The U.S. men’s national team’s January camp is often overlooked on face value and with good reason. Christian Pulisic isn’t involved. There’s no Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie or Ricardo Pepi, either. The roster for this camp was announced on Monday, and doesn’t have a single European-based star in it, as is the norm for this annual gathering.
In reality, the USMNT’s A-side won’t gather again until the CONCACAF Nations League in March, leading some to dismiss this camp as less important. While it may not be seen as crucial for World Cup preparations, it is important in integrating new faces to the USMNT setup.
And that is, ultimately, the goal here, after all: to find two or three players that can contribute either on the road to 2026 or down the line. That task is unique this time around, due to the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino. His blank slate applies to all this winter, from 2022 World Cup veterans to rising MLS starlets looking to make an impact. All 24 players in Pochettino’s squad will see this camp as a chance to get the ball rolling into something that is, hopefully, bigger and better.
There are plenty of players in this group with reason to believe they have a chance to make a case for themselves. There are positions up for grabs, both this winter and over the next year. This camp could be the foundation for a player to seize it. So, with that in mind, GOAL breaks down the big takeaways from the January camp roster…