Can the USMNT win the Gold Cup without its top stars?: 'I will let you know after'
At this point, it's not as much of a shocking headline anymore. Everybody knows the 26-man roster that U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino called up for the upcoming Gold Cup looks different than initially expected.
Christian Pulisic, Jedi Robinson, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Sergino Dest are among a group of regular stars not participating in this summer's tournament for various reasons. Instead, the USMNT looks more like a greener, motley crew of sorts, mixing guys who have World Cup and European experience with those that play in MLS and have never before been to a major tournament with the senior squad.
So, is this group good enough to win the Gold Cup?
"I think we need to respect the players that are here. We need to respect every single roster," Pochettino said Friday ahead of two USMNT pre-tournament friendlies. The U.S. faces Turkey on June 7 and then Switzerland on June 10 — two nations that made it to the EURO quarterfinal last year — before opening Gold Cup group stage competition against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, followed by Saudi Arabia on June 19 and Haiti on June 22.
"Good enough? I will let you know after," Pochettino continued. "Good enough to win [Nations League in March]? We were not good enough. We were not good enough to win the World Cup in 2022. We cannot judge or analyze in this way. I think we need to wait, and then if we win, [we'll be] so happy. If we don't win, we'll [be criticized].
"We have to be a team that fights for each other and shows that we have the quality."
The U.S. has won seven Gold Cup titles, most recently in 2021. Mexico, a team that's finding its competitive footing and won the Nations League Finals this spring, claimed the confederation championship in 2023. Should the Americans not finish first in their group for whatever reason, they could potentially end up facing their CONCACAF rival earlier than expected.
Pochettino cannot change the reality that he's missing some of the USMNT's top players. Their absence will inevitably impact preparation for the World Cup because these are the last competitive matches the team will play before then. There will be friendlies in the fall, but Gold Cup represents the final time Pochettino, who has been the team's manager for less than a year, will get a good grasp of the talent he has to work with aside from watching them play with their respective clubs.
"That is the circumstance that we have and we need to adapt to the circumstance," Pochettino said. "And I think it's important to not pay too much attention, only try to believe and provide the players a good environment to perform and fight for a place to be involved in the World Cup in one year."
Just how inexperienced is the roster Pochettino has this summer? The group averages 16 caps and just eight in official competition. Seven players are uncapped, and four of those are earning their first senior squad call-ups.
"I wouldn't say we're quite in a transition period, but we're probably in a little bit of a learning period," Tyler Adams told reporters on Friday. "We've had to adapt to different things, new principles, new players coming in, getting familiar with each other, finding out each other's tendencies and finding the best way to succeed on the field. And I think that always takes a little bit of time.
"But we have a great opportunity in front of us right now. A lot of new faces, new energy, which I think is going to be great for the team."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman .
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