When the U.S. men’s national team’s roster for the September friendlies was announced, Mauricio Pochettino made something clear: it would be the last window for him to evaluate new players.
During the camp, he acknowledged there would come a point prior to the World Cup where he’d have to prioritize picking a higher percentage of players who he and his staff believed would ultimately be in their squad next summer. Still, after the camp concluded with a 2-0 victory over Japan, Pochettino noted that it would be tougher to call up MLS players for the October and November friendlies due to the league’s playoff race and postseason itself.
While the signs point to a European-heavy roster in October, it may not necessarily be the one Pochettino believes is his best possible group. Pochettino has made plenty of comments amplifying his openness to selecting MLS players (beyond the goalkeepers, who are mostly domestic candidates), and some of them – such as Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Diego Luna, and Jack McGlynn – are firmly in the mix for the World Cup.
