January camp is in full swing for the United States men’s national team. Mauricio Pochettino is pushing players to the limit to get them in shape for matches against Venezuela and Costa Rica. Some players haven’t played competitive matches since November due to not qualifying for MLS playoffs, and as if that wasn’t enough, it has also been a fluid squad due to transfers and fitness issues.
Drake Callender, Jesus Ferreira, John Tolkin, and Jalen Neal have all departed the squad before these matches. Tolkin is heading to join his new team Holstein Keil in Germany so he has departed due to personal reasons but the others are due to a mix of fitness and taking precautions during the preseason.
Add in that Neal and Ferreira have also joined new teams this offseason and it would normally be a good time for them to be integrated after getting time time under Pochettino with the national team. But while in Fort Lauderdale, the goal is for the USMNT to learn the Pochettino way and to then take that back to their clubs. As his fingerprints get over the team, he’s been beginning to instill philosophies, one of which he went into in the lead up to facing Venezuela.
“The way Argentine players compete, when you lose a ball, you cry,” Pochettino said. “When you lose a game, you spend maybe one week in your room when you want to go out. It’s how you defend your patch, your flag. It’s how you defend your identity, your culture. It’s what we want to translate. When you play for the national team, you need to feel something in your skin and inside yourself.”
Instilling a culture ahead of 2026 is critical and as Pochettino gets more ingrained with the squad this culture is becoming clear. From patterns of play to intensity and ensuring that players are put into a position to succeed, it’s clear that Pochettino doesn’t leave any stone unturned in international management.
Times like this camp are more akin to a club preseason as well, where he can make an immense impact on the players who are there. Pochettino lauded the performance of the team during this camp so far which makes it exciting to see what they do during these matches facing national teams who also have plenty of domestic talent to push the USMNT.
Pochettino has admitted that he has been demanding but it’s all with a goal of producing the best team possible for the 2026 World Cup. With Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup coming up it’s an opportunity for players to take this opportunity and run with it.
How to watch
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 18 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Chase Stadium — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- TV: TNT | Live stream: Fubo TV (Try for free)
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0)
DEFENDERS (7): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 0/0), George Campbell (CF Montréal; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew; 8/0), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas; 19/1), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 66/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 30/3), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 41/3)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; 1/0), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 1/0), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; 1/0)
FORWARDS (6): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 0/0), Caden Clark (CF Montréal; 0/0), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire FC; 0/0), Matko Miljevic (Huracán/ARG; 0/0), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis CITY SC; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; 1/0)
Read the full article here
