"I'm in game mode and work mode." That's Tim Weah, when asked about World Cup ticket prices two weeks out from the opener. That's the right answer. That's the tone this camp needs.
The U.S. Men's National Team is training at the Arthur M. Blank facility in Fayette County, Georgia, and after two sessions — rondos, sprints, competitive drills — the early signs are exactly what Mauricio Pochettino would want to see. Fifteen days until they kick off against Paraguay on June 12. No time to ease in.
The bonds go deeper than this camp
The squad isn't starting from zero. Thirteen of the 26 players on this roster were in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. Five of them — Pulisic, Zendejas, Trusty, Haji Wright, and Tyler Adams — go all the way back to the U-17 team in 2015. Dest, Mark McKenzie, Richards, and Weah all represented the U.S. at the 2019 U-20 World Cup. Weah and Weston McKennie literally played club football together at Juventus in 2023 and 2024.
That matters more than people give it credit for. You can't manufacture the kind of shorthand that comes from years of shared dressing rooms and training grounds. Max Arfsten — MLS Cup winner with Columbus Crew — put it cleanly: "When you have an off-the-field, emotional connection with people, in a weird way, you understand them more on the field."
McKennie described Weah as a "vibes guy" and a veteran presence. Folarin Balogun sat next to McKennie on the plane to Atlanta, played Monopoly with him, and tried — apparently unsuccessfully — to sleep while McKennie flicked at his ear. These are not strangers getting acquainted. This is a group that knows each other.
June 12 is the only date that matters now
There are two warmup matches first — Charlotte on May 31, Chicago on June 6 — before the group heads west for the World Cup. Useful preparation, but everyone in that camp knows what this is really building toward.
Defender Chris Richards is still set to arrive, which means the full 26 aren't even together yet. Malik Tillman said everyone is "ready to compete as much as possible." Adams said it wouldn't feel real until he was out on the grass. He's on the grass now.
"The group is loving it," Weah said. "It's just about how we do on June 12."
That's the question. The chemistry looks real. The focus sounds genuine. Paraguay will be the first honest answer.
