FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — When Auston Trusty turned pro with the Union a decade ago, the club’s youth academy was just starting to find its footing.
Now everyone knows about it, and the waves of players it has produced for the club and the U.S. national team. Trusty knows better than most, as the Media native is on the academy’s board.
But the scale of how far things have come in less than a decade has hit especially hard this week. The 28-year-old is sharing the field with the newest Union youngsters to break through: Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre, and Frankie Westfield.
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I still think of myself as the young kid from Philadelphia, but now these guys are,” Trusty told The Inquirer on Thursday in an interview at U.S. Soccer’s national training center, before the team headed to Orlando to prepare for Saturday’s game against Peru (4:30 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62).
Cavan Sullivan (second from left) on the ball in front of Auston Trusty during a drill at Thursday’s practice.Jonathan Tannenwald
“The way they look at me, they all know my history,” he said. “They all know where I came from, how I came from it, and I’ve been that person they’ve been trying to aspire to be. I’m really appreciative, I’m really grateful, and it’s a blessing that I’m able to be that person for them.”
It feels long ago, at least in soccer terms, that Trusty turned down a scholarship offer to the University of North Carolina in the summer of 2016. He signed with the Union just days before he’d have headed to Chapel Hill. Back then, such a move was seen as unusual.
“College, at the time, was probably the smarter move to other people,” he recalled. “To me, signing pro, I was taking a risk for myself. So it kind of opened that pathway for all these kids to come after me, and it’s pretty cool.”
A year after Trusty’s move, Mark McKenzie left Wake Forest following his freshman season, and Brenden Aaronson backed out of a verbal commitment to Indiana.
Auston Trusty (left) and Mark McKenzie together during their playing days with the Union.
The tide had turned, and there was no going back. By the time Frankie Westfield turned pro in 2024 instead of going to Penn State, no one batted an eye.
On Thursday, Trusty and Westfield had lunch together after teaming up in one of the morning’s training drills.
“From what I’ve known from him, and from what I’ve heard, he’s a great player [with a] great mindset,” Trusty said. “Him, along with the other players from [the] Union, it’s really cool to see how far they’ve come, together and individually, and also their mindsets. … It’s their first time, so maybe they’d be hesitant, but they have great mindsets, and that’s what I really want to see.”
It was obvious to ask about Pierre, a fellow centerback with so much potential. Trusty hadn’t talked with him much yet as of Thursday, mainly due to travel delays coming over from his club home at Celtic in Glasgow, Scotland. But Trusty has seen highlights, including of Pierre’s four goals for the Union this year, and is happy to have another Union centerback with the national team.
Neil Pierre (third from right) is always easy to spot in a crowd thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame.Jonathan Tannenwald
“He seems [like] a really good guy, seems good as a person, as a player, seems like he has a lot of talent,” Trusty said. “Obviously, his physical attributes — he’s really tall, and I think a lot of times people can focus on physical attributes. I’m really excited to see how he is on the ball, how he is as a player.”
And of course, there’s Sullivan. Trusty has known the 16-year-old and his family for a while, so he hasn’t just seen the player through Union games.
“He’s a humble kid, and he’s a grinder,” Trusty said. “He has that Philadelphia Union mindset where you know you don’t take it for granted, you go out there and grind, and you make the most of it. But he’s a humble kid, and he comes from a good family as well.”
It will strike some people that Trusty focused on Sullivan’s humility. To outsiders, the talk is of cockiness and a hype train. But Trusty knows the difference between that and the right kind of confidence.
Cavan Sullivan (right) cracking a smile at the start of Thursday’s practice.Jonathan Tannenwald
“You see him off the pitch, see how he approaches a game, how he starts a game, how he approaches his transactions with teammates and coaches, and the game itself with his own play,” he said. “But during it, if someone’s going to do stepovers, someone’s scoring goals, and they’re celebrating, or if they show confidence on the pitch, that is exactly what you want to see. I don’t want an attacker, or any player, on the pitch that’s not confident.”
Given that, he concluded: “So if someone’s feeling themselves, someone’s confident in their ability and backs themselves, all power to him.”
Now the time has come for Sullivan and the other newcomers to make their first marks at a new level.
“It’s for the more veteran, more established players to lead the young guys, and guys who could possibly get their first caps, to make sure they know what this team’s about,” Trusty said. “When you wear this crest, you’re not just representing yourself. You’re representing your teammates, your coaches, but everyone that’s ever believed in you, and an entire nation that’s behind you. So it really means a lot.”
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Though the World Cup only just reached the rearview mirror, the soccer world is already speeding toward the new European club season.
Brenden Aaronson is proof.
After taking the three-week break that FIFA’s rules allow for players after major tournaments, the Medford native returned to work at his club, Leeds United of the English Premier League, on Monday. Conveniently, that was right as his teammates arrived in North Jersey amid Leeds’ first preseason tour of the U.S. in nearly 30 years.
“Just great to get home, spend some time in Jersey,” he told The Inquirer. “I just needed to just get home and see family. I hadn’t been home since last September. That’s been probably the longest time I’ve been away from home.”
Leeds fell to Wrexham of the second-tier Championship last Saturday in Tampa, 3-2, then beat fellow Premier League club Sunderland 1-0 on Thursday in Harrison, N.J. The finale is Sunday against powerhouse Liverpool in Chicago (4 p.m., ESPN Deportes), the same day Wrexham and Sunderland meet at Subaru Park (noon, ESPN).
Alas, Aaronson wasn’t in the game squad Thursday, as much as he wanted to play being close to home. He had a lot of friends and family in attendance, and a busload of fans from the Leeds supporters’ group in Philadelphia made the trip. (Their viewing parties at the Black Taxi in Fairmount are lively occasions.)
But if his absence disappointed the box office, it wasn’t too surprising since he’d only just returned. No one begrudged him the time to rest, having gone just about nonstop since the last preseason started.
Not for nothing, too, he was also able to finally enjoy being a husband after his whirlwind wedding that briefly took him out of U.S. camp in late May.
That was just one early turn in a roller-coaster ride through the World Cup.
Brenden Aaronson (left) in action during the U.S.-Turkey group stage game, the only game of the World Cup he played in.Gregory Bull
“It’s a shame that our worst game was in the round of 16,” he said. “I don’t think that we were at our best that game — I don’t think it’s anything to blame this or that, I just think we weren’t at our best. And sometimes you have to put your hands up, because they were also very good on the day, Belgium.”
He added that “it did feel like an opportunity lost” for a group of players who “felt very, very confident” heading into the biggest game of their lives.
A dejected Matt Freese (right) amid Belgium players celebrating one of their goals against the U.S.Ted S. Warren
“I felt like we knew what we could do and what we could have accomplished, and we knew we could have went farther in the tournament,” Aaronson said. “So I think that’s the thing that hurt the most. … It’s not fun when you lose that type of game, but also, I think we were upset with the way that we played, too.”
The emotions were particularly strong around U.S. centerback and captain Tim Ream, whom Aaronson said “was really upset after the game, knowing that maybe this [was] his last one — it was difficult to see.”
There was never any doubt about how the Balogun scandal affected Belgium’s team, especially President Donald Trump’s intervention with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to get Balogun reinstated. But there hasn’t been too much clarity about how it all affected U.S. players.
Folarin Balogun’s reinstatement might have ended up hurting the U.S. against Belgium more than it helped.Ted S. Warren
Aaronson came down on the latter side.
“I wouldn’t say it affected us,” he said. “I think we did a good job the whole time of kind of just staying in our little bubble and not really paying attention to the outside noise. We know in those moments, of course there’s media, it’s the World Cup, everybody’s going to be talking and stuff like this. But I didn’t really think much of it, to be honest, myself.”
He didn’t hesitate to add, though, “that it gave [Belgium] maybe a little more fire under their belly.”
On to a new season
As the next World Cup cycle begins, it’s natural that some players will move on, and newcomers will be welcomed. That’s likely to start in the fall, when the new FIFA calendar takes effect with a four-game national team window from Sept. 18-Oct. 3. And it will be no surprise if some of the players who’ve succeeded Aaronson at the Union get invitations, such as Cavan Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, and perhaps Quinn Sullivan too.
A lot of U.S. fans want to see Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan (left) get a shot with the senior team this fall.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“There’s a time period where you can test things out and try things,” Aaronson said. “So it’ll be interesting to see what goes on the next four years, but I’m excited for it. I think it’s an exciting time for the national team, and we need to keep getting better and better.”
Aaronson hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time from Mauricio Pochettino, who from all indications seems headed toward a new four-year contract as U.S. manager. But it’s hard to believe that a 25-year-old who plays regularly in the Premier League, the world’s top domestic circuit, will be cast off entirely.
He certainly intends to do his part to stay on the radar.
“My aspiration, of course, is to play every game for the club, be a big player at the club and score goals and get assists, and then ultimately transfer that to the national team,” he said. “I want to play every game for the national team — I think that’s what everybody wants to do. That’s just been my aspiration, my goals. I’ve always been hungry like that.”
Brenden Aaronson (right) signing autographs for fans during the U.S. team’s World Cup training camp.Jonathan Tannenawld
And he was pleased by the news that Pochettino is likely to return.
“I think it’s something that we can continue to grow on,” Aaronson said. “I mean, he’s coached the best players in the world [over his career]. Being able to study under him and learn from him is massive for me.”
This will be Aaronson’s fourth season at Leeds, one of England’s most passionately supported clubs, and his third in the Premier League. As with last year, when the Peacocks returned to the top flight, the first goal is to stay up. But now Leeds can aim a little higher, with new signings bankrolled by an ownership group tied to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
“I swear, Leeds fans are everywhere,” Aaronson said. “It’s got such a big fan base, and it will continue to grow. Because what we want to do is put this club in the right spot, and that’s being in the top of the Premier League. So that’s the goal.”
Brenden Aaronson at work during one of Leeds’ practice sessions leading up to Thursday’s game in North Jersey.Jonathan Tannenwald
He has his share of critics in England, largely for the same reason he has them over here: for all his industrious work on the field, he’s an attacking midfielder who doesn’t score a lot of goals. But Leeds manager Daniel Farke has been one of Aaronson’s biggest backers, and intends to stay that way.
“The task is more or less keep going exactly in the same way and develop exactly in the same way that he’s done since I’ve really worked with him,” Farke said. “I’m pleased for him that he was called up to the U.S. team — didn’t play perhaps as many minutes as he was hoping for, but he’s also a player full of potential, and he’s still in an age where he can develop and hopefully make the next steps. He is, in addition to that, also a great human being, and it’s a pleasure to work with him.”
Forward Lukas Nmecha, who scored the winner Thursday, also gave a nice endorsement.
“Firstly, on a personal level, he’s a lovely guy, works really hard,” he said. “On the football side, I think we all know what he brings. He’s very active in the game, he runs a lot, he creates a lot, and he’s just a good guy to have around.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It’s a good thing that the U.S. men’s soccer team’s 3-2 loss to Turkey on Thursday didn’t matter for the standings. Because in many other circumstances, it would have been infuriating, not just annoying.
Had the game finished tied, there would have been very few complaints. Everyone knew coming in that the lineup would have a lot of rotation. An unbeaten run through the group stage would have kept up the good vibes, even with that changed squad giving up two goals.
Instead, giving up a last-kick-of-the-game goal meant the questions that followed were far less positive.
“Having that moment in the last moment where they score, it’s tough,” said Medford’s Brenden Aaronson, whose first World Cup start included four tackles, three defensive recoveries, three shots, 21-of-22 passing, and a first-touch misfire toward an open net in the 62nd minute that overshadowed much of the rest of his night.
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 26, 2026
“We wanted to walk away with no losses in the group stage, but we’ve got to take it, as it was still a fantastic group stage,” Aaronson said. “We had so many really good performances, and even before the group stage, in the friendlies. We’re at a top level. I’m not worried whatsoever, and we’re going to move on to the next one and be ready to go for Bosnia” in the round of 32.
Other players were more positive, in particular Sebastian Berhalter. He had an assist and a terrific goal in the game, and tried to set a tone by stepping to the microphone first.
Asked if the final score affects the team’s momentum, he said bluntly, “No, it doesn’t. … I think we gave everything we had, and we’ll be ready for the knockouts.”
Manager Mauricio Pochettino was flat-out defiant, saying “no one congratulated us for finishing first in a very difficult group.”
He repeatedly chided the media, saying at one point: “Your questions are a little bit weird, but I am so happy, and the players are happy, because I think we perform, we compete, and we are first. … Maybe I am confused, but the mood, the vibes [are] like we go home tonight and Turkey stays.”
Tyler Adams, who watched from the bench to avoid getting another yellow card, was asked if it’s better to flush the moment as Berhalter wanted or keep it as motivation heading into the knockout rounds.
“It’s not going to be perfect,” he said. “No tournament is perfect. You live and you learn. I think a lot of the guys will take lessons from that game. A lot of good performances otherwise.”
A moment later, goalkeeper Matt Turner was asked the same question. His inclusion in the starting lineup was perhaps the most controversial of the nine changes Pochettino made from the Australia game.
Matt Turner (left) watches Turkey’s players celebrate the game-winning goal.Mark J. Terrill
“When it’s 2-2 at the end there, that probably would have been the more fair result given the chances both sides had, but this is football, and we know how cruel the game can be,” he said. “We let our guard down, and we got punished for it. We were all in positions to make a play, and none of us could make the decisive play.”
Alejandro Zendejas, who finally got to make his World Cup debut, had a similar opinion.
“It’s always the worst, especially on the last play of the game, when that happens — when I think we had the game controlled, pretty dominated in my opinion,” he said. “But yeah, it’s a time to take the night or the day to reflect on the game, and then turn the page right away to focus on the next round for sure.”
In the big picture, the result didn’t matter — a rare luxury for a U.S. team that for decades has scrapped for every point it has gained at men’s World Cups. But it still did in a way, because a last-second goal like that has to matter.
Sebastian Berhalter (right) helping Auston Trusty (6) to his feet after the final whistle.Gregory Bull
And when the Americans, who won Group D, next take the field, on July 1 against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Santa Clara, Calif. (8 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo), the result will be all that matters. Bosnia & Herzegovina finished third in Group B.
“You can always take these things as fuel,” Aaronson said. Many U.S. fans will hope the team does so.
Whatever ends up happening to the U.S. in the knockout rounds, one moment will stay in the history books for a long time. Media native Auston Trusty became the first men’s player born and raised in the Philadelphia region to score a World Cup goal when he slammed in Berhalter’s corner kick service in the third minute.
“I’m a center back usually, playing in a left back spot [in this game],” Trusty said. “I can advance up, I can show different parts of my game going forward. I live and breathe for corners, and then had the opportunity and took advantage of it.”
THE @USMNT SCORES IN THE 3RD MINUTE TO TAKE THE LEAD 🇺🇸
The only other male player to have lived in the area and scored a World Cup goal was Bart McGhee. He immigrated from Scotland to Philadelphia as a child and scored the program’s first-ever World Cup goal in the inaugural tournament in 1930.
“It means everything,” Trusty said. “I absolutely didn’t know that stat. … I think it’s an honor to score a goal and even participate in this competition, let alone score a goal. So yeah, just a dream come true.”
His celebration was as vibrant as the shot, as he screamed and raised a finger while sprinting away toward the U.S. bench. And back home, a big crowd at Philadelphia’s fan fest on Lemon Hill roared just as loudly.
Trusty’s night ended on a sour note when he got stepped on by Turkey’s Oğuz Aydın, rolled an ankle, and managed to suffer a hamstring cramp as he hit the ground. He went back in the game (in part because the U.S. was out of substitutions), then slipped amid the chaos of the last goal.
By the time he emerged to the media, he had that ankle wrapped, but otherwise, he didn’t seem any worse for wear.
IRVINE, Calif. — In the traditional American sports, there are rules requiring teams to publish injury reports.
Sure, a coach might just say a player has a “lower-body injury,” especially in hockey. But there still are rules, and many Philadelphians (especially 76ers fans) might know them by heart these days.
So if you’re wondering why the U.S. staff haven’t said much about the matter, the answer is simple: why should they? All it would do is give things away to the tournament’s other teams, including the Americans’ next opponent, Australia.
Christian Pulisic did some exercises in the workout tent at the start of Friday’s practice.Jonathan Tannenwald
“When I’m in England, they tell you exactly what it is with stuff like this,” said midfielder Brenden Aaronson, whose Medford and Union roots make him as well-versed in American ways as the world’s game. “With this situation, I can’t tell you what it is because I’m not a part of the medical staff and stuff like that. But it is different, and it is a different part of the game when it’s at club and in international football.”
Officially, Pulisic remains day to day. He trained on his own during the first 15 minutes of Wednesday’s practice, which was the portion that was open to watch. Most of that time was spent in the team’s workout tent, but he emerged toward the end and walked across a field to kick a ball back and forth with a coach.
This was the extent of the day’s drama, even though Pulisic’s absence from Friday’s game (3 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62) obviously would be a huge deal.
There was a lighthearted moment when a reporter used a pair of binoculars to try to spot Christian Pulisic.Jonathan Tannenwald
What do Pulisic’s teammates think of all this? Everyone who has spoken this week hasn’t said much, and that continued Wednesday.
“I’m not sure the exact sort of terminology of his injury,” defender Antonee Robinson said. “I mean, he’s been taking it day by day, and he’s not been training fully with the group yet. We’ve still got a couple of days to see where he’s at, and thankfully we’ve got a lot of boys on the bench who are eager and ready to get involved in helping the team, and a lot of quality.”
A few hours later, the caravan flew north to Seattle to get ready for Friday’s big game (3 p.m., Fox29, Telemundo 62). The U.S. will train at the University of Washington on Thursday, then get ready for a thunderous atmosphere at the stadium downtown on Friday.
Along the way, the ritual likely will be repeated: questions about Pulisic, vague answers, and a collective shrug. This is how it is, and how it has been, and it’s just another part of the World Cup’s spectacle.
And would you believe that Christian Pulisic has WALKED OUT OF THE TENT and is now DOING A DRILL on the field.
(In all seriousness, he’s got some kind of wrapping on his left leg. But otherwise, this whole thing is yelling into a molehill.)
Speaking of spectacle, they don’t come any better than Lionel Messi’s dazzling hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria. The 38-year-old tied the World Cup’s scoring record with his 16th goal in the tournament, sending a jam-packed crowd in Kansas City into rapture — and the rest of the world, too.
“For the fans watching, obviously Messi’s probably the greatest footballer who’s ever lived, and he’s still going, still showing quality,” Robinson said. “As a fan, I’m sure it was amazing to watch him. That’s the magic of the tournament: you want to see the world’s best doing what they do on this stage, and hopefully every game like that keeps giving those moments, and it’s enjoyable the whole way through.”
Aaronson has also watched Messi plenty, including in person last year at Subaru Park when Inter Miami visited the Union. He admitted that “the fanboy comes out of all of us,” even though he also knows that if the U.S. finishes second in its group and reaches the round of 16, it could play Argentina.
“If we do play Argentina, we’ll all be ready to go,” Aaronson said.
Messi’s next chance to break the scoring record, which has stood since Germany’s Miroslav Klose set it in 2002, will come Monday against Austria in Arlington, Texas.
But he isn’t the only player chasing history at this World Cup. France’s Kylian Mbappé’s two goals against Senegal on Tuesday took his tournament total to 14, and made him his country’s record scorer with 58 all-time.
Mbappé’s next game is in Philadelphia, on Monday against Iraq. And if there wasn’t already enough hype around Les Bleus’ visit, their 3-1 win in the Meadowlands raises the hype around what might be this World Cup’s most star-studded squad.
Mbappé and Messi’s heroics were expected to draw big TV audiences, along with Norway star Erling Haaland’s two goals in his World Cup debut, a 4-1 win over Iraq. It was quite a sight to have all three stars play on the same day.
“You see the results in the last couple of days, of teams who definitely weren’t the favorites managing to get points, and I think that’s what the World Cup’s about,” Robinson said. “It’s about bringing lots of different cultures together and giving them moments like this, and experiences, and it’s really nice to see.”
Look at these DR Congo fans celebrating in the middle of thousands of Portugal fans 🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/WtMzcBJJvw
IRVINE, Calif. — The first men’s soccer World Cup on U.S. soil in 32 years kicks off this week, with great anticipation in Philadelphia and nationwide. That’s true for the 26 players of the U.S. team, too, as they seek to make a lasting mark on the tournament and the sport.
Here’s what to know about each of the players whom manager Mauricio Pochettino picked for his squad. They’re listed by position, then in alphabetical order.
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino.Jonathan Tannenwald
Goalkeepers
Chris Brady
Jersey number: 26 Age: 22 Club: Chicago Fire Hometown: Naperville, Ill. Height and weight: 6-foot-3, 170 pounds Senior national team games (Caps): 1
A clear and understandable third on the depth chart, he was picked to gain experience for what should be more trips to World Cups in the future.
Chris Brady (left) is on the team to get experience for the future.Jonathan Tannenwald
Matt Freese
Number: 24 Age: 27 Club: New York City FC Hometown: Wayne, Pa. Height and weight: 6-3, 194 Caps: 15
His rise through Harvard, the Union, New York FC, and now the national team might be the most underappreciated story of this U.S. squad. Freese made his senior U.S. debut last summer and immediately became Pochettino’s No. 1 netminder. Now, he seems on the cusp of starting at the World Cup, though the manager has repeatedly not committed to naming the starter in advance.
Matt Freese in the U.S. net when the Americans played Paraguay at Subaru Park last November.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Matt Turner
Number: 1 Age: 31 Club: New England Revolution Hometown: Park Ridge, N.J. Height/weight: 6-3, 185 Caps: 54
The starter from the last World Cup until the start of last summer, when the last of a few subpar performances cost him his spot. He’s been better than Freese statistically in MLS this year, but wasn’t as good with the national team in March.
Until a few days ago, we’d have listed him as an outside back who can also play centerback. But he did very well in a more central spot in the two pre-World Cup warmup games. Now, he might take the role again, especially early in the group stage as Chris Richards finishes rehabbing an injury.
Alex Freeman is the son of former Eagles and Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman.Jonathan Tannenwald
Mark McKenzie
Number: 22 Age: 27 Club: Toulouse, France Hometown: Bear, Del. (though born in the Bronx, N.Y.) Height/weight: 6-0, 183 Caps: 29
Talented, charismatic, humble, and owner of one of the best resumes of any U.S. defender. His path from the Union to Belgium’s Genk to a stalwart of France’s Ligue 1 is the ideal path for a player to follow. Though he’s prone to occasional big mistakes, he also does a lot to make up for them.
Mark McKenzie (center) is one of the best-performing U.S. defenders in Europe.Jonathan Tannenwald
Tim Ream
Number: 13 Age: 38 Club: Charlotte FC Hometown: St. Louis Height/weight: 6-1, 176 Caps: 82
He’s been the captain almost since the start of Pochettino’s tenure in late 2024. Age is catching up to him, but his role in the locker room is unquestioned. If Pochettino sticks with a 3-4-2-1 tactical formation, that will give Ream some cover for having slowed down.
Tim Ream’s experience made him manager Mauricio Pochettino’s choice for captain.Jonathan Tannenwald
Chris Richards
Number: 3 Age: 26 Club: Crystal Palace, England Hometown: Birmingham, Ala. Height/weight: 6-2, 192 Caps: 36
The most irreplaceable player on the back line, his absence from the warmup games due to torn ankle ligaments was crystal clear. He seems close to returning to action, but until he’s officially on the field, U.S. fans will be understandably worried.
It may be impolite to say he’s last on the depth chart at this position, but it’s true — and his performances in the warmup games didn’t help his case to change that. Facing Kai Havertz and Nicolas Jackson is a different level from MLS. If Robinson was picked as insurance against Richards having to withdraw, that’s understandable, but he was Pochettino’s most-criticized choice.
Eleven years ago, he was a fast-rising prospect in the Union and U.S. youth ranks. Only now, though, all this time and five clubs later, has he finally made it to the biggest stage. He still cherishes his Philly area roots, serving on the Union academy’s board.
He’s better as a left wingback in a 3-4-2-1 than as a left back in a 4-2-3-1, especially on defense. Other than that, he was an easy choice to be Antonee Robinson’s backup on that side of the field.
Simply put, a special talent. He’s a havoc-wreaking talent on the right flank, and can pitch in on the left if needed. Dest has also improved his defensive game lately. The 3-4-2-1 setup is perfect for unleashing him.
Sergiño Dest (left) is a dynamic force for the U.S. on the flank.Scott Kinser
Antonee Robinson
Number: 5 Age: 28 Club: Fulham, England Hometown: Liverpool, England Height/weight: 6-0, 152 Caps: 54
Not far from Richards on the irreplaceable ranking. Left back has long been the toughest position for the U.S. to find talent at, but Robinson has had it locked down for five years — at least when he’s healthy. He’s a big presence in the locker room, too.
Antonee Robinson is a key player on the field and in the locker room for the U.S.Jonathan Tannenwald
Joe Scally
Number: 23 Age: 23 Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany Hometown: Lake Grove, N.Y. Height/weight: 6-0, 174 Caps: 26
For a while, it seemed he wouldn’t make the cut, with Dest and Freeman ahead of him at right wingback. Then he did enough at club level down the stretch of the Bundesliga season to earn the call. It also helps that he can also step in at centerback or defensive midfielder if needed.
He’s officially listed on the roster as a forward, but could play attacking midfield or wingback — and he’s done all three over time. The last of them feels likely in a 3-4-2-1 setup, so that’s why he’s listed here for now. If Pochettino switches to a 4-2-3-1, Weah’s best fit is as a winger instead of an isolated right back. But while that’s for arguing over, his talent, creativity, and pedigree are unquestioned.
Tim Weah (left) is the son of Liberian soccer legend George Weah, but has now carved out his own career in the world’s game.Jonathan Tannenwald
Central/defensive midfielders
Tyler Adams
Number: 4 Age: 27 Club: Bournemouth, England Hometown: Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Height/weight: 5-9, 159 Caps: 54
No longer the official captain, but the unofficial one for years. On the field, on camera, and in the locker room, the U.S. doesn’t have a better leader. Unfortunately, as we’re about to get into, a lack of depth at this position puts him in a tricky spot. Can he avoid yellow cards in the first two games so he isn’t suspended for the big finale against Turkey’s stars?
Although Tyler Adams (left) isn’t officially the U.S. captain anymore, he remains one of the team’s biggest leaders.Jonathan Tannenwald
Sebastian Berhalter
Number: 14 Age: 25 Club: Vancouver Whitecaps Hometown: Columbus, Ohio (born in London, England) Height/weight: 5-9, 154 Caps: 13
He’s another unlikely success story, but the son of former U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter earned his spot. Sebastian helped the Vancouver Whitecaps reach last year’s MLS Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup finals, and with the national team combines hard work with great skill at set pieces. In fact, he might be the best at them on the roster. Could that earn him a starting spot next to Adams?
The veteran was so far out of Pochettino’s picture that he went on vacation at the start of the September FIFA window. Then the manager suddenly needed him, and Roldan answered the call. It immediately felt like he’d never left, and he hasn’t left since then.
It isn’t his fault that this is the end of the depth chart. Will Pochettino regret not bringing Tanner Tessmann or Aidan Morris, both of whose talents merited inclusion? World Cups have a habit of nailing managers on the biggest risk they take. Jürgen Klinsmann learned it the hard way by leaving Landon Donovan home in 2014, and Gregg Berhalter bet a lot on benching Gio Reyna in 2022.
Cristian Roldan (center) has been a familiar face to U.S. fans for years.Jonathan Tannenwald
Attacking midfielders
Brenden Aaronson
Number: 11 Age: 25 Club: Leeds United, England Hometown: Medford, N.J. Height/weight: 5-10, 150 Caps: 58
Making his second straight World Cup team makes him the standard-bearer for Philadelphia on soccer’s global stage. So does earning a stalwart role at one of England’s most historic clubs, even if the first priority has been just staying in the Premier League. He’s happy to embrace being a role model for everyone back home, and now has the added emotional boost of a new wedding ring.
He’s a near-lock as a starter, but where will he play? The obvious answer of on the field can’t be enough. Will he be an attacking midfielder, the role he probably fits best, but potentially exposing the lack of depth behind him? Or will Pochettino slot McKennie next to Adams to try to get another playmaker on the field, and hope it doesn’t unbalance things?
He isn’t officially Captain America, but he knows better than anyone that that’s his unofficial designation. It took much of his decade-long national team career to become comfortable in that spotlight, and it still doesn’t always fit him easily. But he also knows better than anyone that if he delivers when it counts at the World Cup, he can carry his country to greatness.
Christian Pulisic remains the biggest star on the U.S. men’s team.Jonathan Tannenwald
Gio Reyna
Number: 7 Age: 23 Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany Hometown: Bedford, N.Y. (born in Sunderland, England) Height/weight: 6-1, 174 Caps: 38
For all his talent — and it’s up there with Pulisic — he only just did enough for club and country to make this squad. If he comes off the bench as expected, he might not have much time in games to make an impact. There will be real pressure to deliver.
His raw talent isn’t in question. Whether he can show it at a World Cup might be. Pochettino clearly likes Tillman, giving him lots of playing time. But things don’t always work right when he and McKennie are on the field. If Berhalter goes next to Adams and McKennie starts, Tillman might be relegated to a supersub — and have to compete with all the other candidates for minutes.
Malik Tillman has a lot of skill, but we’ll see how he shows it in the World Cup.Jonathan Tannenwald
Alejandro Zendejas
Number: 26 Age: 28 Club: Club América, Mexico Hometown: Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas Height/weight: 5-6, 146 Caps: 14
He gets two hometowns because he grew up on both sides of the border, carrying the dreams of being a child of immigrants. The world’s game opened doors, and he charged through them from FC Dallas’ youth academy to Mexico’s Club America. Add a mix of skill and graft on the field, and you get a popular pick for this team.
Alejandro Zendejas autographing a fan’s American flag during the U.S. team’s open practice a few days ago.Jonathan Tannenawld
Forwards
Folarin Balogun
Number: 20 Age: 24 Club: AS Monaco, France Hometown: London, England Height/weight: 5-10, 161 Caps: 27
He was recruited in 2023 with all the pomp of a college football team chasing a star quarterback. Though injuries since then limited his appearances, he has shown overall why U.S. Soccer was right to push for him. Now the biggest payoff moment of all has arrived.
The last and most controversial cut from the 2022 World Cup team, he has finally made it four years later. He put in a terrific amount of work in that time, including having to overcome a move from FC Dallas to Germany’s Augsburg that didn’t work out. But he was always strong with the national team, scoring big goals and hustling all over the field. Like Zendejas, a lot of U.S. fans will root for him in particular.
Ricardo Pepi (right) and Folarin Balogun (left) running together during a U.S. practice.Jonathan Tannenawld
Haji Wright
Number: 19 Age: 28 Club: Coventry City, England Hometown: Los Angeles Height/weight: 6-3, 174 Caps: 20
The last player to score a goal for the U.S. men at a World Cup, and the first formally listed as a striker to do so in 20 years. At club level, he was a key player for Coventry this season to help the Sky Blues earn promotion back to the Premier League after 25 years in lower leagues. Though he’s third on this U.S. depth chart, his size and speed should ensure he gets on the field.
