Mauricio Pochettino began his tenure as U.S. men’s national team head coach with a tame exhibition and a B-team road trip. He oversaw tricky yet comfortable wins over Jamaica, then forgettable friendlies in January. Now, in March, comes his first real test — and with it his first consequential roster.
Pochettino named that roster, a 23-man squad for next week’s CONCACAF Nations League finals, on Tuesday. It features all the familiar names you’d expect: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson and the like.
It also features Diego Luna, Patrick Agyemang and Brian White, three MLS attackers who’ve been called upon to aid the USMNT’s ailing depth.
The inclusions of Agyemang and White are unsurprising. Both started and scored in those January friendlies, when all European-based players were unavailable. And their competitors for minutes, the strikers who’ve become USMNT mainstays over the past two years, have been injured. Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright and Daryl Dike are either sidelined or still regaining fitness. Among regulars, only Josh Sargent is available to lead the U.S. line.
Luna’s inclusion, though, is head-turning. Pochettino picked him over players such as Brenden Aaronson, Paxten Aaronson and Alex Zendejas. Brenden, the elder of the Aaronson brothers, has played 47 games for the USMNT since 2020, and is an every-week starter for Leeds United at the top of the English Championship. Zendejas recently led Club América to a Liga MX title. Luna, who didn’t even make the United States’ mostly-under-23 Olympic team last summer, has never played at a level higher than Real Salt Lake in MLS.
But the 21-year-old inventive attacking midfielder made an impression on Pochettino in January. Against Costa Rica, he was bloodied by an elbow to the face … and minutes later, with a broken nose that would eventually require surgery, after pleading with doctors and Pochettino to stay in the game, Luna returned and assisted the USMNT’s opening goal.
“Big balls,” Pochettino later said of his reaction to Luna’s performance. “He showed great character.”
Whether he’ll see minutes in March is another question. He is still likely behind Pulisic, Weah, Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah on a fluid attacking depth chart. (And behind Malik Tillman, who was having an awesome season for PSV Eindhoven before suffering an ankle injury in January.)
But Luna is a fascinating player and prospect, an unconventional and audacious creator, who has clearly caught Pochettino’s eye. He has the potential, someday, to be an A-team difference maker. And perhaps that someday is next week.
USMNT roster for 2025 CONCACAF Nations League finals
The following is the full U.S. roster for next Thursday’s Nations League semifinal against Panama, and either a final or third-place match three days later.
Goalkeepers (3): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)
Defenders (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)
Midfielder (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon)
Forward (6): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Juventus), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps)
More USMNT roster notes
Notably, Luna is listed as a midfielder, while Musah, typically a central midfielder under previous USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, is listed as an attacker. Musah has played in a hybrid right wing role under Pochettino in the fall, and more recently for AC Milan. That, it appears, is where Pochettino views the 22-year-old going forward.
Elsewhere, Reyna, Tyler Adams and Cameron Carter-Vickers return to the U.S. camp for the first time under Pochettino.
Carter-Vickers and his club teammate, Auston Trusty, are two of five center backs. Pochettino, in part due to player availability, in part due to tactical preferences, has preferred to load his rosters up with central defenders while going light on fullbacks. With Sergiño Dest only just returning from his ACL injury, Marlon Fossey is the only true backup to Antonee Robinson and Joe Scally.
At goalkeeper, Patrick Schulte and Zack Steffen appear to be Pochettino’s preferred reserves behind Matt Turner. That position is alarmingly thin.
But the roster, in general, is strong.
Adams is finally playing regularly for Bournemouth in the Premier League (and battling for European places).
Chris Richards is a fixture for a Crystal Palace team that has been one of the best in England over the past few months.
McKennie, Pulisic and Robinson have all recently captained their clubs.
Johnny Cardoso, a regular starter in Spain, scored in Betis’ win over Real Madrid.
The lack of playing time that plagued the USMNT last year entering Copa América is no longer a problem. And the U.S. will be favored to win a fourth consecutive Nations League title.
