The USMNT roster for the September-October international window is here.
And with that roster comes the arrival of a brand new era for the USMNT. Here are my five biggest takeaways from the unveiling of Mauricio Pochettino's newest USMNT lineup.
No Matt Turner
Let me get my biggest problem with the roster out of the way first. New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner is being left off the lineup. That's arguably the biggest shock of this entire unveiling, especially when considering that he's been enjoying some top form during this MLS campaign.
In his place is a unit that includes Chicago Fire keeper Chris Brady, New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese, Lyngby Boldklub's Diego Kochen, and Nashville SC's Brian Schwake.
I can understand where Pochettino is coming from when it comes to Schwake. After all, Nashville SC has been a goalkeeping factory since they arrived in MLS. Before Schwake, it was Joe Willis who helped establish the club as a defensively-minded side. Since Schwake entered the fray, he's been doing more of the same; he was central to Nashville's U.S. Open Cup title last year, and he's helped get Nashville to the top of the MLS standings while conceding just 21 goals in league competition.
Freese was more than likely going to find his way in given his part in the USMNT's World Cup run, and Kochen is clearly part of the USMNT's youth movement. But Brady? Again, he was probably going to find his way into the lineup. But what upsets me is that he was included over Turner, who has been more reliable at the club level and statistically stronger.
Depth-wise, one could make an argument that Turner would still have been competing with Schwake and Freese for starts during this cycle. But I can't see Brady beating out either keeper for a start. Turner would definitely have had a fighter's chance.
Speaking of shock exclusions
When I put together my lineup projection, I hesitated to exclude both Milan winger/forward Christian Pulisic and Monaco forward Folarin Balogun. Balogun's exclusion was easy enough to justify, but Pulisic returned to action for Milan just as I was preparing the prediction article.
In fact, I had drafted the lineup to the point where both Pulisic and Balogun were out of the lineup. I did end up including Pulisic in my projection, not knowing that the double exclusion could still happen.
Pulisic's history with Pochettino is well-documented, but it's truly clear that the latter isn't going to sit back and let the standard be the standard. New habits are required to move the team forward; he's said this himself. And he's sticking to his word.
It's not just Cavan Sullivan's time
The rumors were true. Not only is Cavan Sullivan getting a much-deserved opportunity to represent the USMNT after a strong run of form for Philadelphia, but other prospects are getting their shot as well.
Justin Ellis has established himself as a scoring option behind French legend Antoine Griezmann, and his form has continued in recent games. On Wednesday, Ellis recorded an assist on Orlando City's lone goal in what was a 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup play. And as projected, his efforts for the club have been rewarded with a USMNT call-up.
The same goes for Julian Hall, whose selection by Pochettino could very well represent a game-sealing blow to any hopes of joining Poland's national team. While his form has taken a downturn alongside that of Red Bull New York, Hall's efforts have nonetheless been vital in even getting the club in position to fight for a playoff spot. It will be worth paying extra attention to how Hall performs during this window and to whether he can turn his goal-contributing form around ahead of the final nine games of the 2026 MLS campaign.
Other prospects included in the USMNT lineup include SV Elversberg's Cole Campbell, who has played a role in the club's strong start to its inaugural Bundesliga campaign. Clearly, Pochettino was aware of the depth in U.S. Soccer's youth system, and he's done quite well to capitalize on it. It remains to be seen how they operate in what is still a veteran-focused system, but let's give Pochettino credit where credit is due.
Northeastern United States the big winners on the North American side of the pond
Someone's been watching a lot of Philadelphia Union games. It wasn't just Sullivan who was included; defenders Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield will join their Union teammate in the USMNT lineup. A less talked-about part of Philadelphia's resurgence? The defense, which has helped to record three consecutive clean sheets and four total shutouts since the World Cup. Both Pierre and Westfield started all four of those matches, with Westfield recording two assists over that stretch.
The defensive side of the game has also played a big part in New England's success this season, which has them battling with Inter Miami for second in MLS' Eastern Conference. Say what you will about the fact that the goalscoring is relatively non-existent, but the Revs have conceded the second-fewest goals in the Eastern Conference and the fourth-fewest in MLS. Even though Turner was shock-excluded, the Revs and their defense will still be represented by defender Peyton Miller and midfielder Brooklyn Raines, both of whom also join from U.S. Soccer's youth program.
Expect a lot of goals
In terms of goalscoring, I've already made my point about Sullivan, Ellis, Campbell, and even Westfield. But it's clear that this USMNT lineup could score a lot of goals.
Look no further than the PSV duo of Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi. Both have been instrumental in PSV's attack, recording a combined six goals and two assists to open the 2026-27 campaign. The former also played a major role in PSV's Champions League opener against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Beyond PSV, West Brom defender George Campbell is capable of creating goals when given the chance, while the return of Sebastian Berhalter and free-kick specialist Malik Tillman only makes the midfield that much more compelling. Altogether, you're looking at three outfield groups capable of scoring at a moment's notice.
To conclude, here's my early USMNT starting XI ahead of their contest against Peru
Freese
Dest - Campbell - Richards - A. Robinson
Sullivan - Adams - Berhalter - Reyna
Pepi - Campbell
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