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New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Fulham and USMNT's Antonee Robinson undergoes minor knee surgery
Fulham and U.S. men's national team full-back Antonee Robinson has undergone knee surgery. Fulham confirmed the 27-year-old had undergone the operation on his right knee on Tuesday and described the surgery as 'minor'. No exact timeframe has been given for his return but Fulham said he will undergo a period of rehabilitation to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Advertisement Robinson was not included in Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad for this summer's Gold Cup, having been given the summer off after a long season with Fulham. He made 38 appearances in all competitions and provided 10 assists — the most of any defender in the Premier League. This followed a 2023-24 campaign in which he provided six assists in the top flight and was named Fulham's player of the season. Robinson featured in 36 of Fulham's 38 Premier League fixtures this campaign but missed two of his side's final five league matches through injury. He was also absent from the Concacaf Nations League finals in March due to tendinopathy. The left-back is one of a number of first-team regulars missing from the U.S. Gold Cup squad, alongside Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah. Like Robinson, Pulisic was also given the summer off after making 50 appearances in all competitions for Milan this season, while McKennie and Weah both have club commitments with Juventus competing in the Club World Cup. The U.S. play Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the Gold Cup group stages, which start in June.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Pochettino turns to an unlikely savior for USMNT's struggles: MLS
So far, the conversation around the United States' Gold Cup camp roster is primarily about absence. Christian Pulisic isn't there. Neither is Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, or Gio Reyna. Yunus Musah is missing for personal reasons. Josh Sargent is out for 'football reasons.' Mauricio Pochettino doesn't have this name, he doesn't have that name. He also doesn't have much time. That was already the case when he took on the US job with just two years to go before a home World Cup, but the situation seems all the more pressing now, a year away from the international game's signature event and only a couple months removed from some Concacaf Nations League results that were, well, a bit catastrophic. Fans want to see Pochettino and his team right the ship. They want to see the results they've envisioned for the better part of a decade since that night in Trinidad in 2017. They want goals. They want glory. And in his search for answers, Pochettino seems to be staring directly at one of the oldest, simplest types of analysis. 'You need to fight, you need to show attitude, the right attitude, but not only that, perform, and be brave,' he said of the players coming into camp prior to the Gold Cup. That says one simple thing to me. Pochettino thinks the current USMNT crop does not have the asset most prized by sports radio hosts: that dawg in them. It's hard to say he's wrong. While we've seen this USMNT generation produce some brilliant moments and disciplined results, we've seen them fall apart just as much. For as joyous as Pulisic is to watch when he's playing with a chip on his shoulder and a spring in his step, he's equally as miserable cutting the figure he did against Panama in March. There are two wolves inside you, etc. And while this generation of players may have a claim to being the most talented USMNT ever, talent does not win matches or even score goals. There's a reason you still have to play the game. So in comes a curious mixture of longtime mainstays and fresh blood. There are five players without a cap on the Gold Cup camp roster, many more with little international experience, and in total, 16 players from MLS from the 27-man group – players who were called upon in place of European-based players that could make it, like Sargent and Joe Scally. Pochettino is still looking for pieces he thinks the USMNT is missing. And MLS is where he's looking. An international coach looking for talent in his team's domestic league shouldn't be a shock, but it's been the opposite of how USMNT rosters have been constructed for the last five years. Since Jürgen Klinsmann's dismissal in 2016 and Bruce Arena's ill-fated return, USMNT roster-building has looked a little bit like a new Football Manager save. Younger and younger additions were celebrated, then damn-near required. Rosters with heavy representation from European clubs (good) were cheered, while MLS mainstays (bad) were trashed. Only three MLS players started for the US in their games at the 2022 World Cup. At Copa América 2024, that number dropped to zero. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion Obviously, that Copa América didn't go to plan. Neither did March's Nations League finals. So, in comes Diego Luna, he of a particular testicular fortitude. Patrick Agyemang, despite Charlotte's woeful MLS form of late, is back, and so is Max Arfsten, who went from a 'hey, you're here' addition to the Nations League roster to starting the third-place match. Matt Freese, DeJuan Jones, Jack McGlynn, Brian White are there too. And in one of the more ridiculous karmic twists, Gregg Berhalter's son Sebastian earns his first call-up on the back of a legitimately stunning run of form with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Are these players the talent that's going to carry the USMNT over the hump and into World Cup glory next summer? Maybe not. It's still a longshot to go from a Gold Cup camp participant to a World Cup roster in a year. But Pochettino isn't necessarily looking for talent. He's looking for players that know how to win. The ones who will do anything to get a result despite not having a famous name on their back or a world-renowned club crest on their chest. Once upon a time, the USMNT specialized in that type of player. Now Pochettino seems to be searching for them once more. Crucially, Pochettino may be the only coach that could do exactly this type of reversion for the US. Could you imagine Gregg Berhalter calling in a roster this heavily laden with MLS players in 2025? Can you imagine the response from fans and media if any American coach that hypothetically took the reins of the national team two years before the '26 World Cup did this? The digital rivers would run red. But Pochettino has the CV to go against this particular grain of USMNT fandom. The man who's managed Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, and many more has taken stock of the players at the United States' disposal and decided he needed a closer look at MLS. There's no guarantee this particular gambit works. But it's a fascinating search for an old identity being initiated by a man many thought would pluck the USMNT from the mediocrity of its past.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
USMNT Gold Cup squad: Intriguing inclusions, omissions from preliminary group
On Monday, Concacaf released the preliminary rosters for each nation participating in this summer's Gold Cup. Teams were allowed to list up to 60 players who would become eligible for the final 26-man squads, which must be finalized by no later than June 4. Historically, the Gold Cup has often seen the U.S. men's national team field a rotated squad, mixing a few 'A-team' mainstays into an otherwise more youthful or prospective roster as a coach vets a wider portion of their player pool. With so few remaining competitive windows between now and the 2026 World Cup, however, Mauricio Pochettino's longlist includes more of the veteran core that established itself ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Advertisement Here are the notables regarding who could participate in this summer's regional championship — as well as a few who are already deemed unavailable. The Gold Cup will be one of two major men's international tournaments being played across the U.S. this summer. The other, the FIFA Club World Cup, is newly expanded to include 32 teams from around the world, including some with USMNT regulars who will now miss the Gold Cup altogether. FIFA has given priority to clubs over countries for those participating in the Club World Cup. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah retained first-choice status as the U.S. transitioned from Gregg Berhalter to Pochettino, but both are omitted given Juventus' participation in the CWC. Borussia Dortmund's involvement also rules out Giovanni Reyna, although it's unclear if the 22-year-old midfielder will still be part of the German club's plans come this summer. The Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami guarantee that MLS will have at least two participating clubs. This also keeps a handful of regular members of the USMNT pool unavailable, including a few 2022 World Cup veterans (Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan and Jesus Ferreira) as well as a few more recent additions (Benjamin Cremaschi, Drake Callender and Jackson Ragen). The play-in match between Los Angeles FC and Club América could also impact two players listed on the preliminary list. Timothy Tillman is a regular midfielder for LAFC, while Alejandro Zendejas is among Liga MX's most in-form attackers over the past 12 months. Tillman (the elder brother of PSV star Malik Tillman) is already a longshot with so many central midfielders in contention, but Zendejas' club form may tempt Pochettino and his backroom as they survey options in attack. There are some genuine areas of depth in the USMNT pool, as highlighted in the list. Some, like striker and central midfield, offer numerous players who could start at the international level. Advertisement Concerningly, center back and goalkeeper are among the thinnest groups, a point exposed during the Nations League window in March. In goal, Matt Turner may yet remain first-choice despite seldom featuring on a loan spell with FA Cup-winning Crystal Palace. Zack Steffen, Patrick Schulte, Matt Freese and Chris Brady all start regularly for their MLS clubs. Steffen and Schulte issued mixed performances in their recent international starts, while Freese's cross-claiming is below league average for goalkeepers and Brady is often overworked by a porous Chicago Fire defense. If Pochettino wants to kick the tires on an untested up-and-comer, he could select Diego Kochen. The 19-year-old started regularly for Barcelona B in 2024-25, while occasionally making the senior club's bench in La Liga and the Champions League. Born in Miami, Kochen has represented the U.S. through the U-19 level and may be the program's top prospect in goal. That status looks even more secure given the omission of Gabriel Slonina, who was left off of Pochettino's 60-man list. The 21-year-old joined Chelsea in 2022 and his commitment to the USMNT over Poland came to great fanfare, but he struggled during a loan spell with League One side Barnsley this season and must rebuild his stock. Pochettino selected just nine center backs, a relatively small number considering the bloated nature of this longlist. Many have already been vetted at this level, including all five regulars in Qatar: Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Chris Richards, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Walker Zimmerman — though it's worth noting that Zimmerman hasn't played for Nashville SC since suffering a concussion on April 5. Auston Trusty and Miles Robinson have both established themselves as first-choice options for their clubs and offer viable alternatives to the holdovers. The final pair are among MLS's best defenders in the 2025 season: Tristan Blackmon of the Vancouver Whitecaps, and George Campbell of CF Montréal. Advertisement Blackmon and Campbell are two of several players in MLS who have played their way into the pool with regular club involvement. That first-choice status goes a long way as a new coach quickly tries to survey his options ahead of a World Cup, and thrust Patrick Agyemang, Diego Luna and Brian White onto Pochettino's Nations League squad. All three remain in contention to crack the Gold Cup roster. Also among the notables is Alex Freeman, the 20-year-old right back who has dazzled in his rookie season with Orlando City. At 6-foot-2, Freeman is a true two-way full back who arrives right after a lack of depth behind Sergiño Dest (who is available after missing the Copa América with a torn ACL) was exposed in his year-long absence. Max Arfsten and Sean Zawadzki previously earned call-ups thanks to their work with the Columbus Crew, and are among the 60 players available for the Gold Cup. Sebastian Berhalter and Jack McGlynn are two young midfielders who are vital parts of their MLS teams' engine rooms, and could be viable box-to-box options in McKennie's absence. Berhalter's inclusion, given he's the son of Pochettino's predecessor, carries some added significance. Other notables from the domestic league include Luca De La Torre, restored amidst his loan to San Diego FC, versatile Emeka Eneli of Real Salt Lake, and dynamic attacking midfielder Quinn Sullivan of the East-leading Philadelphia Union. A day after finishing off a stunning late surge to defend their Eredivisie title, PSV's American quartet learned of their summer status. As expected, Tillman and Dest are up for selection, as Tillman tries to carve out an attacking midfield starting role under Pochettino while Dest returns from injury. Joining them is Richy Ledezma. The 24-year-old earned his only USMNT cap to date in 2020, but returns after spending much of the season playing right back for PSV. Concacaf lists Ledezma as a midfielder on this list, and his selection comes after some speculation if he'd make a one-time switch to represent Mexico. Whether he makes the final squad remains to be seen, but it's notable that he is not included on Mexico's preliminary squad. Rounding out the group is the expected absence of Ricardo Pepi, whose season ended in late January with a knee injury against Liverpool. His omission opens the door for other strikers to make their cases, as Pepi was arguably the pool's most in-form forward up until his season's premature end. The full 60-man preliminary list, assigned to position groups as listed by Concacaf: Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire); Matt Freese (New York City FC); Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona); Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew); Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids); Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest) Advertisement Defenders: Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps); George Campbell (CF Montréal); Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic); Sergiño Dest (PSV); Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege); Alex Freeman (Orlando City); Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union); DeJuan Jones (San Jose Earthquakes); Kristoffer Hansen (Palermo); Mark McKenzie (Toulouse); Shaq Moore (Nashville SC); Tim Ream (Charlotte FC); Chris Richards (Crystal Palace); Antonee Robinson (Fulham); Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati); Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach); John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel); Auston Trusty (Celtic); Caleb Wiley (Chelsea); Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United); Paxten Aaronsen (Eintracht Frankfurt); Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth); Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew); Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps); Gianluca Busio (Venezia); Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis); Caden Clark (CF Montréal), Luca De La Torre (San Diego FC); Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth); Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake); Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fire); Richy Ledezma (PSV); Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake); Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo); Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids); Matko Miljevic (Huracan); Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough); Yunus Musah (AC Milan); Tanner Tessmann (Lyon); Timothy Tillman (Los Angeles FC); Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew) Forwards: Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC); Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco); Damion Downs (FC Köln); Christian Pulisic (AC Milan); Josh Sargent (Norwich City); Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union); Malik Tillman (PSV); Brandon Vazquez (Austin FC); Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps); Haji Wright (Coventry City); Griffin Yow (Westerlo); Alex Zendejas (Club América)
Fox News
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
USMNT caps miserable Concacaf Nations League Finals with a 2-1 loss to Canada
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States men's national team capped its miserable week at the Concacaf Nations League Finals with a 2-1 loss to Canada in Sunday's third-place playoff. The Canadians opened the scoring through Tani Oluwaseyi, and while Patrick Agyemang equalized for the USMNT before the first half was finished, Reds star forward Jonathan David scored the winner with just over a half hour left to play. The loss comes on the heels of last week's late 1-0 loss to Panama in the semifinals. "It's not just a given that we can step onto the pitch and perform at a certain level," U.S. keeper Matt Turner said after Sunday's contest. "End of the day, we're conceding too many goals and not scoring enough. What we had to do was clear and and we weren't able to execute it consistently over 90 minutes in both games," he added. "Critical errors, critical mistakes, guys not taking ownership in big moments." Here are three quick thoughts on the match, which represented the final test for Mauricio Pochettino's full-strength team in tournament play before next year's U.S. co-hosted FIFA World Cup. The U.S. turned in an improved performance from Thursday, bu it wasn't nearly enough. Still, at least they scored in this game. It was a beautiful team goal, too. Tim Weah started the sequence when he slipped Diego Luna in behind the Canadian back line. Rather than rush a shot or pass, the Real Salt Lake playmaker cut the ball back and squared it to Agyemang, who was able to beat visiting keeper Dayne St. Clair to temporarily pull the Americans level: "I knew that the center back was going to come and I had a little flick and just dropped it off for Patrick," said Luna, who has surely put himself in position to be summoned for this summer's Gold Cup squad. "He performed well," Pochettino said. Pretty as the U.S. goal was, the Americans' defensive performance left a lot to be desired. It cost them. Canada out-shot the hosts 4-1 in the first half, including Oluwaseyi's successful strike that put Canada ahead. In the end, the USMNT was left chasing the game for 39 of the 90 minutes. The U.S. has now lost back-to-back home games to Canada for the first time since the two countries began playing each other in 1925. The Americans will return to their clubs in Europe and MLS immediately, and while Pochettino won't have access to all of them for the Concacaf Gold Cup in June and (if they make at least the semifinals) July, most of the players who were in Los Angeles over the last week figure to also be on that roster. The absence of Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who are slated to participate with Juventus in the FIFA Club World Cup instead, and possibly Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna, will open the door for a few new faces. So will the disappointing results and performances this month. "Of course we are open to [changing] the roster," Pochettino said. The USMNT will learn its group stage schedule and opponents at the Gold Cup draw on April 10. They'll then play a pair of tuneups, against Turkey on June 7 in East Hartford, Connecticut and Switzerland three days later in Nashville, Tennessee. The Reds, one of the favorites to win the Gold Cup along with the U.S. and Mexico, will prepare for this summer's tournament with friendlies on those same dates versus Ukraine and Ivory Coast. Both of those exhibitions will be played in Toronto. "It's a big part of the process with us not being in [World Cup] qualifying," St. Clair said. "For us, it's just taking every moment that we're together to make sure that come 2026, that we're ready." Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports who has covered the United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him at @ByDougMcIntyre.
Fox Sports
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
USMNT caps miserable Concacaf Nations League Finals with a 2-1 loss to Canada
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The United States men's national team capped its miserable week at the Concacaf Nations League Finals with a 2-1 loss to Canada in Sunday's third-place playoff. The Canadians opened the scoring through Tani Oluwaseyi, and while Patrick Agyemang equalized for the USMNT before the first half was finished, Reds star froward Jonathan David scored the winner with just over a half hour left to play. Here are three quick thoughts on the match, which represented the final test for Mauricio Pochettino's full-strength team in tournament play before next year's U.S.-hosted FIFA World Cup. Play of the game The U.S. turned in an improved performance from Thursday's late 1-0 defeat to Panama in the semifinals, even if it wasn't nearly enough. Still, at least they scored in this game. It was a beautiful team goal, too. Tim Weah started the sequence when he slipped Diego Luna in behind the Canadian back line. Rather than rush a shot or pass, the Real Salt Lake playmaker cut the ball back and squared it to Agyemang, who was able to beat visiting keeper Dayne St. Clair to temporarily pull the Americans level: Pretty as the U.S. goal was, the Americans' defensive performance left a lot to be desired. It cost them. Canada out-shot the hosts 4-1 in the first half, including Oluwaseyi's successful strike that put Canada ahead. In the end, the USMNT was left chasing the game for 39 of the 90 minutes. The U.S. has now lost back-to-back home games to Canada for the first time in the series 100-year history. What's next for the USMNT? The Americans will return to their clubs in Europe and MLS immediately, and while Pochettino won't have access to all of them for the Concacaf Gold Cup in June and (if they make at least the semifinals) July, most of the players who were in Los Angeles over the last week figure to also be on that roster. The absence of Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who are slated to participate with Juventus in the FIFA Club World Cup instead, and possibly Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna, will open the door for a few new faces. The USMNT will learn its group stage schedule and opponents at the Gold Cup draw on April 10. They'll then play a pair of tuneups, against Turkey on June 7 in East Hartford, Connecticut and Switzerland three days later in Nashville, Tennessee. What's next for Canada? The Reds, one of the favorites to win the Gold Cup along with the U.S. and Mexico, will prepare for this summer's tournament with friendlies on those same dates versus Ukraine and Ivory Coast. Both exhibitions will be played in Toronto. Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports who has covered the United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him at @ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from CONCACAF Nations League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
