him, the best thing for the team, the best thing for the national team is the decision we made,” explained Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino replaced Gregg Berhalter after the elimination in the group stage of the Copa América last summer. After the Gold Cup, he will have only four brief training windows on FIFA dates before the players focus on the World Cup.
In the first significant test under Pochettino’s direction, the United States lost to Panama and Canada in the Nations League in March. Without accusing the players of complacency, Pochettino stated that “we learned a lot in the last camps, for sure in March, and it’s about, maybe, using a different way to approach these opportunities.”
Sergiño Dest returns to the national team for the first time since March 2024, after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Folarin Balogun returns to the team for the first time since last September, after recovering from shoulder surgery.
Pochettino’s call-up included Alex Freeman, son of former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman. The 20-year-old right-back made his MLS debut with Orlando City SC in April 2023.
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of the former coach, was also called up for the first time, along with 20-year-old forward Damion Downs and 21-year-old defender Quinn Sullivan.
Downs has played in the youth categories of Germany and the United States, and helped Cologne to ascend to the Bundesliga for the 2025-26 season.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese, who has attended national team camps previously but has not played a match, was also selected.
The players will begin to concentrate on June 1 in Chicago, and the 26-player roster for the Gold Cup will be announced on June 4. The United States will face Turkey on June 7 in East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later in Nashville, Tennessee, before facing Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti in the Gold Cup group stage.
