A youthful version of the U.S. men’s national team will return this month to play friendlies against Canada and New Zealand as they begin to put the disappointment of this summer’s Copa America behind them.
Experienced players such as Christian Pulisic and Tim Ream lead the group, but will be mixed with newcomers such as Standard Liege defender Marlon Fossey and Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Diego Kochen. Winger Timothy Weah and midfielders Tyler Adams and Gianluca Busio will miss this camp with injuries, while U-20 coach Mikey Varas will serve as interim head coach for these two camps.
This month’s friendlies mark the USMNT’s return since exiting the Copa America group stage, a surprise early exit as the team looked to make a statement-making turn as they prepared for the 2026 World Cup on their own soil. The poor results forced US Soccer to fire Gregg Berhalter in July, with the federation reportedly choosing Mauricio Pochettino as his successor. The former Premier League manager is understood to have agreed to the role last month but a deal has yet to be finalised.
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Here’s a full look at September’s roster.
USMNT September Schedule
- GOALKEEPS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona II), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG)
- DEFENDERS (8): Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liège/BEL), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/DE), Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg/FRA)
- MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/ NED)
- FORWARD (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA), Ricardo Pepi (PSV/NED), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG), Haji Wright (Coventry City/NL )
Only 18 members of the USMNT’s Copa America squad made the cut, although it is a temporary situation for many. Cameron Carter-Vickers, like Weah and Adams, is injured, while Antonee Robinson deserves a rest and Weston McKennie is given time to re-acclimate to his club setting. MLS trio Miles Robinson, Shaq Moore and Sean Johnson attended the Copa America but will not be part of this camp.
Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and defenseman Caleb Wiley earn promotions to the senior team after competing for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, where they reached the quarterfinals. The pair freshen up the squad, as do Auston Trusty, Fossey and Kochen, who all have experience at youth level but have limited exposure to the senior team environment.
The USMNT will play Canada for the first time on September 7 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City and conclude this international break on September 10 against New Zealand at Geodis Park in Nashville.
