Horvath is easily my #3. Has shown throughout his career that he has the ability to come off the bench and play a big match.
This is a good point. He's been kind of out of sight out of mind for a few years, but if he's playing well in MLS he could be an excellent GK3 candidate for a number of reasons.
Hard to say. Horvath has zero appearances under Pochettino. The last time Ethan Horvath started a game for the USMNT was nearly four years ago. It was so long ago that Aaron Long and Reggie Cannon started that game. So, who knows? I can't say anyone is wrong, because who the hell knows at this point? What I do know is it seemed Poch called up one group of guys thru the 2025 Nations League. Evaluated more guys in the Gold Cup. Been whittling down the group with a combination of those guys for the last three camps. Horvath wasn't involved in any of it. If you had to bet on it, you'd guess tha the three keepers on the World Cup squad will come from the group he called up for Sep, Oct, Nov camps.
Only 4 GKs have gotten caps under Poch (Freese, Turner, Schulte, Steffen), there's a decent chance GK3 comes from outside that group. Of course it would still probably be one of the 6-8 or however many guys Poch has called up but not played, but the reason Horvath could get back in the picture is that he hadn't been playing at club level and now is. That said, as I've said in the GK thread with Turner as the presumptive GK2 you don't really need the GK3 to fill the locker room vibes role, so that could work against Horvath to some extent.
While I don't think he's going to do it, especially as he's almost certainly a one-and-done manager, he could also use that #3 role to season Diego Kochen, much like Arena did with Tim Howard in 2006.
Huh? Tim Howard had multiple years of games as a first team player at metrostars then Man U before the 2006 World Cup. Doesn’t seem remotely similar to the Kochen situation. What am I missing?
May 26 will be the roster release date USMNT World Cup squad will be announced May 26 at a roster reveal party in New York open to public, per USSF. Details tba. The event will stream nationwide and include player appearances and guests.— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) March 3, 2026
As I said in the GK thread, there is zero chance that Poch brings in a young GK, merely to give him 'experience' at a WC. Poch will be gone almost immediately after the final kick of the WC, so long term player development isn't in the discussion for him. Every player on the roster will be there because he sees a potential reason to keep them (and play at the tournament).
https://amp.foxsports.com/stories/s...ter-projection-3-months-pulisic-mckennie-weah I don’t hate this list, although I am betting that Dest won’t be fit, Weah slides out to play RWB, and we have to find someone else to play CB (since this list has him as one of the back 3, although it acknowledges that isn’t his natural position). My only thing: while I recognize that all 4 strikers have been scoring, I’d argue we need another midfielder like Morris more than we need a 4th striker.
So, we saw him a bit. Since then he's been playing even better and was just purchased by Racing, a title contender, for 3 million.
Obviously the Weah at RCB thing is just a complete failure of logic and ball knowledge that many others have covered but word out of the Netherlands has Dest back by early May.
For me: I. Locks (11) 1. Pulisic, WF/W/SS 2. McKennie, CM/CAM/RWB/AM/WF 3. Adams, DM/CM 4. Richards, CB/LCB/RCB 5. Tillman, CAM/AM/WF/CM 6. A. Robinson, LB/LWB 7. Balogun, CF 8. Ream, CB/LCB/LB 9. Freese, GK 10. Dest, FB/WB/WM 11. Weah, WB/FB/WF/WM II. Near Locks (3) 12. Freeman, RB/RWB/RCB 13. Arfsten, LB/LWB/WM 14. Pepi, CF III. Good Bets (4) 15. Turner, GK 16. McKenzie, CB/LCB/RC 17. M. Robinson, CB/RCB/RB 18. Tessman, CM/CB IV. Bubble Battles (8) 19. Luna, AM/WM/CAM 20. Roldan, CM/DM/AM 21. Berhalter, CM/RM 22. Wright, CF/WF 23. Schulte, GK 24. Morris, CM 25. B. Aaronson, CAM/WF/AM 26. Zimmerman, CB I'd love to take Agyemang & Reyna but there is not room. And I doubt Poch has Zimmerman in the squad atm. And I may have taken too many CMs already.
Yeah. Don’t see Zimmerman making it. But I do see both Big Pat and Reyna making it, assuming they play and show well over the next two games. I don’t see Roldan and Berhalter both going, but who knows?
id say that’s a pretty good list. My only comment would be the first group isn’t just lock but starting eleven. I would probably elevate each of the following groups one level except for bubble group from Which I would take Roldan, Aaronson, Wright, Berhalter as good bets. I would put Reyna and Agyemang into the bubble cage. I think Poch really likes Reyna but might see his defense (lack of) as a possible deal breaker. This is Gio’s last chance. Gio has the tools (imo), he just has to show he has the mentality for it.
Couple of comments on an otherwise solid list. 1. Turner is at least a near lock. You have to take 3 keepers. Turner, short of injury, is going. 2. Morris is not ahead of Reyna on the bubble list. Just read what Poch had to say about Reyna. If he shows anything in this camp he's going.
We disagree on Moreis & Reyna. You may indeed be right. But I was picking my team, not predicting Poch's. No way Zim is in the 26 atm, for instance.
Morris and Reyna aren't really competing against each other though, unless both are outside the 2 deep at their respective positions and it's a question of where we want to go deeper And while that scenario is definitely possible, if that's the case Reyna almost certainly wins out. IMO Morris and Johnny are competing for 1 spot as Adams' direct backup, if we go 5 CMs it'll be because Poch wants to bring both Roldan and Berhalter. I'd be absolutely shocked if both Johnny and Morris make it, unless Adams is hurt.
Well you always have to be wary of injuries. Now we have Dest, Adams, Richards and Miles. Richards and Miles both missed the last WC with injuries. Dest has one that is tricky to come back from. So some of guys on the bubble still have chances. Reyna is behind both Wes and Tillman as two attackers? Yes, but hold your breath neither of those two get injured as the that elevates maybe Aaronson or Reyna as an attacking starter. If both Richards and Miles are injured for the WC again we are in real trouble especially Richards. Our team has an injury history and unfortunately it is often our best players who don't have clear quality backups.
100%. Miles is depth but if Richards can't go for the WC we're honestly ********ed. That said it's always possible one or both of those guys would have been able to go this weekend if they were WC games rather than friendlies
Probably not quite a lock, but pretty close IMO as long as he doesn't stink this window My CMs are Adams, Tessmann, Roldan, one of Morris/Johnny, and if we want to bring a 5th Berhalter IMO strong preference for Morris over Johnny and I'd probably bring Berhalter depending on how things look at other positions