Next week, the USMNT will contest the quarterfinal round of their two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal tie against Haiti. Should the USMNT progress in the competition, they will play in the semifinal round that will take place in March.
Even though the USMNT took a squad close to 30 players to the four international friendlies during the September-October window, don't expect them to do the same here with just two matches to play. My projected squad will see the USMNT carry three goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders, and five forwards.
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese (New York City FC), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
My hot take for the goalkeeper side of the roster: Chris Brady will not make the cut. It's not necessarily the hottest take, but it might lean that way. He hasn't recorded a clean sheet in almost three months, and he's given up multiple goals in seven of his last 11 starts. Ahead of what will be a meaningful pair of games, leaving Brady off the squad might be the wisest move for the USMNT's leadership.
In Brady's place will be Matt Turner. He has struggled in the games following his exclusion from the September-October window, but it's fair to suggest that he has found his form in recent times. And he is able to step up and make a high amount of saves when he has to, something Brady hasn't necessarily demonstrated.
Meanwhile, Matt Freese and Brian Schwake should be expected to hold onto their spots with the USMNT. That said, Schwake's spot is more of a guarantee than that of Freese. The Nashville SC keeper recorded a clean sheet in his first national team start against Canada, and he's recorded a pair of clean sheets in the three games following the conclusion of the international window. Conversely, Freese's struggles remained apparent during the last international window and in the games since.
It would not surprise me if Freese was left off the squad, but I don't think Pochettino is going to drop both Brady and Freese. That would be a shock in itself.
Defenders: George Campbell (West Brom), Sergino Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union), Frankie Westfield (Philadelphia Union), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach)
George Campbell headlines a group with few certainties. While West Brom's goal-conceding has taken a bit of a hit since the international break, the club still put together a 3-1-1 record in its last five games, with Campbell not being involved in the one loss.
Elsewhere, expect the Philadelphia Union's defensive duo of Neil Pierre and Frankie Westfield to remain in the fold for this international window. The two defenders are still key two-way players for the Union; the pair added two combined goal contributions in the four games played following the international window. Though Pierre and Westfield have yet to record any goal contributions for the USMNT, they have done enough at the club level to remain in consideration for the window.
Joining the two in-form Union defenders is Joe Scally, who was one of the more notable players left off the September-October USMNT lineup. Since the end of the last international break, Scally has recorded three goal contributions (two goals and one assist) in three Bundesliga matches.
The same goes for Alex Freeman, who actually just scored his first goal of the season in what was a 2-1 win for Villarreal against Valencia. Though he was part of the last USMNT lineup, he's also put together some goalscoring following the international break.
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew), Jack McGlynn (Stoke City), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
While he doesn't yet have a goalscoring contribution, Tyler Adams' place in the USMNT lineup should not be affected. He'll once again act as the primary defensive option for Pochettino, helping to prevent any potential counterattack from Haiti. That will be especially important if the first leg sees Haiti attempt to sit back and defend in the hopes of remaining within a goal or two heading into the second leg.
Elsewhere ... we've got to get Aidan Morris into the fold at some point, right? After missing out on selection for both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the latest international window, this Nations League quarterfinal is his last chance to get a call-up before the Nations League finals, should the USMNT get there.
Say what you will about his form, but he is still someone who earns starts and complete game performances even for a Middlesbrough side that acquired Sebastian Berhalter over the summer. He'll more than certainly be joined by his club teammate Sebastian Berhalter, who has also earned consistent appearances for the Championship leaders.
In terms of newcomers, expect Columbus Crew midfielder Taha Habroune to receive his first USMNT call-up. It remains to be seen whether Pochettino will opt to include more newcomers for the non-FIFA-sanctioned December camp or if he's going to continue expanding the United States' depth at every possible international window, but Habroune has made a case to be included now.
I'm also going to make the case for Jack McGlynn to return to the USMNT. While he wasn't called up for the last window, it's fair to attribute that decision to the fact that he only recently transferred from Houston Dynamo to Stoke City. To start his Stoke City career, McGlynn has three goals and two assists to his name, and he's started all but two of the contests since his arrival.
To round out the midfield group, I'm going to include another handful of USMNT veterans: Gio Reyna, Cristian Roldan, and Malik Tillman.
Forwards: Samuel Adeniran (LASK), Justin Ellis (Orlando City), Julian Hall (Red Bull New York), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union)
Ricardo Pepi made the USMNT lineup last time around but was forced to miss the window due to an injury. St Louis City forward Damion Downs took his place, but the latter's continued involvement as a substitute isn't going to help him maintain that spot. That said, I'm not fully sold on Pepi getting the spot back straight away, even when considering that he is back in the fold at PSV Eindhoven. That spot will go to Samuel Adeniran, arguably one of North America's more undervalued forwards.
To start the season for LASK, he's proven just that. He has six goals to start the 2026-27 Austrian Bundesliga; across all competitions, he has eight goals and 10 total goal contributions to start the season. If he were to make the roster for the November window, he would enter with one of the better goalscoring rates of any USMNT player. Should the USMNT opt to go for a big win in the first leg, Adeniran should be a contender for a call-up
Despite missing the September-October window, Christian Pulisic should be poised for a return to the USMNT lineup. While his injury-and-bench-stint-hampered start to the season is still relatively fresh, he has three goal contributions in his first four 2026-27 Serie A contests. That form should get him back into the USMNT, but don't expect Folarin Balogun to return. He has returned to action for Monaco, but it's likely he won't return to international action until his club situation is more certain.
Cavan Sullivan, Justin Ellis, and Julian Hall made their respective USMNT debuts during the last window. All three should be expected to hold onto their spots. While the former is currently dealing with an ankle injury, it remains to be seen whether the recovery will bleed into the international window.
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