Mauricio Pochettino names 26-man roster to face Haiti
McKennie and Sullivan among notable inclusions
Quarter-final matches set for Miami, Cincinnati
Mauricio Pochettino has selected his 26-man roster for the United States’ upcoming Concacaf Nations League quarter-final matches against Haiti, including recalls for Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun. After 13 players earned their first caps in the previous window, only two selections could be in line for international debuts this month.
The two-leg series against Haiti marks the first competitive action for the US since they exited the World Cup with a calamitous showing against Belgium in the last 16. Pochettino’s side are heavily favored to win the competition outright, arriving in better form and health than chief rivals Mexico and Canada. Haiti will host their “home” leg in Miami on 14 November due to years-long security issues stemming from widespread gang violence in Port-au-Prince. The return leg will be played in Cincinnati on 17 November.
Goalkeepers
Matt Freese (New York City FC; 20/0), Diego Kochen (Lyngby Boldklub; 2/0), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC; 2/0)
None of Pochettino’s selections in goal come as any real surprise. Freese has long been in the mix, Kochen was given the nod against Mexico last window and acquitted himself quite well, and many observers would consider Schwake the best goalkeeper in Major League Soccer.
Despite the predictability of the group, there is intrigue. The US continues to lack a lock-down keeper, leaving the position wide open at the moment, as it has seemingly been for years. Others continue to fight for minutes as well – New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner among them. Turner, who is not on this roster and has seemingly drifted out of the US keeper pool, is in the midst of a historically great run of form in MLS.
Defenders
Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville SC; 0/0), George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion; 3/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven; 46/3), Alex Freeman (Villarreal; 26/3), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union; 3/0), Bryan Reynolds (Stade Rennais; 7/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; 43/4), Antonee Robinson (Fulham; 62/5), Auston Trusty (Celtic; 14/1)
This group is a blend of experience and fresh options as Pochettino and his staff build a new defensive core. Reed Baker-Whiting is in line for his US debut after a steady season starting at left back for MLS’s best team, Nashville. A feature on the Guardian’s Next Generation list in 2022, the 21-year-old made a smooth transition to Nashville after a winter transfer from boyhood Seattle, and is a steady defender who integrates swiftly into a system. He’ll deputize for Antonee Robinson, who has appeared in all but one of Álvaro Arbeloa’s first nine games at Fulham.
Bryan Reynolds is on his first US squad since the 2023 Gold Cup, having gotten increasing action lately after joining Rennes this summer. He’ll train alongside Villarreal’s still-rising star Alex Freeman; notably, Sergiño Dest is listed among the defenders after spending most of his time in the last window on the wing.
George Campbell and Neil Pierre will look to build off of their showings in the September/October window, while Chris Richards and Auston Trusty appear to be the initial first-choice partnership for the cycle.
Midfielders
Tyler Adams (Bournemouth; 62/2), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund; 4/1), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough; 22/4), Santiago Castañeda (SC Paderborn; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus; 71/12), Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York; 3/0), Gio Reyna (RC Strasbourg Alsace; 47/10), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen; 39/7)
Santiago Castañeda is the latest fresh face introduced into a broad and talented collective of US midfielders. The 21-year-old, a ball-winner with strong positional awareness, has quickly taken to the Bundesliga with newly promoted Paderborn. He is the main alternative to Tyler Adams, who is now in his second camp as national team captain and a vital cog for Bournemouth.
Sebastian Berhalter has enjoyed as fine a 2026 as any US player, still going from strength to strength at the heart of Middlesbrough. He’s become ever-present for Pochettino, often the first man from the bench if he doesn’t crack the starting lineup. Weston McKennie returns after missing the last window with fatigue. Red Bull New York’s Adri Mehmeti returns after debuting in September, having registered an on-ball masterclass against Rodrigo De Paul and Miami in late October.
Mathis Albert also returns after debuting in the last window, offering a dynamic spark plug with downhill instincts on either wing. Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna will be looked to as chief string-pullers to progress from midfield to the final third. Reyna is finally enjoyingg first-choice status in his first season with Strasbourg, while Tillman is facing increasing scrutiny for middling performances with Leverkusen.
Forwards
Folarin Balogun (Monaco; 31/12), Justin Ellis (Orlando City; 3/2), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York; 4/3), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan; 90/33), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 3/1)
Ellis, Hall and Sullivan have all earned deserved call-ups after standout showings in September and October. Balogun’s place on the roster was never in doubt, as the Monaco forward continues to bounce back from this summer’s World Cup and the transfer drama that came afterwards. On Sunday, the 25-year-old snapped a four-month goalscoring drought that had dated back to his World Cup last-32 strike against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Also unsurprising is the inclusion of Pulisic, who was excluded from the US’s run of games in September and October while continuing to recover from the leg injury he sustained at the World Cup. Pulisic has since largely returned to form for Milan and was rewarded with a new contract; his place in this US group, though, remains murkier than ever, as do the ongoing complications of his relationship with Pochettino.
A standout performance across both matches this window would do much to silence any ongoing questions about Pulisic’s form and commitment to his national team.
This story will be updated.
