USMNT roster takeaways: Goalie competition positive and why no Weston McKennie isn’t a problem

The U.S. men’s national team appears eager to launch a new era in gentle fashion, even if the head coach they hope will lead them through it is not yet on the sidelines.

While the wait for Mauricio Pochettino to officially take charge continues USMNT roster for their September friendlies against Canada and New Zealand are an attempt to freshen things up as the countdown to the 2026 World Cup begins. Change was needed following the United States’ exit in the Copa America group stages and while the biggest change will come with a new head coach, exploring the team’s options in a wider player pool is a must with few competitive fixtures on the line program. Interim head coach Mikey Varas will have the opportunity this month to do just that and assist the national team in their goal of putting the Copa America behind them.

As the USMNT’s September camp gets underway, here are some takeaways from a new roster.

Don’t worry about Weston McKennie

Although 18 members of the USMNT’s Copa America squad return, one notable name is missing this time: midfielder Weston McKennie. Although he failed to impress in the summer tournament, his exclusion from September’s friendlies is not a sign that his status in the national team is in jeopardy.

McKennie will remain in Italy during the international break to acclimatise with Juventus after a turbulent off-season. For the second summer in a row, the midfielder was told he was surplus to requirements and it seemed likely he would leave the club, only to stay. He is now part of new manager Thiago Motta’s plans and signed a contract extension until 2026 accordingly, but the saga saw him miss weeks of pre-season training. McKennie will use the next two weeks to regain fitness before Juventus return to play at Empoli on September 15.

There was a need for a youth-oriented selection

A number of younger players are mixed with an experienced group, providing an opportunity for Varas – and Gregg Berhalter’s eventual successor – to freshen up the competition for roster spots. Two of the standout players are goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and defender Caleb Wiley, who are just weeks away from reaching the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games with the U-23 team, meaning the summer could end on a positive note for the US men’s program after the Olympics. disappointment of the Copa America.

However, the pair aren’t the only new faces in camp. Defender Auston Trusty is back in the picture after making his USMNT debut last year, while defender Marlon Fossey and goalkeeper Diego Kochen are in the hunt for their first caps. The 18-year-old Kochen is a newcomer, but the 26-year-old Trusty and the 25-year-old Fossey are experienced players who will get a new chance in the national team setup, especially Fossey. The former youth international has not been part of the national teams since 2019 and quietly wandered around Europe until settling at Standard Liège in 2022.

It’s an early sign that the USMNT coaching staff is willing to look far and wide for talent, a crucial first step in identifying the best look for this team going forward. It’s likely Varas’ top priority as interim, who could emulate Twila Kilgore during her stint as interim head coach of the U.S. women’s national team before Emma Hayes arrived in the spring. While Varas is unlikely to last as long as Kilgore, who led the USWNT from September 2023 to April 2024, her player identification proved crucial to the USWNT’s gold medal win in Paris.

Goalkeeper competition positive

There are few positions that need more new competition than the goaltender position, where Matt Turner was a starter with doubters. He was Berhalter’s first choice heading into the 2022 World Cup and has remained there ever since, but he has been error-prone at both club and international level. Making matters worse is that he has rarely been a starter at club level since leaving MLS for England in the summer of 2022, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. He was loaned from Nottingham Forest to Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day, but that will happen. be a backup there as well, barring an injury to starter Dean Henderson.

Longtime USMNT backup Ethan Horvath is making a case for himself after becoming a regular at Cardiff City earlier this year, while Kochen appears too inexperienced to put his hat in the ring now. But the one who immediately shakes things up is Schulte. The 23-year-old has impressed since becoming Columbus Crew’s starter, winning the MLS Cup last year and beating Gaga Slonina to the starting spot at the Olympics. He’s fairly untested at the higher levels of the game, but he’s an encouraging prospect, meaning he could have a starting job with the USMNT in his sights as soon as this month.