USMNT Gold Cup Roster: Opportunities for New Faces and Unsettled Roster Dynamics

The U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) is facing a significant challenge this summer, with several key players either recovering from injury or unavailable for personal or club reasons. This includes Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah, and Josh Sargent, who are either unavailable or have been left off the roster for the 2025 Gold Cup. Additionally, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are injured, leaving the team without six or seven of its presumed first-choice starting 11 for two friendlies and the Gold Cup. Despite these absences, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has emphasized that the weight of a player's name or the size of their club does not matter. He has made it clear that he will evaluate players based on their performance during training and in friendlies, giving new faces a chance to impress and potentially make the World Cup squad. The Gold Cup, which had been billed as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup, has instead become a tryout for players looking to make a case for themselves. The roster includes a mix of mainstays and fringe players, with half a dozen players who have never appeared for the national team before. There are also players who have broken into the USMNT under previous head coach Gregg Berhalter but have not yet established themselves in the starting lineup or rotation. One player who has seized an opportunity and parlayed it into a place in Pochettino's plans is Diego Luna. The 22-year-old left back has been called up to the USMNT's Chicago training camp to replace Sergiño Dest, who is recovering from an ACL tear. Luna has already had a taste of national team success in January and March and is looking to build on that experience this summer. The full roster for the 2025 Gold Cup and June friendlies includes goalkeepers Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), and Matt Turner (Crystal Palace); defenders Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel), and Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC); midfielders Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), and Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven); and forwards Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht), Patrick Agyemang