Pre-match: 2026 World Cup Roster

I mean it wouldn't be the worst idea. We tried it before in '14 and it worked, even if we didn't complete the comeback.

 

Yeah, it was really important that we invested in Julian Green's future. Been HUUUUUUGE.

 

And I thought that was Project 2010 myself...

 

I'm with you on this point. If a young guy who hasn't been with the team ever gets the call, it's got to be someone who has actually done something in his young career, and it's got to be someone with attacking flair.

I'd love to see Zavier Gozo be the surprise inclusion (3g/3a, 7.52 fotmob average this year). Montrell Culbreath (1g/0a, 6.90 fotmob average this year) might never have interest in playing for us. Mathis Albert has 1 minute of Bundesliga action in his career.

 

Yes, but what a minute!

 

The 26th man should be a wild card like player like a McGlynn or Reyna. Someone you don’t need to rely on but has the ability to create a moment of magic in game where you desperately need a goal in the way others on the roster cannot.

 

Potential venues if we advance out of the group:

1st place: San Fran (1st round), Seattle (Round of 16), LA (quarters); Dallas (semis), NJ (final).

2nd place: Dallas (1st round), Atlanta (Round of 16), Kansas City (quarters); Atlanta (semis), NJ (final).

3rd place - Varies.

I'm actually liking our second place venue lineup better - more likely to be dominant American fans. San Fran, Seattle, LA will all have a lot of foreign fans.

In terms of weather, 1st place venues will be a little cooler, which may or may not help us, depending on opponents. But hotter venues more likely to even playing field with superior European or South American teams.

 

People are a little harsh on him, he had a decent career as a "little too good for 2. Bundesliga, not quite good enough for 1. Bundesliga" player. He'd probably have gotten a lot of Gold Cups if he wasn't 5,000 miles away. People have advocated for eg Leonard Maloney, who is like a 5% better player at a deeper position.

But the point is still taken, if you're taking a prospect with the 26th slot, you're rolling the dice, that prospect might pan out or might not. You have to be OK with that.

 

I think USSF asked for that 1st place route because it would involve less travel.

 

Based on our prospective opponents, I don't anticipate crowd partisanship being an issue if we win our group, at least for the first two matches. The R32 matchup would most likely be 3rd in Group B, which you'd think would be Canada or Bosnia. Canada isn't going to have more fans than us, and Bosnian diaspora is more concentrated in the Midwest as opposed to the West Coast.

Our next game would most likely be against Belgium, and while they do have over 300,000 in diaspora population, they appear to be concentrated in the Midwest, NY, and California, not in Washington.

 

Except Pochettino's contract runs out in a few months. He's planning for now, and now only. Who can help him advance as far as he can at this World Cup. That's his one and only concern. And that's what we're paying him for.

Jack McGlynn? We might be one more injury to a midfielder away from him getting consideration. He has 12 caps under Pochettino. Not new to the pool.

 

Absolutely zero chance that happens. Poch is employed for about another 2 months, then he's gone. That is as far into the 'future' that he's thinking or acting.

 

Guardian predictions with discussion: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...auricio-pochettinos-call-ups-determine-the-26

 

The prediction
Players listed alphabetically, with presumptive first-choices underlined.

Goalkeepers: Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner

Full-backs: Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson

Center-backs: Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Auston Trusty

Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Aidan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann

Attacking midfielders/wingers: Diego Luna, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah

Strikers: Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright

That midfield is lacking quality past Adams and Morris.

 

If only they’d release it to the public

"Our provisional roster has been decided already" 👀

USMNT First Assistant Coach Jesús Pérez spoke to our crew on #MLS360 about the current status of World Cup squad selection 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/bYsTtMk6BB

— MLS on Air (@MLSonAir) May 11, 2026

 

Pretty close I think. Mostly I think Aaronson makes it and they don’t have him.

 

Preliminary rosters of 35-55 players were due to FIFA yesterday. I wonder if we'll get a leak before the May 26 announcement of the 26.

 

I agree with you but I think we have a couple of players that can pick out a Hollywood pass and/or shoot from distance which is what I think those two players bring to the table. We really lack one-v-one danger off the edge and that is why I would consider Gozo as the Wild Card pick.

On another note, looking over that predicted lineup and we would be bringing 3 players that were brought up in the traditional 10 position in Tillman, Luna and Gio. I honestly would trust Luna over Gio and Tillman right now. He is certainly the most active on and off the ball....

 

Yeah, it's the same as my roster I posted a few days ago here, except they've got Reyna in for my Aaronson, and I took a gamble that Ream will NOT be on the roster for one reason or another, so Blackmon took his place on mine.

 

I understand the obvious reasons, but I will never cease to be amazed at just how much (current) coaches and players manage to say while saying so little. Former players and coaches now at the pundits' or podcasters' desks are for the most part a different story, obviously.

Like many of us, I voraciously take in all of these comments and answers, and at the same time generally want to kick myself for having wasted my time. It's so frustrating.

Apart from revealing that the provisional roster has been decided (no surprise there), all he really said is that they're paying attention to minutes, form, and injuries, taking into account the level of play.

Who'd have thunk?

 

By the way, Fox Soccer today posted a video released by the Swedish FA of Graham Potter in a locker room revealing the Swedish roster.

Though, as has been posted previously, nothing is official until it's acknowleged by FIFA on June 2. The preliminary rosters were just due, but as to the final roster, Potter and managers could by rule use their takes-backsies between now and June 2, regardless of what they announce to the media. And until 24 hours before a team's first match, in the case of injury or serious illness.

 

US soccer has always been awful about releasing rosters at the last minute.

Every freaking window they are one of the last you will see.

 

Rolldan might be better rounded playe who could play 90 min. but McGlynn can do at least one thing at a high enough level. And probably a few. Also, opposing scouts won't have a lot of game tape on him.

 

The US has a big media and fan event IN NYC to release their roster on May 26th.

We've known the date of the official roster release for a long time now.

Since we're making the announcement in two weeks, I imagine the players will know very soon. They need to make travel plans.

 

What's the "at least one thing" and the rest of the list of maybes you've got for McGlynn? To my eye, he's got a better passing range (and more precision) and has a hell of a shot. I think the rest of his abilities are decidedly mediocre.