ON THURSDAY, UNITED STATES national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino announced his roster for the 2025 October international window where the U.S. team will face Ecuador on October 10 in Austin followed by Australia on October 14 in Commerce City, Colorado.

The roster sees many of the team’s familiar faces return although there are a few surprising absences, namely long-time veteran Tyler Adams.

But the roster includes players such as Christian Pulisic, who is in the best form of his career, Antonee Robinson who is on his way back from injury, and Tanner Tessmann, who is a critical player for a an impressive Lyon team. 

Here is the roster along with a few thoughts

USMNT DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION

(Club/Country; Caps/Goals) 

GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 52/0) 

DEFENDERS (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 12/1), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 19/0), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 9/0), Mark McKenzie (FC Toulouse/FRA; 22/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 77/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 33/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 50/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 35/3) 

MIDFIELDERS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 53/9), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 14/3), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 60/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 9/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 39/0), James Sands (FC St. Pauli/GER; 11/0), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 8/0), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen/GER; 25/3) 

FORWARDS (6): Patrick Agyemang (Derby County/ENG; 12/5), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco/FRA; 19/6), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 80/32), Tim Weah (Marseille/FRA; 45/7), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 17/5), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 13/2) 

 

Central midfield competition

 

The biggest takeaway from the roster is in central midfield were Pochettino kept only Diego Luna and Christian Roldan from the last camp. Not included are Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Luca de la Torre, Sean Zawadzki, and Jack McGlynn for a variety of issues such as injuries or form.

In there are Tanner Tessmann, James Sands, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, and Brenden Aaronson.

What is a big takeaway from the return of these players isn’t that they all play in top leagues (except for Morris) but rather that they are all playing well for their teams. Pochettino is awarding call-ups not just because players are attached to big clubs, but rather because they are significant contributors to their clubs.

It will also be important to see how these players perform after they have been left off recent rosters. Will they play with the desperation that is needed and the desperation Pochettino has said he wants to see?

If not, Pochettino probably wouldn’t hesitate to go back to players he used in the past who are not here. 

For Sands, this is his first USMNT call-up under Pochettino and while the manager said September was his last chance to look at new players, Sands has essentially forced his way back into the mix. He will likely be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

What makes this camp especially interesting is that it will test Pochettino to find a solution in having the USMNT compete well without Tyler Adams. There haven't been many players who can replace what Adams does. This camp will give Pochettino a chance to figure that out and have a plan in place should the need arise. 

 

Robinson returns

 

It has been a tough year for Antonee Robinson in managing his injuries and recoveries. He hasn’t played with the team since 2024 and his ability to both train and play with Fulham on a full-time basis has been limited.

Robinson is not yet back to consistently starting for Fulham, but his return to the USMNT is welcome news. While Arfsten has done well enough with the left back position on the attacking end, he still plays mostly as a winger and there are concerns about him on the defensive side.

Whether the U.S. team plays with wingbacks or the usual fullbacks, Robinson brings a high level of athleticism where he can help the team on both sides of the ball.

But in fairness to Arfsten, it’s hard to see Robinson playing 180 minutes in both of these games. Arfsten should be expected to get more opportunities and he still has a great chance of going to the World Cup, even as Robinson’s backup.

 

5 central defenders provide options

 

The central defense hierarchy is yet to be established on this team. It has been clear that right now, Pochettino prefers Chris Richards and Tim Ream as the top pairing in a four-man backline. Last window he used Triston Blackmon who struggled in the first game against South Korea but bounced back well against Japan. But Blackmon is now injured. He also called-up the youthful Noahkai Banks but that seems to have been done just to give him a taste of the team’s setup for the future.

We don’t really know much about how Pochettino views the player pool in this position. With this camp, he’s called up a total of five central defenders likely to view more players, and to give himself the chance to play with three centerbacks – as he did against Japan.

Cameron Carter-Vickers returns for the first time since March, where he struggled in the Nations League. Mark McKenzie also returns for the first time since the Gold Cup where he did not play much after the group stage. Miles Robinson also returns for the first time since January and he is part of a Cincinnati team that is an MLS Cup contender.

It would be a very productive camp for Pochettino if he establishes a pecking order in central defense and if the team becomes more familiar and effective with a three-man backline.

 

Surprising absences

 

There are some absences that need to be discussed, and it beyond the players who are injured – such as Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi, and Johnny Cardoso

Tyler Adams: is the biggest name left off the team but it was announced at the media call this was due to Tyler's wife expecting a new child soon. 

Yunus Musah: The 2024 World Cup starter is still trying to find his role at Atalanta, who he joined in August. Central midfield is crowded, and it also might be where Pochettino wants to look at Morris, Sands, and Tessmann.

Josh Sargent: The Norwich forward returned to the USMNT in September and didn’t play well against South Korea. Meanwhile, Folarin Balogun played well in the window. Sargent hasn’t scored for the USMNT since 2019 and when Pepi returns, his path to making the World Cup team seems increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, Pochettino wants to give another look to Patrick Agyemang.

Joe Scally: right now, it just seems like Pochettino doesn’t rate Scally. Scally continues to start for a struggling Borussia Monchengladbach team but since March, Pochettino prefers Alex Freeman. Even without Dest at this camp, Scally didn’t get the call and that is revealing.

Jack McGlynn: impressed in September and has had a good year with Houston but he suffered a foot injury that will keep him out the remainder of 2025. He has one of the best shots from distance in the player pool and that might keep him in the mix. 

 

Freeman’s opportunity

 

Without Sergino Dest available and utilizing a full 26-player roster, Pochettino has elected to go with Alex Freeman as the lone right back. If Pochettino goes with a backup, it would likely be a central defender or a midfielder.

But this speaks volumes about where Pochettino sees Freeman as a player. In his first season as a starter with Orlando City, Freeman has been terrific and he has an elite level of athleticism which the modern game demands out of its fullbacks.

He continues to play well and scored a huge equalizing goal against Cincinnati this weekend. His rise as a player both for his club and the national team is extremely impressive and he has an exciting future ahead – which Pochettino also sees.

Pulisic's elite form

Christian Pulisic will enter this camp having played a critical role in getting Milan back to the top of Serie A. In his first seven games, he has six goals and three assists. He is perhaps the best attacking player in Serie A to start the new season.

It's hard to see the U.S. team doing well next summer if Pulisic doesn't do well. If Pulisic does well, the USMNT will likely also do well. He is needed for the team to be at its best and this window will be an important time towards him building momentum for the World Cup. 

 

Pressure is on, roster competition continues

 

Looking ahead, this camp is critical for a lot of players. Even players who are impressing at the club level must show that they can translate that over to the international arena. Tessmann is a good example. He is playing terrific for Lyon, but his leash is not unlimited. His good club play only gets his foot in the door. If he doesn’t take advantage of this opportunity, he could find himself in a situation similar to Josh Sargent.

The same is true for Brenden Aaronson, James Sands, Aidan Morris, Mark McKenzie, or Cameron Carter-Vickers. There are good players not involved in this camp who are ready to get back into the mix.

What is good is that Pochettino has laid out a far more competitive environment. The Nations League in March was ugly and this will see the return of several players on that team.

We will now learn a lot about the player pool and the order of players in the coming weeks.