ON MONDAY MORNING, Concacaf released the preliminary rosters for the upcoming Gold Cup tournament. Each team listed 60 players for the preliminary roster and the final 26-player roster will derive from the preliminary list.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino did not have many surprises on his 60-player roster as it encompasses mostly of players who he has worked with in October, November, January, and March. There are some new faces, but overall, this is steady.

That doesn’t mean that the final roster won’t see a lot of changes. The USMNT is coming off a terrible showing at the Nations League in March where it lost both of its games – to Panama and then Canada – to finish fourth among the final four. That might necessitate changes and Pochettino’s desire to look at new players.

With that said, here is the roster along with a few thoughts on it.

USMNT Gold Cup Preliminary Roster

Goalkeepers: Matt Turner, Zack Steffen, Patrick Schulte, Chris Brady, Matt Freese, Diego Kochen

Defenders: Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, Sergino Dest, Miles Robinson, Chris Richards, Joe Scally, Shaq Moore, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie, DeJuan Jones, Kristoffer Lund, John Tolkin, Auston Trusty, Max Arfsten, Caleb Wiley, Marlon Fossey, George Campbell, Tristan Blackmon, Alex Freeman, Nathan Harriel

Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams, Luca De La Torre, Johnny Cardoso, Gianluca Busio, Malik Tillman, Djordje Mihailovic, Aidan Morris, Tanner Tessmann, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Caden Clark, Eneka Eneli, Brian Gutierrez, Matko Miljevic, Paxten Aaronson, Richie Ledezma, Timothy Tillman, Sean Zawadzki, Sebastian Berhalter, Maximilian Dietz, Quinn Sullivan.

Forwards: Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright, Brandon Vazquez, Alex Zendejas, Patrick Agyemang, Brian White, Damion Downs, Griffin Yow

Note: Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Gio Reyna are on clubs participating in the Club World Cup. Those clubs are not required to release players.

Similar to Nations League preliminary roster

There is only a 12 player difference between the 60-man preliminary Nations League roster and this 60-man preliminary Gold Cup roster. That includes McKennie, Reyna, and Weah.

But there are valid reasons for the other nine players.

Drake Callender lost his starting job for Inter Miami. Jackson Ragen is injured and hasn’t played since April 12. Ethan Horvath had a tough season and his Cardiff City team was relegated out of the second-tier Championship. Indiana Vassilev has only started seven of Philadelphia’s 14 games. Jesus Ferreira has no goals in 13 games (and 811 minutes) for Seattle this season. Noahkai Banks and Cole Campbell are young and have only seen limited first-team minutes in recent months (Campbell has been injured). Benjamin Cremaschi will also likely be with the U.S. U-20 team instead in June. Cade Cowell has also not played in over a month. 

Newcomers are in-form

In terms of the players who are on this roster but were not part of the Nations League provisional roster, consist of either top players who were injured in March or players who are in red hot form.

Sergino Dest, Haji Wright, Malik Tillman, and Folarin Balogun were not on the Nations League preliminary roster due to injuries but all have spent significant time with the USMNT with Dest and Wright having played at the World Cup.

Other newcomers are players in very good form. Sebastian Berhalter is one of the most interesting because, as the son of Pochettino’s predecessor, he has also been a driving force behind Vancouver’s rise to the top of the Western Conference table and run to the Champions League final. The same is true for Tristan Blackmon.

Quinn Sullivan has put up good numbers consistently for a couple of seasons for a Philadelphia team that is now among the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Sean Zawadzki has been very good for a Columbus team that has been among the best in the league for multiple seasons. Richie Ledezma now boasts Champions League experience and has won an Eredivisie title. Caleb Wiley played well down the stretch for Watford.

One of the boldest picks was Alex Freeman. The young Orlando City right back is in his first season as first-team starter and looks to be one of the top young American players in MLS. Chris Brady also got a nod as a promising young goalkeeper.

The inclusion of Kristoffer Lund on this roster after being left off the Nations League preliminary roster is puzzling because his case to be included now is weaker than it was at the time of the Nations League. Other players like John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley look more likely to be selected and Lund was only an occasional starter for Palermo (he did not start the team’s playoff game).

But overall, I like the idea of Pochettino using preliminary roster spots for players who are in good form. Even if these players are not selected to the final roster, having them on this roster shows they are being watched. If a player is doing well for his club and isn’t selected, it is dispiriting for other players who are trying to push to be on the Nation’s League roster.

"As a father, with the success that I had in my career, you naturally think he's going to be the next wide receiver."

The son of an NFL star, rising U.S. talent Alex Freeman has charted his own path in soccer.

Here's how, from @BrianSciaretta ??https://t.co/cPhESYZEmB

— Backheeled (@Backheeled) May 15, 2025

It sends a great message to all players to have Berhalter, Sullivan, Blackmon, Freeman, Ledezma, and Wiley on this roster. The pathway to getting noticed by the USMNT manager is to play well. It’s as simple as that.

Surprises in store for final roster?

After the fourth place finish at the Nations League combined with a poor Copa America showing in 2024 under Gregg Berhalter, very few players should feel as if their USMNT spot is safe.

When Pochettino was hired, he did not make many changes to the rosters Berhalter and the interim September staff were using. The results were mixed to poor in the fall. Now after the March Nations League disappointment, he might feel he really needs to dig more.

Some players like Tanner Tessmann, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Brian White, and Patrick Agyemang have taken on bigger roles but Pochettino might think even more looks are necessary – especially since players like Luna have been helpful.

But if you’re looking for potential surprises on the final roster, look at players who are 1) are fierce competitors, 2) are simply playing well right now, and 3) address a need on the team.  

When considering that, some players who likely have a good chance are John Tolkin as he is playing well despite his club’s relegation, he’s a good competitor, and there is a need for another left-footed left back after Robinson. Wiley is an option, but Tolkin has been better for a longer period.

Matko Miljevic is another option given his aggressive personality (that has gotten him into trouble multiple times in his past) and his good form in Argentina right now. There are attacking spots on the team up for grabs with McKennie, Reyna, and Weah all out.

Paxten Aaronson also seems like a good bet given his long USYNT involvement and his outstanding performance in the Eredivisie. Aaronson’s former Philadelphia Union teammate Quinn Sullivan

Brenden Aaronson was a big omission from the final Nations League roster, but he had a good season and plays hard. He was helped a lot by not being part of the mess in March.

In terms of more known players who might be in danger of not making the final roster, Josh Sargent is one to keep an eye on. Despite being named to the Champions League team of the season, he has not scored for the national team since 2019. Yunus Musah will probably make the Gold Cup roster, but his form in 2025 has dropped quite a bit.

It will also be interesting to see who Pochettino selects in central defense. Chris Richards is obviously playing well, but most of the other central defenders in the pool have not been in good form or have been injured.

Overall, there will be plenty of regular faces on the Gold Cup roster but there will be a lot of new faces. The Gold Cup roster is 26 players compared with 23 for the Nations League. Plus McKennie, Reyna, and Weah won’t be there. That alone guarantees that there must be at least six players on the Gold Cup team who were not on the Nations League team. There is a high degree of likelihood that Max Arfsten and Marlon Fossey won’t make the Gold Cup team due to the return of regular starters. That would make an eight player change from the Nations League.

In total, Pochettino will likely have a Gold Cup roster that has 10+ players who were not part of the Nations League team. That is a lot of change both in terms of culture and skillsets – which is a good thing.