Pochettino names Pulisic, Adams, McKennie in U.S. World Cup roster

By Maxwell Kumoye 
 
 

New United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino has placed his faith in experience and emerging talent after unveiling a 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup on home soil, with Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie leading the charge.

The Americans, who are co-hosting the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada, are hoping to make a significant impact in front of home fans after reaching the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Pochettino’s squad reflects a balance between youth and experience, with 13 World Cup debutants joining 13 players who featured in Qatar. Included among the returning core are the United States’ scorers from the last tournament, Pulisic, Tim Weah and Haji Wright.

“We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino said after naming his squad.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager acknowledged the difficulty of the selection process but insisted the chosen players are fully prepared to represent the nation on football’s biggest stage.

Pulisic heads into the tournament as the team’s standout star following another impressive campaign with AC Milan, while Adams is expected to provide leadership and steel in midfield after an encouraging season with AFC Bournemouth.

Up front, much of the attention will be on Folarin Balogun, with the AS Monaco striker tipped to spearhead the attack in Pochettino’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system.

Creative midfielder Gio Reyna also made the final cut despite limited minutes at Borussia Moenchengladbach, while Alejandro Zendejas earned a recall after finishing the season strongly with Club America.

However, there was disappointment for injured forward Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann, who were among the notable omissions from the squad.

Speaking during the squad reveal event in Manhattan, McKennie highlighted the importance of the tournament in growing the sport’s popularity in the United States.

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone on the roster and also for the fans who maybe don’t know a lot about soccer here in America to feel the passion,” McKennie said.

“I hope that we can make people fall in love with the game here and maybe be able to etch our names in the history books.”

The United States will begin their Group D campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles as the hosts aim to make a memorable run at the tournament.

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