Pulisic Leads US Squad for October Friendlies
AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic, along with Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson, are the standout figures in the list of 26 players called up by United States coach Mauricio Pochettino for the two friendly matches in October. The United States will face Ecuador in Austin, Texas, on October 10, and four days later will play against Australia in Commerce City, Colorado. All three teams are already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Players will begin to concentrate in Austin on October 4th.After a September where different options were tested, this call-up is mainly composed of players who are expected to be pillars in the American team. Robinson returns after recovering from a knee injury suffered in May, while McKennie returns after his participation in the Concacaf Nations League in March.
Other returning players include Leeds United midfielder Brenden Aaronson, Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris, Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann, and New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner. St. Pauli midfielder James Sands receives his first call-up under Pochettino. Tessmann and Morris have been rewarded for their outstanding start to the season at their clubs. Tessmann has scored two goals in recent weeks with Lyon, while Morris has been named Man of the Match on several occasions with Middlesbrough. Alejandro Zendejas, midfielder for Club América, has maintained his good performance, scoring two goals in the recent victory over Pumas UNAM in Liga MX. Haji Wright, Coventry City striker, leads the English championship with seven goals. Pulisic is the most in-form player in the US squad. He has scored six goals and provided two assists in all competitions this season with AC Milan. His four goals in Serie A put him at the top of the table. The most notable absence is that of AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, whose absence Pochettino will explain later. Injuries have also caused several players not to be called up. Among them are PSV Eindhoven players, defender Sergiño Dest and forward Ricardo Pepi, as well as Atlético de Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso, and Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Giovanni Reyna. Another surprising exclusion is that of Gladbach defender Joe Scally, who has delivered impressive performances in recent weeks as a full-back, despite his team’s problems. His absence means that Alex Freeman of Orlando City SC is the only player who primarily plays as a right-back or full-back for his club.
