Pre-match: 2026 World Cup Roster

The team is scheduled to be here 7 days from now for the press release event to announce the roster before heading down to Atlanta, which I believe commences the WC training camp period, except for Richards who will still be with Palace for their European final for a couple of days. And Weah's from NYC. His mother lives here.

 

Tim Ream is THE CAPTAIN of the USMNT.
He will be on the roster.

 

Edgar and Tactical Manager both do seem to have some contacts in US Soccer and they've both gotten things right that were too specific to be lucky guesses. But they also get enough wildly wrong that it's hard to put much stock in their rumors.

 

I don't regard Tactical Manager as any kind of authority at all, but I assume that Banks is on the provisional roster. I have strong doubts that he will make the tournament roster, obviously, but a lot of guys who will not be particularly close to the final 26 will nevertheless be on the provisional 55 just in case. Banks is very likely one of them. So is Brian White. He's not going to be in this World Cup, either, but he, too, will be eligible to be called in as an emergency replacement. As we all know, that's all the provisional roster is.

 

Sure. Provisional roster? Sure.

Pochettino has capped 61 players in his tenure. One of them wasn't Banks.

Only 6 players have played 1000 minutes under Poch.

The minutes leader right now? Tim Ream.
Tim Ream has played the most minutes of any player under Pochettino.

CB minutes top 6.

1) Tim Ream – 18 caps, 1,557 minutes

2) Chris Richards – 13 caps, 1,094 minutes

3) Mark McKenzie – 12 caps, 810 minutes

4) Miles Robinson – nine caps, 533 minutes

5) Auston Trusty – four caps, 190 minutes

6) Walker Zimmerman – four caps, 188 minutes

Others: Tristan Blackmon (two caps, 173 minutes), Cameron Carter-Vickers (one cap, 90 minutes), George Campbell (one cap, 88 minutes)

 

For the low, low price of an Apple TV subscription, they’ll have thousands of minutes of tape.

 

I think both also get info from agents which can sometimes be accurate but often isn’t what you want to go off if it’s your only source.

 

Any response for the rest of what he wrote? Or we just gonna hyper-selectively nibble around it to avoid the obvious.

 

People picking Musah are Badge FC fans run amok.

 

i declared for early entry into the nba draft in high school.

no, ive never played organized basketball, why do you ask?

 

FYI this is a better stat source with some more granular data (adjusts defensive stats by possession, tracks open play creation, etc…):

https://scoutlab.streamlit.app/?pag...yer=Malik+Tillman&pos=Att+Mid/Winger&mins=450

I do not think that Malik is being told to play like an 8 from an AM position. He has the 4th highest goal/90 rate of any player in the team. He’s just not a set piece/service/insightful passing creator.

 

On Banks on his podcast with Tab Ramos today Tom Bogert said something along the lines of US Soccer is still in conversation with Banks camp and those conversations continue but didn’t promise he’d be on the roster or anything.

 

The final roster isn't due until 24 hrs before kickoff of each team's first match. Any rosters submitted prior are tentative. Chris Richards, I believe, plays a match a day after the USSF will release "the WC roster". There's more than 2 weeks for things to shake out after the unofficial roster release scheduled for May 26. Which is--HOLY SHIT!!--only one week away.

 

Touch some grass bro

 

Don't break Tim's heart. He's gotta have hope!

 

The final roster is due June 1. Replacements from then up until 24 hours before a team's first match may only be made in case of an injury (for outfield players; injured goalkeepers may be replaced at at any time, including after the WC starts). You can't just change your mind and replace guys for tactical reasons, and since injuries must be confirmed by an independent team of medical professionals, you can't just fake it/make something up.

 

So Chris Richards is now officially somewhat of a question mark in terms of his ankle.

He's not off the team. There are still just over 3 weeks left before our first WC match for his ankle to heal, and it was a rolled ankle, not a high ankle sprain. The question is whether he'll be at 50%, 80%, 90%...

Which means that when we consider which bubble guys will make it, it probably just became more important to consider an extra defender over another attacking midfielder. And the fight for the final roster slots I believe was primarily a tug-of-war between the defenders and the various attackers.

Also, while Banks was almost certainly NOT on the roster, he now becomes a figure close enough to at least debate.

Though the extra defender will probably be less-than-100% Miles Robinson, or the middling but solid Tristan Blackmon, or Joe Scally, who isn't a "true" center back but could back up the Freeman position in the back or either WB or FB, if we use one of those.

And Auston Trusty, once a guy who was bubble contender, is now almost certainly on the roster, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up seeing the field. The Richards question mark is one reason, but it isn't the only reason. I also think he's rather played his way on in recent months.

 

Did you find new details about the ankle?

 

Thanks for the correction on the dates. I knew something wasn't right about my post, but I let beer get in the way of finding out what.

 

Can a dual-national player be an alternate on two different teams? Or be picked by one and alternate on the other? Assuming, of course, that he is not cap-tied.

Theoretical situation: Picked by Team A, and alternate by Team B. Due to an injury on Team B, they want to use the alternate who was already picked by Team A.

 

That's an interesting question. If never capped I'd have to guess yes. Or they go back in the portal if neither side chooses them.

 

Are alternates even actually a thing anymore? I think it’s just being named on the provisional roster which means you can be an injury replacement.

I think there’s no bar to being a provisional roster for two teams as long as you aren’t cap tied to either. But I also think it’s unlikely Banks is on the Germany provisional. But also Banks wouldn’t agree to be on the World Cup roster unless he’s committed to us.

 

This World Cup is gonna be a disaster for the program.

The team does not look ready at all. They say they care, but their body language shows otherwise.

 

Yeah this is probably the least enthused I’ve ever been going into a World Cup but you know a World Cup is all about a specific moment in time and it’s all about getting hot for a brief window, getting some luck, etc.

I will also say the HBO documentary is very good from the first two episodes and worth watching.

 

Barring any injuries one last prediction before Tuesday

GK: Freese, Turner, Brady
LB: Jedi, Arfsten
RB: Dest, Freeman
CB: Richards, Ream, McKenzie, Trusty, Banks
DM: Adams, Morris
CM: Tessmann, Berhalter, Roldan
AM: Tillman, Luna, Reyna
WF: Pulisic, Weah, Gozo
FW: Balogun, Pepi, Wright

For me the final roster cuts are Aaronson, Robinson, McGlynn, and Scally.

No way I could justify it but it’d be fun to be able to take Hall and Mehmeti. Nor do I think either are at all close to the roster.