“I think soccer needs to be an exciting game for the USA citizens,” remarked Mauricio Pochettino just before he announced the USMNT roster for the October friendlies against Panama and Mexico on October 12 and October 15, respectively. While we will discuss the team in detail, many have opined how the Argentinian tactician deserves praise for selecting a strong group. Yet, somehow, it has stirred the pot as many are still unsatisfied with certain call-ups. But before we get to that…

Only seven changes have been made by Pochettino compared to Gregg Berhalter’s 26-man squad called up for the underwhelming Copa America campaign—where they became the first tournament hosts in history to get eliminated before the knockout stage—as well as last month’s friendly window against Canada and New Zealand. Given that this is the former Tottenham boss’s first venture into international management, the changes are subtle.

Starting for players who’ll be guarding the sticks, Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath have been joined by Zack Steffen, whose last appearance for the team was in March 2022, and Patrick Schulte. In defense, Marlon Fossey, Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, and Auston Trusty have been called up. Concerning the center half of the pitch, many changes have been made: Brenden Aaronson, Gianluca Busio, Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman have been called up.

As for goal-scoring duties, things remain the same as Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Timothy Weah, and Haji Wright retain their places. The names that missed the call-up are Tyler Adams, Sergino Dest, Gio Reyna, and Chris Richards, as all four continue to nurse their respective injuries. Rest, those who missed Pochettino’s radar are midfielder Luca de la Torre and forwards Brandon Vazquez, Alex Zendejas, and Cade Cowell.  

“[I trust] the opinion and all the information that we received from the national team, that is why you are going to see a very similar roster from [the] last camp,” remarked Pochettino, which explains why the changes are subtle. Even though the 52-year-old is trying to play safe, why is there a commotion surrounding the roster?

Mauricio Pochettino may have opened a can of worms with his 25-player USMNT roster

As soon as the 25-player list was announced by Mauricio Pochettino, it was reshared on one of the USMNT fan pages on Instagram, @usmntonly. While many were impressed to see the names, others had their own dissent with the call-ups. Hear them out for yourself!

“I thought the American-based players in the MLS were better than the American players now in the MLS.” Last week, this is what French icon Theirry Henry had to say during a hectic argument with USMNT icon Mike Grella, expressing his discontent over the lack of talents in MLS that make the cut in the national team. Perhaps this fan may have echoed this feeling in a rather sarcastic tone:  

“Barely any MLS players you love to see it”

Forget MLS for a while as here’s a fun fact! USMNT may be playing against Mexico, but it would surprise you that not a single American-born star from Liga MX has been called up by Poch. This netizen did expect some names to be called up from the neighboring domestic league yet they weren’t:

“Not surprised that there aren’t changes to the roster pool in the first camp. I will however say, that when you play in Mexico (friendly or competitive) you call up guys playing in at least decent form in Liga MX – Zendejas and Vazquez.”

Weeks ago, US icon Tony Meola had predicted that fans should expect a similar roster. “The first roster call up will be very similar to what we saw. Because it’s a safer bet to do that,” he said. Yet, judging by the tone of many fans, almost everyone thought there would be major changes. Looks like they want Poch to take risks from the start:

“It seems like the same roster of players that quit during the last tournament.”

Something tells us that fans wanted a squad with fresh faces. Many feel that the squad selection is fairly predictable and doesn’t include any major surprises. Who knows, the lineup may also follow a standard, expected template. Regardless, this fan is surprised that Tessmann wasn’t included in the selection:

“Pretty standard boilerplate squad although I’m surprised Tessmann didn’t get called up.” For the unversed, 23-year-old midfielder, Tanner Tessman, has made 12 appearances for the USMNT with zero goals and one assist. His first appearance was in USMNT’s 7–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in January 2021. 

Another social media user also questioned Lennard Maloney and Tessmann’s absence. “Leaving Maloney and Tessman our is surprising especially with bringing Aaronson.” However, if we go by stats, Aaronson seems like a good decision given the disparity in goals between the players. While 24-year-old Maloney has made two appearances for the team with two appearances, zero goals or assists, 23-year-old Aaronson’s resume includes 41 appearances, eight goals and six assists. 

Be that as it may, while there are positive responses to the roster selection, many fans aren’t impressed with the minor tweaks Mauricio Pochettino could have considered. Perhaps fans should give their new manager some time, as he may just turn things around with the next one. For now, let us know your thoughts in the comments.