Mauricio Pochettino has wasted no time making clear that the USMNT is entering a new chapter. His squad selection for the upcoming international window, which opens with a friendly against Peru in Orlando on Saturday, reads almost nothing like the group that exited the World Cup on home soil.
Gone are veterans such as center back Tim Ream and goalkeeper Matt Turner, along with winger Tim Weah. Longtime fixtures Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun are also absent as they work back from nagging injuries. In their place, Pochettino has called in 15 players who were not part of the recent World Cup squad, 13 of whom are uncapped. Eight of them are teenagers. The average age across the 28-man roster is 22 years and nine months, a full four years younger than the previous group.
"We try to call the players we believe are the best for this roster when we analyze the circumstances. I think it's important [to have] a fresh start," Pochettino said when the roster was announced. "Now is a completely different approach from the past. The World Cup is in four years, we need to work with different objectives and goals."
No More Excuses for Pochettino
What's different this time is that Pochettino himself is no longer navigating unfamiliar territory. He has overseen more than a dozen friendlies, two regional tournaments and a World Cup with the USMNT, and he is closing in on two years fully embedded in the American setup. Since signing a new four-year contract with U.S. Soccer earlier this summer, the program has become entirely his own - for better or worse. Whatever happens over the next cycle, good or bad, will sit squarely on his shoulders.
There is a foundation to build from. Players like center back Chris Richards, midfielder Malik Tillman and Alex Freeman have been with Pochettino since he arrived, carry World Cup experience, and should be entering their prime as qualifying for 2030 gets underway.
Younger Faces Get Their Shot
Much as he did with last year's Gold Cup squad, Pochettino is also giving real opportunities to inexperienced players who could grow into the setup over time. Zavier Gozo, who recently earned a move to Crystal Palace, will be just 23 by the end of this cycle. Cole Campbell and Mathis Albert are both already featuring in the Bundesliga as teenagers, while defender Neil Pierre has played a notable role in Philadelphia Union's turnaround season in MLS this year.
"The design, the strategy, the game, the plan is going to be different. When we arrived it was one year and a half years the World Cup. But now, it's about four years. The last objective is the World Cup, but we have many, many goals that we have ahead that are really important for us," Pochettino said. "All are going to have the opportunity, if we feel they deserve the opportunity."
Among the inclusions, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan stands out. A regular contributor for Philadelphia Union who is set to join Manchester City next year, Sullivan has drawn comparisons to Christian Pulisic among some observers. Rather than downplay the attention, Pochettino praised him directly, calling the hype deserved.
Saturday's friendly against Peru marks the start of a new four-year cycle for the USMNT - one that Pochettino, now fully responsible for every decision shaping it, will be judged on entirely.
