Pre-match: NATIONS LEAGUE: US vs Panama (03/20) & vs Canada/Mexico (3/23)

Updated…

GK Turner, Schulte, Celentano (Kochen, Freese, Steffen)
RB Scally, Fossey, Ledezma (Reynolds)
CB Richards, Chase?/Maloney (CCV, Trusty)
CB McKenzie, Ream (Miles, Zim)
LB Jedi, Brown?/Tolkin (Bello, Lund)
MF Adams, Tessmann (Morris)
MF McKennie, Johnny, P. Aaronson (De la Torre, Busio)
RM Weah, Musah (Luna)
AM Reyna, Malik, B. Aaronson (Zendejas)
LM Pulisic, Campbell (Cowell)
FW Pepi, Downs?/Vazquez (Pefok)

Injury list: Balogun, Wiley, Paredes, Dest, Wright, Sargent

Notes:
As much as Malik has been unimpressive with the NT; I don’t think we can give up on him yet. Same deal as Brenden.

On the dual national list, Koleosho sits on the outside, but Chase and Brown should be asked and be there if they accept. Also, I’ve got Downs being asked right now with Balogun, Wright, and Sargent injured.

I think Paxten Aaronson deserves a call up.

I wouldn’t sit on Campbell long. Banks can cook a little longer. That said, I’m close to bumping Campbell off in order to accommodate Malik, Brenden, and Paxten and let Cole focus on the youth teams until he becomes more of a regular with his club. If I did that I would probably call in another center back (Trusty?). We’ll see.

I think we should move on from Ream, but right now, he’s a lock. I’d prefer to see one of CCV, Trusty, Zimmerman, or Miles. Poch is currently playing with fire holding onto Ream so long.

I want to see both Fossey and Ledezma called in.

Maloney deserves a call up. Maybe even as a center back option even though he’s been playing in midfield for club.

January camp should help establish the pecking order of goalkeepers. Subject to change.

 

Updated…

Counting Haji Wright, Malik Tillman, Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest, Brenden Aaronson, Caleb Wiley, and Kevin Paredes as injured.

And, I won’t count Nathaniel Brown nor Anrie Chase (in addition Luca Koleosho, Noel Buck, or Damion Downs) until they commit.


GOALKEEPERS:
Matt Turner, Patrick Schulte, Diego Kochen (Matt Freese, Zack Steffen)

…If Freese or Steffen don’t play against Costa Rica, then, I’d say call in Kochen as the third keeper.

RIGHT BACKS:
Joe Scally, Richie Ledezma (Marlon Fossey, Bryan Reynolds)

…With Dest out, Ledezma should get his shot.

CENTER BACKS:
Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Walker Zimmerman (Noahkai Banks, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson)

…I chose to wait on Banks just because he’s just now breaking in at his club and it’s not necessary to call him in.

LEFT BACKS:
Antonee Robinson, John Tolkin (Max Arfsten, Kristoffer Lund, DeJuan Jones, George Bello)

…I’d prefer to call in Brown over Tolkin in order to let Tolkin settle in. But that is up to Brown. Maybe you call in Arfsten instead. I don’t think Lund is up for job. Nor the others.

MIDFIELDERS:
Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Jonny Cardoso, Tanner Tessmann, Jack McGlynn (Gianluca Busio, James Sands, Aidan Morris, Luca de la Torre, Lennard Maloney, Emeka Eneli)

…I had to sneak McGlynn in the line up to reward his performance against Venezuela.

ATTACKERS:
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah, Paxten Aaronson (Cole Campbell, Brian Gutierrez, Cade Cowell, Alex Zendejas, Caden Clark, Matko Miljevic, Diego Luna, Ben Cremaschi, Griffin Yow)

…I dropped Campbell for this one in order to call in McGlynn. But Campbell is high on my radar. Malik and Brenden are both injured right now but I considered dropping both anyways because of poor form.

FORWARDS:
Ricardo Pepi, Patrick Agyemang (Brandon Vazquez, Josh Sargent)

…With Balogun out, and Sargent, Wright, and Vazquez either injured or not necessarily performing for the USMNT, I see no reason to not reward Agyemang.

+3:
Brandon Vazquez, Cole Campbell, Noahkai Banks (or Anrie Chase if he accepts)

…If we call in +3 then I’d take (1) Vazquez right now, over Sargent, to have another center forward, and then, (2-3) I’d take Campbell and Chase/Banks for the experience.