Pochettino snubs Balogun & Bello in latest US squad

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has summoned 25 players for a training camp in preparation for the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals against Jamaica. This two-leg series, featuring both home and away matches, marks Pochettino’s inaugural official competition in charge of the USMNT. The team is striving to secure its fourth consecutive Concacaf Nations League title, having won the trophy in every previous edition of the tournament.

Notably, the roster does not include Nigerian-born players George Bello and Folarin Balogun.

The U.S. will embark on its quest for another Concacaf Nations League championship with an away match against Jamaica at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, Peacock, FDP Radio). The home leg is set for Monday, Nov. 18 at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Mo. (8 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, Peacock, FDP Radio).

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – NOVEMBER TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (4): Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona Atletic/ESP; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 47/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 15/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 64/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 23/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 48/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 30/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 17/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 3/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 46/8), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 15/1), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 17/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 56/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 9/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan; ITA; 43/1), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 4/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 16/0)

FORWARDS (6): Cade Cowell (Guadalajara/MEX; 10/1), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 31/11), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 74/31), Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey/MEX; 9/4), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 41/6), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 9/1)

IMPORTANT TEST ON THE ROAD TO 2026

After kicking off the Pochettino era during the October international window with a 2-0 win vs. Panama in Austin and a 2-0 defeat at Mexico, the USMNT will continue its march to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil with two high-stakes matches against Jamaica.

The 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League is just one of two opportunities for the USMNT to test itself in official competition ahead of the World Cup and the Reggae Boyz have proved a tough opponent for the U.S. as of late. Jamaica nearly eliminated the USA from the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League in the semifinals before a heroic late brace from Haji Wright lifted the U.S. to the championship match. In the two matches prior, the USMNT rallied late to draw Jamaica, 1-1, in the group stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup in June 2023 and battled to another 1-1 tie in November 2021 in Kingston during qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SUCCESS

Tuesday marked a record-breaking day for Americans in the UEFA Champions League, as nine players took the field in Europe’s most elite club competition, the highest number of USMNT players. Eight have been called to this training camp roster, while the ninth, Borussia Dortmund forward Cole Campbell, will spend the November international window with the Under-20 Men’s Youth National Team.

Two USMNT attackers had particularly stellar outings on the Americans’ standout day: midfielder Malik Tillman and forward Christian Pulisic. Tillman tallied and added two assists in PSV Eindhoven’s 4-0 victory against Girona, being named Player of the Match and earning UCL Team of the Week honors. On the season, the 22-year-old has tallied six goals and added four assists in 16 games across all competitions.

Pulisic also shone in AC Milan’s 3-1 win at Real Madrid, teeing up the opening assist against the defending champion. The Hershey, Pa. native is red-hot this season for the Rossoneri, racking up seven goals and four assists in 15 matches across all competitions.

IN JAMAICA

The USA has faced the Reggae Boyz on the road a total of 10 times, with all the contests being held at “The Office” in Kingston. The series on Jamaican soil remains close, with six of the 10 meetings ending in draws. Overall, the U.S. holds a slight 3W-1L-6D advantage.

THE REGGAE BOYZ

The USA and Jamaica have met 32 times in their history dating back to 1988. While the U.S. holds a lifetime advantage of 19W-3L-10D, seven of the last 10 matches have been decided by a goal or less. The teams are no strangers to meeting in official competition, having squared off 22 times in various tournaments including four in the last three years.

Since dropping a 2-1 friendly result in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2019, the USA has a seven-game unbeaten streak (6W-0L-1D) vs. Jamaica.

Most recently, the Reggae Boyz had the USMNT on its heels in the semifinals of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League before a brace from striker Haji Wright powered the U.S. to the tournament final. Falling behind in the opening minute of play, the USA fought to come back for more than 90 minutes before the Coventry City forward netted a goal in the final minutes of second-half stoppage time. He found the game-winner in the 109th to propel the USMNT to its third-straight Concacaf Nations League Final.

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

One of the most important cities in American soccer history, the USMNT has recorded a dominant 8W-1L-3D record in St. Louis and has not lost a game in the city since 1957.

With the addition of St. Louis CITY SC as Major League Soccer’s 29th club and the opening of CITYPARK in 2023, the USMNT has played twice in the gleaming new home of soccer in the Gateway to the West. Its first visit came in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage vs. Saint Kitts and Nevis, a dominant 6-0 victory that saw Jesús Ferreira net his second career hat trick. The U.S. returned a few months later for a 3-0 friendly victory against Uzbekistan with goals from Tim Weah, Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic.

St. Louis also served the main home venue for the USMNT’s successful qualification run for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, hosting three of the team’s five matches (all wins) at St. Louis Soccer Park.

The Gateway City is also a historic hotbed for USMNT talent. Dating back to 1916, 77 players from the St. Louis area have made at least one National Team appearance, which counts as the third-most in local representation to the USMNT after Southern California and the New York/New Jersey metro areas.

CNL SUCCESS

The USMNT has won the first three editions of the Concacaf Nations League, starting with the thrilling instant classic triumph against Mexico, 3-2 in overtime, to win the inaugural tournament in 2021. Two years later, the U.S. dominated Canada 2-0 to claim its second title. Last March, the USA rallied for an extra-time 3-1 defeat of Jamaica in the Nations League semifinals before adding another chapter to its history of Dos a Cero victories vs. Mexico for its third-straight title in Arlington, Texas.

Abayomi Ademetan

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