United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino is ready to get his squad together for training camp ahead of a cluster of friendlies into October, while starting the road toward a spot in the 2030 World Cup.
The USMNT’s 2026 World Cup run, on home soil no less, was filled with promise, hope and ultimately disappointment as the squad failed to reach the quarterfinals with a 4-1 loss to Belgium that was not competitive after halftime.
There was even the controversy of Folarin Balogun’s red card in the round of 32, then the stir that came with the surprise decision that the suspension was lifted, allowing him to play in the round of 16 defeat.
The theme of the next four years for Pochettino is to avoid drama, at least of the self-inflicted kind.
A number of young players from the United States are expected to move to the forefront in the next four years, such as 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan of the Philadelphia Union and 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti of the New York Red Bulls.
Other promising teenagers include Julian Hall of the Red Bulls, Neil Pierre of the Union and Justin Ellis of Orlando City, as well as Zavier Gozo, now at Crystal Palace in England.
“We are very happy to have all these potential good players,” Pochettino said on a conference call Monday with select soccer writers. “Only we need to be careful. When you are young, of course, you need to be confident. You need to have trust in yourself, but there is a limit.
“The balance is the most important, and one of our responsibilities is to protect these guys because sometimes if you play well and you are 17, 16 or 18, people start to talk about you are (Lionel) Messi or you are a big star in the world because you do a few good things. If you don’t manage it well, that can be dangerous for your career.”
In other words, Pochettino wants the young players to let their play do the talking.
How many of those young players will be invited to the USMNT camp this month remains to be seen. Pochettino ultimately will select 26 players for friendlies against Peru on Sept. 26 at Orlando, Fla.; Chile on Sept. 29 at St. Louis; Mexico on Oct. 3 in Glendale, Ariz.; and Canada on Oct. 6 at St. Paul, Minn.
The roster is expected to be selected on or around Sept. 17.
It is also not known if established players like Balogun, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie will participate in the camp. Balogun was the subject of transfer speculation, with a number of rumored moves from AS Monaco not coming to pass.
The first major tournament on the horizon is the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup. At that point, a closer look at the 2030 World Cup can take place, with the team headed toward the qualifying process.
“It’s a completely different job than when we arrived two years ago,” Pochettino said. “But it’s very exciting. That is one of the points — that we are so excited to be together and be in the project, helping the young kids to become more mature, to grow in the right direction.”
