CHICAGO (Aug. 30, 2023) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter has selected the 24-player BioSteel USMNT training camp roster that will prepare for the September international window matches against Uzbekistan and Oman [TICKETS]. Players will begin reporting to St. Louis on Sept. 3 for training camp. Both Asian Football Confederation opponents are preparing to compete in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Qatar next January
The U.S. first faces Uzbekistan on Sept. 9 in St. Louis, with kickoff at CITYPARK set for 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock). Three days later, the USA takes on Oman at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. at 8:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Universo and Peacock). Live Spanish-language audio for both matches will be available on Fútbol de Primera radio platforms.
Fans will also be able to follow the matches via Facebook, Twitter @USMNT, Instagram @USMNT and the official U.S. Soccer App.
The roster represents significant continuity from the last year, including 12 players who helped the U.S. reach the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 16 who were part of the USA’s Concacaf Nations League-winning team this summer. The USMNT’s fall schedule features a diverse range of opponents from three different confederations – Africa, Asia and Europe - presenting an important opportunity in the building process towards 2026.
“We have a long-term strategic approach, with two of the principles being strong rosters and maintaining continuity,” Berhalter said. “We are thrilled to have a number of core players in this group while also being able to introduce some new faces to the senior team. Uzbekistan and Oman are types of teams we could face in the World Cup, so it’s an important opportunity to gain that experience.”
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 8/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 32/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 26/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 0/0), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 11/0), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 0/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 51/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 10/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 36/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 25/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 6/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 7/0), Ben Cremaschi (Inter Miami; 0/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 16/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 44/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 27/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 4/0)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 32/7), Folarin Balogun (Arsenal/ENG; 2/1), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; 8/1), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 16/7), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 60/25), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 31/4)
CHANGE OF SCENERY
It’s been a busy summer for USMNT players moving to different clubs, joining legendary teams at the top of their respective leagues or getting set to compete in the UEFA Champions League. On the September roster, nine players have joined new clubs over the summer: Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest) and Tim Weah (Juventus).
THE BUDDY SYSTEM
The roster also features six sets of club teammates, five of which come from European sides:
PSV Eindhoven (Dest, Pepi, Tillman), AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic), Fulham (Ream, A. Robinson), Inter Miami (Callender, Cremaschi), Juventus (McKennie, Weah) and Nottingham Forest (Horvath, Turner).
The PSV trio all joined former U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Earnie Stewart in Eindhoven this summer. Christian Pulisic – who has scored in the first two matches of the Serie A season in Italy – was followed by Yunus Musah to Milan, while Weah linked up with McKennie in Turin. Matt Turner moved from Arsenal to Nottingham Forest, meeting up with Evan Horvath, who returned from a successful promotion campaign with Luton Town in the English Championship.
BERHALTER BACK
Gregg Berhalter resumes the role of head coach after being re-hired on June 16 of this year. The first USMNT head coach to have played for the USA at a FIFA World Cup, Berhalter returns to the position after amassing an impressive record of 37-11-12 in 60 matches during four years as head coach. After becoming the second-fastest manager in team history to achieve double-digit victories (17 games), he led the team to back-to-back confederation championships in 2021, defeating Mexico in both the inaugural Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup finals, utilizing almost two completely different rosters in the process.
Deploying the youngest roster in the world during World Cup Qualifying, the USMNT qualified for Qatar 2022 and advanced to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup with the second youngest team at the tournament while recording multiple shutouts on the world stage for the first time since 1930.
AGAINST ASIA WITH AN EYE TOWARDS 2026
With the crowded schedule of competitions over the next three years in Asia, this likely represents the USMNT’s only opportunity to face opponents from the AFC prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These are the USA’s first matches against Uzbekistan and Oman, marking the 101st and 102nd opponents in USMNT history.
“We are very intentional and committed to presenting different challenges to our team during the next three years as we continue to develop the program,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “Uzbekistan and Oman are first-time opponents for us and both are preparing for the AFC Asian Cup, so we expect them to be good tests. We look forward to visiting two excellent soccer facilities and performing in front of the fantastic supporters in St. Louis and the Twin Cities.”
ROSTER NOTES
- The roster will average 23 years, 302 days as of the first day of training on September 4.
- The squad averages 19 caps overall and 12 in official competition.
- The roster is made up of 12 players that were part of the USMNT at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
- Sixteen players were part of the squad that claimed the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League crown this summer.
- Fourteen players are age 23 and younger: Chris Richards and Tim Weah (23); Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, and Sergiño Dest (22); Johnny Cardoso, Kristoffer Lund and Malik Tillman (21); Yunus Musah, Kevin Paredes, Ricardo Pepi and Joe Scally (20); Cade Cowell (19); Ben Cremaschi (18).
- Johnny Cardoso, Kristoffer Lund, Malik Tillman, Yunus Musah, Kevin Paredes, Ricardo Pepi, Joe Scally, Cade Cowell and Ben Cremaschi are all age-eligible for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, an Under-23 competition.
- Christian Pulisic is the leading cap-winner on the roster with 60 appearances, followed by Tim Ream (51), Weston McKennie (44), Antonee Robinson (36), Brenden Aaronson and Matt Turner (32 each) and Tim Weah (31).
- Players represent clubs in eight different countries: England (6), Italy (5), USA (4), Germany and Netherlands (3 each), Belgium, Brazil and Spain (1 each).
- Two players earn their first USMNT call-ups: midfielder Ben Cremaschi of Inter Miami and defender Kristoffer Lund of Italian Serie B side Palermo.
- Lund, who is Danish-American and previously represented Denmark in official competition at the youth international level, has applied to FIFA for a one-time change of association in order to be eligible to play for the United States.
- Nine players have joined new clubs during the summer: Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest) and Tim Weah (Juventus).
- Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender and Wolfsburg defender Kevin Paredes join Cremaschi and Lund as the four uncapped players on the roster. Callender was part of the April camp ahead of the Allstate Continental Clásico against Mexico and was also on the CNL roster in June. Paredes last came to USMNT camp in December 2021 ahead of the friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Christian Pulisic has gotten off to a hot start for AC Milan, tallying a goal in each of the Rossoneri’s first two matches of the Serie A season – a 2-0 win at Bologna on Aug. 21 and 4-1 win against Torino on Aug. 26.
- A starter in all four games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, veteran defender Tim Ream has recovered from the broken arm suffered in the final game of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign and will have the chance to play in front of his hometown crowd in St. Louis against Uzbekistan on Sept. 9.
- Goalkeeper Matt Turner has started 13 of the team’s last 14 matches during FIFA international windows, a streak that dates back to the friendly against Japan on Sept. 23, 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Turner has sat out only the 6-0 win against St. Kitts and Nevis during the Gold Cup group stage this summer and has collected a 6-2-6 record along with seven clean sheets.
- One of three players hailing from PSV Eindhoven, midfielder Malik Tillman makes his first USMNT camp appearance since last September’s friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia.
- Both Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic scored goals in the USA’s last visit to Allianz Field, a 3-0 win against Honduras in FIFA World Cup Qualifying on Feb. 2, 2022.
- Eleven players are products of Major League Soccer academies: Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi and Chris Richards (FC Dallas); Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union); Drake Callender and Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes); Ben Cremaschi (Inter Miami); Kevin Paredes (D.C. United); Joe Scally (New York City FC); Tim Weah (New York Red Bulls).
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In addition to the 11 above, four more players played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy: Luca de la Torre (San Diego Surf), Ethan Horvath (Real Colorado), Christian Pulisic (PA Classics), Miles Robinson (FC Boston Bolts).
