You could consider Wright as the vet backup to Balogun, w/ Downs as the #3/prospect. And Tillman can fill in there if need be. it hasn't worked for him at CM or wing so far. But Wright may be a starting wing. We're light at the position, excluding Weah & Paredes. Guti, Luna, Brendo, & Pax can play out there. But they're CAM/wing hybrids. I guess give Zendejas another shot. Sullivan should be there. He's somewhat of a stretcher in the Weah/Paredes mold. I said the roster more lends to a 3-man back-line. I hope it's the 343, they camp in opposing team's half, resolve our spacing issues both ways, force TO's in the re-press, & make our lives easier to create chances here. While relying on speed to recover, instead of quicks and awareness, which aren't exactly our strong-suit.
Yeah, I was already penciling in Wright as a winger, since there are so few options there. But if we wanted to be more efficient with roster building, Wright could be a winger/backup forward, and that could open a spot for younger guy at a different position, who might be more interesting than the other pure forward options.
🚨EXCL | Damion #Downs has been called up by head coach Mauricio Pochettino for the USA’s training camp ahead of the Gold Cup!He has the chance to earn a spot in the final squad. #effzeh The 20-year-old striker was promoted to the Bundesliga with 1. FC Köln, scoring 10 goals… pic.twitter.com/hmBAGn2LC3— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) May 20, 2025 Damion Downs has been called up by head coach Mauricio Pochettino for the USA’s training camp ahead of the Gold Cup!
When does camp start? Per other reports the final roster is coming out Thursday. I don't think anyone is gonna earn a spot during it
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_...io-pochettino-matt-turner-goalkeeper-gold-cup USMNT's Pochettino: Turner risks being replaced as 1st-choice GK
I kinda hate it from Tom, especially the back-line. - We've had a few viable LB's after ARob for yrs, and there's every excuse not to use them. If Tolkin's a tough omission, don't omit him. 26 players & 1 true LB again. - We keep having Ream as an anchor on rosters. Not good anymore & forces us to change our style. CCV's also a chronic under-performer. Gimme Trusty & Zimm, over Miles too. Don't need 5 CB's. - How is Haji not on there when he's our #2 healthy CF & arguably a starting sans Weah? Warrants inclusion over White & Sargent. We don't need 4 CF's. What are w/ these roster imbalances? - It's like we want to drive Guti away, even though he's been good for yrs, verbally committed, & he's even left off w/out Gio when he's the top facsimile. - We're insistent on not giving a real trial to an up & coming gk. Suffice to say Freese wouldn't play much if at all w/ Turner and Steffen there. Sullivan, Downs, & Freeman are the swing choices I actually like. But overall this would peeve me.
Agree. The backline is an issue, but we're still bringing guys who simultaneously, we know all that they are AND aren't really all that good. I do want to win the Gold Cup, but someone like Joe Scally? I'd rather take my chances with Freeman or someone else and find out whether they can be better than Scally. Or if you want to play that back three, don't bring a CB. I feel much the same way about CCV and to a certain extent, Miles. I haven't watched enough of him to see if he's gotten his legs back, but if not ... I'd have taken a flyer. And yes, we need to try another LB. Hell, it'd been okay to leave Jedi home. Doesn't he need surgery? Haji is our #2 striker with Pepi hurt, IMO. Has to be there and his flexibility at winger is nice, too, though I'd start Luna/Pulisic there. Could have given Gutierrez a shout there as well as a bench role. Like the Sullivan call, though. [quote[- We're insistent on not giving a real trial to an up & coming gk. Suffice to say Freese wouldn't play much if at all w/ Turner and Steffen there.[/quote] I know Steffen played well, but he's out of his hot streak in MLS so I feel like the fact that we have two guys we seem to be meh on is really limiting. No Berhalter seems like a miss to me. I would bet the Caps pushed back hard if they even tried, and midfield is our deepest spot, but man does that midfield feel unexciting.
If Ream (as a player) is there over Trusty I will start to question if Poch is actually watching our players.
Well ideally NONE of Ream Trusty CCV are on the roster... however I expect ream to be there even though he's been below average at the MLS level for like a year now.
The problem, of course, is that CB ain't exactly deep. But new blood is good even if somewhat unlikely to be a big find.
I don't know how you don't put Noahkai Banks on the 60 man roster... Banks who is already back from injury. Of course this is the same brain trust that didn't put Wright on the CNL 60 roster and then he scored a hat trick before those games were even played...
From what rumors are out there they want Banks to focus on the u20s. As for the Trusty/CCV news... cannot say I'm overly surprised and had a sneaky suspicion one if not both would not be called in. CCV just hasn't looked good the last year or so in his appearances for the US and Trusty isn't breaking through either. Plus, Scally is essentially an RCB in Poch's system
i don't know who you have on your left sided CB depth chart but I have Trusty, based on his UCL performances, 2nd behind Richards, especially against big, physical opponents. Ream has been given this pass based on what? Go and review his USMNT performances over the last18 months or so. Look how many goals against he is directly accountable for!
We keep moving the goal posts for the reasons include Ream in the roster. Everyone was saying 18 months ago as long as Ream was still playing in the Premier League, he was a roster lock. Then he lost his starting spot at Fulham and moved back to MLS. Now he not even playing well in MLS and options like Richards/McKenzie have stepped up in the top 5 Leagues.
Don't say that. Some people haven't forgiven Berhalter for letting Antonee Robinson join the under 23s 6 years ago.
Yeah because in both cases the full national team should be calling up the best players they have. With Banks and this Gold Cup we're just one year away from the World Cup, with only a few windows left. Just to be clear I DON'T think Ream should get a pass, but Poch seems to love Ream so the fact that there are currently 100 better Americans just in MLS is irrelevant because what matters is the opinion of one man.
Christian Pulisic won’t be on the roster when #USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino names his 26-player squad on Thursday for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, multiple sources tell @FOXSoccer: https://t.co/bgeZTInFd8— Doug McIntyre (@ByDougMcIntyre) May 21, 2025 Difficult to understand.
Well. The winger depth is even more slim now. Who replaces him? Just realized that Zendejas might not be there either if America beats LAFC, so it’d be even more bare.
Few speculated it’d be for the amount of minutes he’s logged, but can’t believe they’d do it since this is the last major competition they have before the World Cup. Crazy.