One thing that Wednesday's USMNT squad unveiling made clear: regardless of the fixture, Mauricio Pochettino is truly not afraid to expand the USMNT's squad rotation. This time around, he's adding Nashville SC defender Reed Baker-Whiting and SC Paderborn midfielder Santiago Castañeda to a USMNT lineup that features a few more familiar faces. But first, let's take a quick moment to introduce Castañeda and Baker-Whiting.
Castañeda began his career in his native Florida, playing for Florida Premier FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies before continuing his career in Germany with MSV Duisburg and now SC Paderborn. Baker-Whiting spent his entire career thus far in the United States. He spent half a decade as part of both the Seattle Sounders and their affiliated clubs before being moved to Nashville.
It's fair to support Pochettino's squad choices, but there's a few small red flags
Personally, I'm a fan of Pochettino's selection to take on Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal round. There are issues, but there is a method to Pochettino's reasoning.
The goalkeeper room has finally been fully addressed. I'm not truly sold on Diego Kochen, but Pochettino made the right move to keep Chris Brady off the team. The fact that he did so while keeping Brian Schwake on board is another plus here.
That said, I'm not that happy that he left Frankie Westfield off the lineup, especially given that he has essentially seen the same level of offensive contribution as his Philadelphia teammate Neil Pierre.
I'm also a little concerned about this midfield selection. Sure, Adri Mehmeti and Mathis Albert are newer additions, but that does come at the expense of Aidan Morris. Morris matches Mehmeti's ability to get consistent appearances at the club level, though Albert hasn't appeared in a domestic match since mid-October. What's more is that Morris has arguably demonstrated more of an attacking acumen this season.
I am going to say that the forward group is a solid A+ for me. Folarin Balogun's return being moved up to November is a small issue for me, especially given the performance of other USMNT forwards since the start of October. That said, it's not going to be one moving forward if he can get a transfer from Monaco in January and fully put this transfer saga behind him. Bonus points go to Pochettino for finding a way to get Christian Pulisic back into the lineup while keeping Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan in play.
Why in-and-out roster moves could be the highlight of the next four years
With the entire USMNT roster decision in mind, in-and-out roster cycling has become a trend over the course of 2026. I've already made my point clear with regard to Baker-Whiting and Castañeda, but let's expand it to the other components of the roster.
"Es un jugador que ya veníamos siguiendo" 👀
— AS USA Latino (@US_diarioas) November 4, 2026
Mauricio Pochettino sobre la convocatoria de Santiago Castañeda 🤓☝️🇺🇸
🎥: @DiegsGorostieta pic.twitter.com/eTZrVfECW0
In the case of this newly-released lineup, it brings Pulisic, Balogun, and Weston McKennie - all of whom were left off the September-October roster - back into the lineup. Their returns came at the expense of Elversberg forward Cole Campbell and St. Louis City's Damion Downs (Ricardo Pepi was initially called up for that window, but an injury saw him substituted out for the former Southampton player).
It also sees Rennes right-back Bryan Reynolds return to the mix after a near-four-year absence. That's the big one here: a defender who has not featured in the USMNT since before the 2024 Copa América and Pochettino's arrival is getting a second chance with the national team. While it isn't an in-and-out move in the sense that Reynolds missed one international window, it still helps Pochettino in terms of expanding the USMNT's player pool and rotating players in and out of the lineup.
Reynolds acts as further proof of this trend on the defensive end of the pitch. Veteran Miles Robinson was called up for the September-October window, but Baker-Whiting took his place.
The squad depth theory
The prior change in the USMNT roster (from the 2026 World Cup to the early-fall window) is also well known by now, and the exclusions from that World Cup squad to the first post-World Cup period have sparked this trend to some extent. That said, it is normal for players to be excluded during one international window and included during the next, so it's not like this is a new or unique phenomenon.
That's why the next few months are going to be worth keeping an eye on. The lead-up to the December camp will be worth watching when it comes to a potential return for Westfield, while the March 2027 window will serve as the major litmus test for which non-MLS players (if any) from that September-October window can earn their way back into the USMNT lineup.
If the latter (or even both) proves true to some extent, then every active American player who was selected and then left off a USMNT roster under a previous head coach, and who hasn't had extensive opportunities under Pochettino, could easily be in the mix for a call-up.
That's the Squad Depth Theory.
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