USMNT
USMNT squad for September sees Barcelona youngster called up
Mikey Varas, who is serving as Interim Head Coach, has named his squad for the upcoming international break.
USMNT Interim Head Coach Mikey Varas has released his squad for the upcoming games against Canada and New Zealand with a list that includes Barcelona B goalkeeper Diego Kochen and does not feature Tim Weah.
Both games will be friendly matches and the results will not count towards official competition but despite that fact, Varas has named an incredibly young yet strong squad for the fixtures. The players will report into Kansas City on September 1 before taking on their opponents.
“We have a chance in these next two games to really show what we are about as team,” Varas said. “Our focus is on bringing a winning mentality and an aggressive approach so we can continue to move the program forward and set ourselves up for a great transition. It’s an incredible honor to have this opportunity.”
Why has Mauricio Pochettino not been announced as USMNT head coach?
A total of 18 of the 24 players named by Varas were called up to the USMNT for the Copa América squad last summer. That time out, the players hugely underperformed, and the results which saw them fall at the group stage ultimately cost Gregg Berhalter his job as the top figure of US soccer.
Now, rumours have heavily linked former Premier League manager Mauricio Pochettino with the job of USMNT head coach, but as of yet no official announcement has been made and Varas will oversee proceedings for the upcoming games.
USMNT squad:
GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL), Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona B/ESP), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG)
DEFENDERS: Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege/BEL), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA), Mark McKenzie (Tolouse/FRA), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER), Caleb Wiley (Strasbourg/FRA)
MIDFIELDERS: Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG), Yunus Musah (AC Milan; ITA), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
FORWARDS: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG)
The USMNT will take on Canada for the Fan Appreciation Match on September 7 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City (4 p.m. ET). The USMNT statement says that the game “will feature fun, interactive fan activations, opportunities to win prizes, and food and drink specials in the stadium prior to the match”.
Three days later, on September 10, New Zealand are the visitors and will take on Varas’ side at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati (7 p.m. ET).