Four USMNT Players Mauricio Pochettino Can’t Forget About Ahead of Fall Roster Reveal

U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has a challenging task ahead. After calling up over 80 players in his first 20 months on the job in the lead up to the 2026 World Cup, there is no doubt that he will scour every corner of the soccer world to find the perfect squad to kickstart the USMNT’s new quadrennial.

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U.S. Soccer revealed that Pochettino will announce his roster for the four upcoming friendlies against Chile, Peru, Canada and Mexico on Wednesday, and it is anticipated to be a larger-than-usual squad in order to give him a healthy mix of veterans and youngsters, such as16-year-old breakout star Cavan Sullivan.

Here are four difference-makers Pochettino won’t want to forget when it comes to naming this fall’s squad.

Yunus Musah (AC Milan)

Yunus Musah is back to his best.

Once a consistent figure for the USMNT under former manager Gregg Berhalter, the midfielder soon fell out of rotation due to dwindling club minutes.

He is, however, finally back to playing regularly with AC Milan, thriving under new manager Ruben Amorim and has even taken the torch as the club’s marquee U.S. star, given Christian Pulisic’s struggle for minutes. It came as a slight surprise to see Musah play such a prominent role early in the new campaign, forming a midfield double-pivot with the ageless Luka Modrić, where he has thrived through 315 minutes across four games.

“[Amorim] puts me in the right positions for me to play well. There weren’t many coaches who would have chosen me, but I’m happy that he arrived and that he has given me this opportunity,” Musah said. “This start to the season has been great for me. I’m coming off a tough year, so I’m happy. It helps me a lot that Amorim has clear ideas for me on the pitch, which helps me express myself at my best.”

Despite his 47 caps and ample experience at the club and international level, Musah is only 23 years old and could have two or three World Cup cycles left in him, set to be just 27 in 2030 and 31 in 2034.

While Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams are expected to remain the core of the central midfield for Pochettino’s first-choice squad, Musah stands a chance of bringing much-needed reinforcement to the center of the park and could contend for further responsibilities over the next four years. At the very least, he’s worth a look and has shown that with trust and clear guidance, he can contribute.

Josh Sargent (Toronto FC)

Like Musah, Sargent has plenty of experience with the USMNT.

The Toronto FC striker, with 29 total caps, featured at the 2022 World Cup under Berhalter; however, he has not been called up since last September, hasn’t scored for the Stars and Stripes since 2021 and fell way down the pecking order, largely due to his goalscoring woes when on international duty.

It’s been a struggle over the last year for Sargent. Once rumors percolated of a move to Toronto FC and MLS, he was frozen out of Norwich City’s plans, exiling him to the academy teams. After his club record-setting $21.5 million transfer to Toronto, he suffered injuries and struggled for form as an isolated attacker under manager Robin Fraser.

Yet, things have shifted in the lastmonth. The Reds look re-energized in Sargent’s return to full health, and the summer signing of former Bundesliga midfielder Niklas Dorsch has let Sargent focus on his goalscoring, instead of midfield support. Those adjustments have led him to four goals and an assist in a four-game spell, and his confidence sees him ranking among the best U.S. strikers in MLS.

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Add in Folarin Balogun’s long absence from the pitch after his chaotic transfer debacle, and Haji Wright’s injury, and the time might be perfect to give Sargent another look.

Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)

Brenden Aaronson may have played just 77 minutes at the World Cup in the dead-rubber loss to Türkiye, but he has taken his experiences from this summer and used them to spark a strong start to the Premier League season with Leeds United.

Playing more centrally than in the past, all while still showing his versatility to drift into wider areas, the midfielder/winger had four goal contributions across four preseason friendlies and has since started two of three Premier League games for Leeds this season. Aaronson recently scored his first proper goal of the year against Chelsea in a 6–3 loss in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

While he’s not knocking down the door with out-of-this-world form, he still deserves Pochetino’s call. He is regularly playing in the world’s most demanding league and has established himself as a key part of manager Daniel Farke’s side. He was unable to crack Pochettino’s regular World Cup lineup this summer, yet he seems ready for more responsibilities at the international level.

Brian Schwake (Nashville SC)

Plenty of questions remain about the future of USMNT goalkeeping. New York City FC’s Matt Freese established himself as the top choice under Pochettino but had some shaky moments at the World Cup. Additionally, he will be 31 years old by the next tournament. Matt Turner, a long-time starter between the sticks, backstopped the loss to Türkiye, but he is already 32 years old. That age factor may be insurmountable, despite him being one of the best goalkeepers in MLS right now.

Pochettino has the chance to look at two younger goalkeepers. Expect 22-year-old Chicago Fire backstop Chris Brady, who was the third-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup, to get more of an opportunity at this camp, and Nashville SC’s 25-year-old Brian Schwake could get a first USMNT call.

Schwake has been brilliant this season, shot-stopping Nashville all the way to the top of the Supporters’ Shield race. He has made a combined 75 saves across 25 games, kept 11 clean sheets and earned an MLS All-Star nod alongside just Freese and Canada’s World Cup goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. Nashville, under former USMNT interim manager B.J. Callaghan, has been the league’s best defensive team, allowing just 21 goals in 25 games, and the 6’2″ Schwake leads MLS with a 78.1% save percentage.

Given the current uncertainty of the USMNT’s goalkeeping ranks, Pochettino would do well to give opportunities to uncapped and in-form players, and none are more deserving of a chance than Schwake.

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Read more Four USMNT Players Mauricio Pochettino Can’t Forget About Ahead of Fall Roster Reveal