Carmel GK Eric Dick in USL Finals Sat 12 noon on CBS Pittsburgh vs FC Tulsa
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick playing for a USL title this weekend for Pittsburgh vs Tulsa on Saturday. Dick has had another strong season for the Riverhounds and look to help them capture their first soccer championship. FC Tulsa will host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the 2025 USL Championship Final on Saturday (Nov 22) at 12:00 ET (Match Preview) More Below
US Women’s Roster – Friendly’s Next Friday Nov 28, Dec 1 vs Italy
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC)
DEFENDERS (10): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Jaelin Howell (Gotham FC), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA)
FORWARDS (6): Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC)
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Nov 22
7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea
9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally)
9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg
9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman)
10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United
10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest
10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club
12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina
12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United
8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Gothem (Lavell, Shaw)
9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs
Sunday
9 am USA Leeds United vs Aston Villa
11:30 am USA? Cock Arsenal vs Tottenham
5 pm Apple Free? Cincy vs Inter Miami MLS EC Semis
7:45 pm FS1 Philly Union vs NYCFC EC Semis
Mon
3 pm USA Man United vs Everton
10 pm Apple Free San Diego vs Minn United MLS WC Semis
Tues 11/25 Champs League
12:45 pm CBSSN Ajax vs Benefica
3 pm Para+ Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman)
3 pm CBSSB Marseille (Weah) vs New Castle United
3 pm Univsion Chelsea vs Barcelona
3 pm PAra+ Dortmund vs Villarreal
Wed, Nov 26
3 pm Univision Olypiakos vs Real Madrid
3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Bayern Munich
3 pm Para+ Liverpool vs PSV (Dest, Pepi)
3 pm Para+ Atletico vs Inter Milan
3 pm Para+ PSG Vs Tottenham
Thurs, 11/27 Europa
12:45 pm Feynord vs Celtic (Trusty)
Fri, Nov 28
7 pm TNT, Max USWNT vs Italy
Dec 1st
7 pm TNT, Max USWNT vs Italy
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Volatile markets
Who are you putting stock in over the next six months?
Saturday
Coventry City v West Bromwich Albion – 730a on Paramount+: Haji Wright started on Tuesday for the USMNT but was not one of the four goal scorers in the match. He will resume play with Coventry City looking to snap a six match scoreless streak as the team looks to increase it’s hold on first place in the Championship when they take on West Brom.
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman did not make the November camp due to having just returned from injury but did play the entire second half of Leverkusen’s 6-0 over Heidenheim heading into the break.
Heidenheim v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Joe Scally and Giovanni Reyna both returned to the USMNT for the November window with Reyna showing particularly well, appearing in both matches and directly contributing to three of the teams seven goals scored in the window. Gladbach won two straight matches heading into the break, their first wins of the season, to pull themselves out of the relegation zone and into 12th place. Reyna appeared as a substitute in both matches while Scally was a starter in both. On Saturday they will look to continue their winning streak as they take on last place Heidenheim. In a world before cell phones, one good way to win a soccer match was to create a false reality. We can explain.
Augsburg v Hamburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks and Augsburg have lost three straight matches and currently sit tied for the relegation playoff position. Banks has started five straight matches for Augsburg which is pretty remarkable for an 18-year-old centerback. Unfortunately the team has given up 12 goals in those five games (including the six goal thrashing by RB Leipzig). Augsburg host a Hamburg side that are just two points above them in the table and really need maximum points in home matches like this if they are going to avoid being stuck in the relegation threatened positions all season.
Wolverhampton v Crystal Palace – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will travel to Wolverhampton on Saturday to face bottom of the table Wolves who have just two points through eleven matches. Palace are coming off a scoreless draw with Brighton and currently sit in tenth place. Richards was not included in the November camp for the USMNT, likely a concession to a club and manager who had balked at Richard’s usage despite the fact that he has played every league minute for his club.
Bournemouth v West Ham – 10a on USA Network: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth will look to get back on track as they return to action after heading into the break suffering back to back losses to Man City and Aston Villa and falling to ninth in the table. They host a West Ham side that are in 18th place, the final relegation spot, but have won their past two matches.
NAC Breda v PSV – 10:30a on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest was the lone USMNT field player to start both matches in the November window while on the opposite end of the spectrum Ricardo Pepi only appeared in one, and that as a substitute. The club and country teammates will return to PSV looking to build on their six match winning streak and their three point lead in the Eredivise.
Fiorentina v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie was another player left out of the squad for the November window. He has not had any injury concerns but does have yet another manager to adjust to, though early indications are that it hasn’t impacted his playing time, he has started the clubs four most recent matches. Juventus have seven points from their last three matches and are in sixth place as they head to Fiorentina to face a club that has yet to win this season.
Rennes v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun picked up a goal over the break for the US and scored in his most recent match for his club as well but will be out of the squad this weekend as he serves a suspension for a red card received in the 4-1 loss to Lens.
Napoli v Atalanta – 2:45p on Paaramount+: Once thought to be a mainstay for the USMNT midfield, Yunus Musah appears to be on thin ice as he has not appeared recently for country and has made it off the bench just once in the last five matches for Atalanta. Atalanta are currently in 13th place so perhaps they will look to shake things up and there will be an opportunity for Musah to work his way into the squad.
Vancouver Whitecaps v LAFC – 9:30p on MLS Season Pass: Timothy Tillman was a surprise callup for the November camp but he appeared in both matches, starting the second. His LAFC side will take on Vancouver in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday.
Sunday
Leeds United v Aston Villa – 9a on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United have lost two straight and sit just a point out of the relegation positions. Aaronson does have two goal contributions in the last three matches for Leeds and has started eight straight matches for his club. Leeds face an Aston Villa side that are in sixth place and coming off a 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth.
Auxerre v Olympique Lyon – 9a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon fell to league leading PSG 2-3 heading into the break. Things should be a bit easier this weekend as they face an Auxerre side that are at the opposite end of the table.
Toulouse v Angers SCO – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse have drawn three straight matches in Ligue 1 and currently sit in tenth place. They host an Angers side who are three points back of them in league play.
St Pauli v Union Berlin – 11:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St Pauli have lost seven straight matches and fallen into the relegation zone, though they still aren’t in last place. They take on a Union Berlin side that put an end to Bayern Munich’s perfect start to the season with a 2-2 draw.
Getafe v Atletico Madrid – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso has been on the bench for Atletico Madrid’s past two matches but has yet to see minutes since returning from injury. The club have won four straight and six of their last seven so there may not be much impetus to make a change, but like Musah Cardoso is going to need to find minutes if he’s to break back into a crowded US midfield.
Inter Milan v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic returned from injury to get 20’ off the bench for AC Milan in their 2-2 draw just ahead of the international break. Pulisic is likely to be a full go for Milan’s derby match with Inter.
Cincinnati v Inter Miami – 5p on MLS Season Pass: Miles Robinson and Cincinnati host the fighting Messi’s in the second round of MLS playoff action.
Philadelphia Union v NYCFC – 7:45p on FS1: Matt Freese will travel to Philadelphia as NYCFC take on the Union on Sunday night.
Premier League Match Day 12: Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest, Sat 22, 10:00 ET. Forest won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at home against Liverpool in the Premier League last season. However, the Reds have only one defeat in their last 22 home league games, a run that includes 17 wins. Newcastle vs. Manchester City, Sat 22, 12:30 ET. City have won 12 Premier League away games against Newcastle, their joint-most away victories against an opponent in the competition. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland is one goal away from reaching 100 Premier League goals, potentially breaking Alan Shearer’s record for the quickest to a century. Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Sun 23, 11:30 ET. Spurs have lost seven of their last nine top-flight matches against Arsenal (W1 D1) and won just one of their last 32 league trips to the Gunners (D12 L19). However, Thomas Frank’s side are the only Premier League team still unbeaten away from home in 2025-26. See every Premier League fixture here and table here.
| Key Milan Derby Serie A leaders Inter meet third-placed AC Milan and Christian Pulisic on Sunday, with the rivals separated by two points in a high-stakes derby that could prove pivotal in the early title race. Following some early-season hiccups, Inter have hit their stride in their last three league games, while AC Milan, who are without European commitments this season, boast an 11-match unbeaten run across all competitions. See the Serie A table here. |
| Second-placed AS Roma, level on points with Inter, travel to Cremonese, who have won only one of their last nine matches. Champions Napoli sit fourth, two points behind Inter. “Heart transplants aren’t an option. Each of us needs to rediscover our spirit and our grit,” manager Antonio Conte said after their loss to Bologna prevented Napoli from going top. The defeat marked their third league loss of the season and fifth across all competitions. |
| Over the past five seasons, Inter have been the only team to have always finished in the top four in Serie A. Napoli and Milan won a combined three titles in the same period, but they both also experienced drastic declines, with the former finishing 10th after triumphing in 2023, and the latter coming eighth last season. |
NWSL title is on the line
Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC
NWSL Championship final
Kickoff: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET / Sunday, 1 a.m GMT
No teams have faced each other more in the history of the NWSL than these two, who will meet for the 44th time on Sunday — their fourth already this season (twice in the league, once in the Concacaf Champions Cup)! And this is the playoff final too! So with everything to play for between two teams who know each other so well, with two Spanish head coaches, plenty of stars (Esther, Geyse, Rose Lavelle and Ann-Katrin Berger for Gotham, plus Trinity Rodman, Croix Bethune, Narumi Miura and Sofia Cantore for the Spirit) and great young talents (Jaedyn Shaw, Gift Monday, Kysha Sylla, Josefine Hasbo), the spectacle will be pretty special. Since the summer break, five of the Spirit players have had five or more goal contributions — Monday (7), Rodman (7), Rosemonde Kouassi (6), Bethune (5), and Cantore (5), which shows their great depth of talent. But Gotham are the Queens of late wins and mental strength in the money time. Plus Esther is fully back from injury now and ready to roar!
Who will prevail this time? Whoever wins won’t have long to enjoy it because they might meet again in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals as well, if they both win their quarterfinals next week!
MY PREDICTION: Washington Spirit 0, Gotham FC 1. Despite he firepower that Washington have, I think Gotham will be solid and nullify it and will find a way of getting Esther on the score sheet for the win in a super tight game. Gab Marcotti – ESPN
USA Men
Statement win over Uruguay shows the USMNT has come a long way in 16 months
What We Learned: USA vs Uruguay 2025 friendly
How the USMNT found its identity under Mauricio Pochettino: What we learned this fall and what’s next
Fiery Poch hates talk about ‘regular’ U.S. players
Player ratings: Freeman’s brace gets 9/10 as USMNT stuns Uruguay
USMNT stock watch: Berhalter, Freeman surge after Uruguay rout
United States close out 2025 with emphatic victory over Uruguay
Alex Freeman boosts World Cup prospects after USMNT, Orlando City breakout
Transfer rumors, news: Pulisic will wait until signing new Milan contract
Report: USMNT lining up big time friendlies for World Cup prep
US Ladies & NWSL Finals
Emma Hayes calls in 26 players for final USWNT roster of 2025
Girma returns for USWNT; recovering Rodman out
Heath, Wondolowski elected to U.S. Soccer HOF
Who will win the NWSL Championship? Predicting Gotham vs. Washington ESPN
‘Soaked in my own tears’ – Monday fueled by mixture of grief and joy for NWSL Final
Current forward Temwa Chawinga wins second consecutive NWSL MVP
NWSL vows to ‘fight’ to keep Rodman in league
MLS Semi-Finals
2025 MLS conference semifinals preview: Matchups, where to watch, more
What will decide the Western Conference Semifinals?
What will decide the Eastern Conference Semifinals?
One of Müller, Son dream MLS debuts will end in Vancouver-LAFC playoff clash ESPN
MLS reveals 2026 schedule: Lionel Messi, Miami opener at L.A. headlines season w/World Cup hiatus
USL Finals
2025 USL Championship Final Preview – FC Tulsa vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
FC Tulsa to host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in 2025 USL Championship Final
Inside Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s run to a first USL Championship Final berth | USL All Access
Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast: Riverhounds defender Sean Suber’s ready to go grab a trophy in Tulsa
Louisville City FC’s Kyle Adams voted 2025 USL Championship Defender of the Year
Louisville City FC’s Damian Las earns 2025 USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year
GK Eric Dick Press Conference After Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4 …
World Cup Qualifying
Confirmed pots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw
World Cup power rankings: The 10 best right now
Who has qualified for 2026 World Cup? Updated list of teams with confirmed
Panama, Curaçao, Haiti book final Concacaf spots for 2026 World Cup
Goalkeeping
Carmel GK Eric Dick Press Conference After Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4 …
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 33
Louisville City FC’s Damian Las earns 2025 USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year
Reffing
Head Injury – When to Stop the Game
Ok – Coaches — please teach your kids to kick the ball out of bounds when they see an injured player – when did we stop teaching this? As a kid I was taught this – why don’t we teach this anymore?
Become a Referee Must be 13
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Rog writes: Soccer’s coming home! After fending off a roughhousing Paraguay, the U.S. faced down Uruguay on Tuesday for the final game of 2025. And what did we see? A truly experimental team delivered a redemptive obliteration: USA 5-1 Uruguay. This is the first time the USMNT have scored five goals against a CONMEBOL nation, or a top-30 team ever. The vibes were at 11, as @Balrogger wrote in the MiB Discord, “Don’t play up to CONMEBOL, bring them down to CONCACAF.” But with so many of our biggest players missing, what does it all mean? Let’s dig in:ii. This Was Some Starting Line-Up for Poch  Nine changes from the team that played Paraguay with just Matt Freese and Sergiño Dest carrying over. Mark McKenzie as captain, alongside John Tolkin, Diego Luna, Auston Trusty, and Timmy Tillman in the Tillman role… this was not even a B-team, it was like a B/C-team. No Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Tim Weah, and on and on. Poch had plenty to say about the missing key players from this window, and yet, WHAT A WIN! The best result and USMNT performance of the Pochettino era.iii. Four Goals from MLS Players & Even More Gio  Just 16 minutes in, Sebastian Berhalter combined with Dest for a one-two strike that was technically incredible. Just take a moment and savor the angle on this finish. And don’t forget: 16 months ago, Gregg Berhalter’s last game was the Copa disaster against Uruguay. This proves, once again, that revenge is the single greatest human motivator.Less than five minutes later, it was two, once again from a set-piece. Berhalter floated in a deep, stunning cross with curl and arc to Alex Freeman, who sent a phenomenal header back across the keeper for his first of two on the night. Such an intelligent goal, and for the U.S. men, their third set-piece finish in the past week. There was more: a late, well-timed run into the box from Lunafor the team’s fourth. But what was most fascinating was when the cameras cut to Poch on the sideline, he was not celebrating – he looked furious. He wanted more, and in the second half, he got it. Less than 10 minutes after entering the game, Gio Reyna floated a pass into Tanner Tessmann to make it 5-1 Dreamland, giving Gio his third goal involvement of the window.iv. This Was Also Very Far From Uruguay’s A-Team  Uruguay are themselves in a moment of transition and this squad is quite different from the one we saw in the Copa America. In 2025, they have only beaten Peru and Venezuela (both out of the World Cup), along with two friendly wins in October against the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan. Their manager, Marcelo Bielsa, is currently pushing all the buttons, trying desperately to find a team for next summer, but is under fire himself as his squad looked like they gave up on him. They are a side that have tried four different goalkeepers in their last four matches and are without Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, who basically owns Uruguay’s midfield and allows Giorgian de Arrascaeta to play more freely (speaking of which, what a goal by him the other night). Their backline was also wide open and bedraggled, especially for a team who had conceded just once in their last six games. But most shocking was Uruguay appeared to have zero resolve; they basically played like they were on vacation.v. Let’s Recap This Rollercoaster Year The darkness of the CONCACAF Nations League in March, which saw the U.S. soil themselves in losses to Panama and Canada. Then there were the humiliating pair of friendlies against Türkiye and Switzerland when we were outgunned and outpaced. The Gold Cup was the Poch reboot with an inexperienced squad that felt like our B-string, but he has stayed with so many of those players. A 2-0 defeat to South Korea that saw us outplayed again, but then came this five-match unbeaten streak, with friendly wins over Japan, Australia, Paraguay, and now Uruguay, along with a draw with Ecuador, all of whom have qualified for the World Cup. What a journey it has been for this team and for us as fans.vi. Enthusiasm for the USMNT Still Lies Dormant  One slightly down theme of the year is the lack of interest and the small crowds. The Athletic wrote a tough piece entitled, “The USMNT is making progress. The fans it hoped to attract haven’t (yet) noticed.” It was 10 months ago that U.S. Soccer talked about how they wanted to lead into the World Cup. “We want to play in the biggest stadiums possible, in front of the most people possible, full stop,” said J.T. Batson, U.S. Soccer’s CEO. “Our national team [games] should be huge events. They should be parties, they should be celebrations of soccer, and they should be something that everybody looks forward to.” It hasn’t happened, at least not yet. The USMNT’s second-to-last game of 2025, against Paraguay on Saturday outside Philadelphia, failed to fill the 18,500-seat Subaru Park (despite the best efforts of thousands of exuberant Paraguay fans). That lack of interest is just the reality until the World Cup. vii. Looking Ahead to 2026 I have given up trying to work out where we are. The deviation on this U.S. men’s team is impossible to handicap. As much as this game was so unbelievably fun, there is still one challenge: How does the eventual first-team squad develop chemistry? Players don’t just start playing well together. The backline needs cohesion and reps. The midfield too, as there has been so much experimenting and auditioning with so many new faces. International teams are always all-star affairs in terms of just crashing together without much practice, but this is going to be the most all-starry and fleeting of all American teams before a World Cup. Over 70 players have been called up and shuffled through, but with 203 days until next year’s World Cup, the starting XI is utterly wide open. In Poch we trust.Tell me how you’re feeling about the USMNT right now. I would love to hear from you.  To 2026. No sleep ‘till Metlife. Soccer’s coming home.Courage,Rog On the USMNT’s Team-Wide Fight Against Uruguay “The USMNT showed a killer instinct. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I have seen a U.S. men’s national team that is intense, that fights, that claws, that doesn’t give up on a single play. You can say what you want about Uruguay. You can say what you want about the Valverdes or the Nuñezes of the world not being there. Whatever you want, that is their problem. But what I saw on Tuesday, and what I’ve been seeing this window and for the last two windows, I’ve not seen in quite some time.” Herc on Sebastian Berhalter’s Impressive Goal and Assist “Sebastian Berhalter is one of many who have taken advantage of the opportunities that have been afforded to him by Pochettino and this coaching staff. How long have we been here watching and analyzing the USMNT and seeing corner kicks that don’t clear the first post, seeing free kicks that go awry? Now you have a player that not only can deliver a good set piece, but is a dangerous asset in front of goal.” On Alex Freeman’s Ascendant Performance “When a coach empowers a player, gives confidence to a player, well that ceiling gets a little higher. Alex Freeman was playing as a third center-back and weaved his way like prime Vinícius Júnior, putting Ronald Araújo on skates. A Barcelona center-back, a player that not too long ago was valued at a $100 million, he’s gone out the window! It made him look amateurish and then Freeman scores a golazo. That’s confidence and that’s infectious… I think we’re going to see a heavy dose of Freeman at the World Cup.” On Gio Reyna’s Impact This Window “I’ve always believed [Gio] was a fixture, just on ceiling and talent alone. And I think Pochettino understands this because at the beginning of the camp, when they asked if he was contradicting himself, he mentioned how special of a player Gio Reyna is. And there are players in the U.S. men’s national team who are special, who maybe at the club level have not performed, but always do when they play for their country. We look at Pulisic during his Chelsea years when he wasn’t playing, he would use the USMNT as a refresher. I believe this is the case with Gio, and I think Pochettino sees the value there.” On Mauricio Pochettino’s Vision Finally Coming Into Focus “We could sit here and debate and throw darts at the players who are going to start, but the only thing I know is whoever’s going to be in Pochettino’s starting XI is going to represent him the way he wants to be represented. The fight, the spirit, the attitude, the mentality. That’s the only thing I know because that’s what he’s told us. And that’s what I’ve seen reflected on the field for the last five, six games, even the game they lost. They were outmatched against South Korea, but you saw some fight. And since then, it’s been passion. It’s been mentality. So I can’t sit here and say I know the definite XI, but I can sit here and say, I know what this team is about, tactically and mentally.” Watch the full international break recap (or listen here) to get all of Herc and Rog’s thoughts on the USMNT’s biggest roster questions, what the team needs to do to capture America’s attention, and how far we should expect Poch’s mob to go at next year’s World Cup. And make sure to follow VAMOS on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for so much more. We will be back in your loving arms (and inboxes) one more time in 2025, before we start counting down the final 160 days leading up to next year’s World Cup. As of now, it looks like the USMNT will host Portugal and Belgium in March in Atlanta during the first international window of the year, before welcoming Germany to Chicago and another to-be-determined opponent to Charlotte in June for a final tune-up. Everything you need to know, all in one place. World Cup 2026: which countries have qualified and how did they do it? The Louvre should officially change its password to “McTominay.” Speaking of which, it was a bad night to be a beer in Glasgow. Also, this is really beautiful: Andy Robertson’s (and Diogo Jota’s) World Cup dream. Iceland have left the building: There’s a new smallest-ever country to qualify for a World Cup. Another island nation, who couldn’t even play at home, are also officially in. Naomi Girma returns to USWNT for year-end friendlies The USWNT is stocking up to close out 2025, with head coach Emma Hayes dropping her 26-player roster this morning ahead of a set of year-end friendlies against rising European star Italy. Hayes selected a blend of Europe-based and NWSL talent, including formerly injured Chelsea standout Naomi Girma — her first national team call-up since July — as well as Gotham’s Jaedyn Shaw and Jaelin Howell, with Howell returning to the squad for the first time since 2022. (See full roster) Big picture: After an up-and-down October window, the US will finish the year against Le Azzure in Orlando on November 28th and December 1st in Fort Lauderdale. Spirit striker Trinity Rodman (MCL strain) and Man United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce (fractured eye socket) were left off due to injury concerns, while Bay FC keeper Jordan Silkowitz, Chicago forward Jameese Joseph, and Washington defender Kate Wiesner head to camp uncapped. The roster’s seven Spirit and Gotham FC players will have the tightest turnaround, jetting off to camp immediately after Saturday’s NWSL Championship. Full steam ahead: “We’ve accomplished a lot of goals, expanded the player pool, and made strides in our game model, so this camp will be an extension of that, but it will also set the groundwork for 2026, which will be our World Cup qualifying year,” Hayes said in a statement. “Games against top European teams are so valuable… I know our players will embrace that challenge.” |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying: Here’s every team that has booked its spot in next summer’s 48-team tournament
Yahoo Sports Staff Thu, November 20, 2025 at 8:13 AM EST·
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is rapidly approaching, and the expanded 48-team field is nearly complete. Forty-two nations have already clinched their place at next summer’s tournament in North America, leaving only the play-off tournaments to decide the final six spots. This will be the first World Cup played with the new 48-team format, adding 16 additional slots from the 2022 edition with increased allocations across all six confederations: UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) receives 16 direct berths, CAF (Confederation of African Football) nine, AFC (Asian Football Confederation) eight, and both CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) six each while OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) gets one guaranteed spot for the first time. Six spots remain and they’ll be decided by playoffs — two through the intercontinental Play-off Tournament, which features two CONCACAF teams and one entrant each from AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC and four through a European Play-Off. Europe’s playoff will include 12 group runners-up plus the four best-ranked UEFA Nations League group winner that didn’t qualify directly. Follow along as the 48-team field is determined ahead of next summer’s World Cup.
UEFA
UEFA gets the most spots of any of the confederations, with 16 teams able to punch their ticket to the tournament. For the first round of the qualifying tournament, the winners of each of 12 groups automatically advanced to the World Cup. The four remaining spots will be determined by a play-off tournament with the 12 runner-ups, plus the four highest-ranked teams in the UEFA Nations League.
Qualified: England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland
Qualified for European Play-off: Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania, Sweden, North Macedonia and Northern Ireland
CONCACAF
As the three host countries, the U.S., Canada and Mexico all receive automatic qualifying bids for the 2026 World Cup. As a result, those three countries hold three of the confederation’s six qualifying spots, with CONCACAF also getting two spots in the playoff tournament.
Qualified: United States, Canada, Mexico, Curaçao, Haiti and Panama
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: Jamaica and Suriname
AFC
The Asian Football Confederation, the federation that covers Eurasia as well as Asia, determined its qualifiers with a multi-round tournament in 2025 that continued into the fall.
Japan became the first non-host team to secure a spot back in March, followed by the rest of the field.
Qualified: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: Iraq
CAF
The tournament whittled the CAF down from 53 nations to the nine qualifiers, with one play-off spot. Morocco, after surging to a semifinals appearance in 2022, is back at the top of the conversation heading into 2026. As the CAF tournament reached an end point this fall, Morocco became the first African team to qualify in September, followed by Tunisia.
Qualified: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: Congo DR
CONMEBOL
Of all of the qualifying formats, CONMEBOL’s is the simplest: The confederation’s 10 teams competed in a league table, with the top six teams qualifying for the World Cup, and the seventh — Bolivia, in this case — representing CONMEBOL in the play-off tournament.
Argentina, the defending champions, were rolling early in the process, qualifying for 2026 all the way back in March.
Qualified: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: Bolivia
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OFC
The expanded format means that Oceania will get a guaranteed spot for the first time ever. It’s not much of a surprise that New Zealand — by far the largest country in the confederation — will be OFC’s representative at the World Cup, but it will be an exciting time for the country. New Zealand has qualified for the World Cup just two other times, even in the years since Australia left OFC to join AFC. New Caledonia, meanwhile, will join the play-off tournament, though a win there would be a significant upset, given that the nation sits at 150 in FIFA’s rankings, well below all of its competitors.
Qualified: New Zealand
Qualified for intercontinental play-off: New Caledonia
World Cup play-offs
European Semifinals – March 26
Italy vs. Northern Ireland
Ukraine vs. Sweden
Türkiye vs. Romania
Denmark vs. North Macedonia
Wales vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
Poland vs. Albania
Slovakia vs. Kosovo
Czech Republic vs. Ireland
European Finals – March 31
Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Italy or Northern Ireland
Ukraine or Sweden vs. Poland or Albania
Slovakia or Kosovo vs. Turkey or Romania
Czech Republic or Ireland vs. Denmark or North Macedonia
Intercontinental semifinals – March 23-31
New Caledonia vs. Jamaica
Bolivia vs. Suriname
Intercontinental Finals – March 23-31
Congo vs. New Caledonia or Jamaica
Iraq vs. Bolivia or Suriname
USMNT World Cup roster projection after November friendlies: 26 for 2026
Paul Tenorio and Henry Bushnell
Nov. 20, 2025 6:00 am EST
Twenty players started for Mauricio Pochettino in two friendlies in November. Nearly all showed why they should be on the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster.
The wins over Paraguay and Uruguay were decisive. The heavy rotation and the continued success spoke to the depth Pochettino has fostered in the USMNT pool. The U.S. is going into 2026 riding a five-game unbeaten streak, all against World Cup opponents.
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It has made the position battles for the 26-man roster that much tougher to judge. The versatility of players like Joe Scally, Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman and Weston McKennie will give Pochettino plenty of flexibility in balancing the team.
However, the fact that seven months before the World Cup, we list just 11 players as “locks” for the U.S. team shows the mentality that has developed around this group. Players are earning spots, but no one feels comfortable declaring their positions secure.
The competition continues into March, with friendlies against Portugal and Belgium providing one last chance to secure a spot on the team chasing World Cup history at home. (The 26-man roster will be named in late May, before players gather for a pre-World Cup camp in Atlanta on May 27 and before they play two pre-World Cup friendlies in other cities in late May and early June.)
Here’s how we see the roster battles playing out as 2025 comes to an end.
Matt Freese might have established himself as the first choice at goalkeeper.Michael Pimentel / ISI Photos via Getty Images
Goalkeepers
Locks: Matt Freese
Confident: None
In consideration: Chris Brady, Roman Celentano, Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Jonathan Klinsmann
Stock up: None
Stock down: Turner
Tenorio: Pochettino has made one lineup preference clear in his time as U.S. coach: Freese appears to be locked in as No. 1. Everything behind him is up in the air. I am not sure if Matt Turner can play his way back into this U.S. roster with a strong first half of the season with New England, or if Pochettino will opt for a less-experienced option behind Freese.
Bushnell: I’m sure Turner can play his way back in. Can. However, beyond Freese, we have no idea how Pochettino rates his half-dozen backup options because he never plays any of them!
Defender Tim Ream is as popular with USMNT fans as he is with coach Mauricio Pochettino.Howard Smith / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Center backs
Locks: Chris Richards, Tim Ream
Confident: Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson
In consideration: Noahkai Banks, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Walker Zimmerman
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Stock up: McKenzie, Robinson
Stock down: Carter-Vickers
Tenorio: Behind the two players who have been starters in many games under Pochettino, McKenzie and Robinson have been consistent call-ups. McKenzie wore the captain’s armband against Uruguay, which has to be a good sign for his standing. Pochettino has options at the position now. Both Freeman and Scally have played well at the hybrid No. 3 center back/fullback role. Pochettino could bring in four natural center backs, as those two will be considered options in this position group. He might also look to bring in a player like Zimmerman as a sort of “specialist” at the position — a player you bring in at the end of the game, like against Iran in 2022, who can help close out a game by winning headers.
Bushnell: Last month, I was convinced that Zimmerman would go in the “specialist” role. Now, I’m not so sure. The top four have seemingly separated themselves. I almost think the biggest question is: could McKenzie or Robinson displace Ream, or capably deputize if Ream declines? Ream has immense value as a leader. But solely as a soccer player, at 38, he has become one of the potential question marks in the starting 11. We’ll see in March and June how locked into the second starting spot he is.
Fullbacks/wingbacks
Locks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson
Confident: Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman
In consideration: Joe Scally, John Tolkin
Stock up: Arfsten, Freeman, Scally
Stock down: None
Tenorio: With Robinson’s health very much up in the air, Arfsten has performed well since the U.S. moved to a formation that sees the left-back play more like an attacking wing-back. Meanwhile, Freeman’s two-goal performance out of the right center-back/right-back role on Tuesday night in Tampa all but cemented him a spot at the World Cup. Two players, mainly off the radar, entering the Gold Cup could feasibly start at the World Cup. Scally also helped himself in this camp with his versatility, playing inside and outside on the back line.
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Bushnell: For years, the full-back position has been hounded by depth concerns. If Robinson had been struggling with a knee injury in the buildup to the 2022 World Cup, what the heck would that USMNT have done? This USMNT, on the other hand, now seems to have capable backups on both sides. And given the positional flexibility of many of the players in contention here, it’s possible, if not likely, that we’ll see all five of Dest, Robinson, Arfsten, Freeman and Scally — plus Weah, who’s a candidate to start at wing-back on either side — at the World Cup.
Could Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter both play their way onto the USA’s 2026 World Cup squad?Howard Smith / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Central midfielders
Locks: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie
Confident: Tanner Tessmann
In consideration: Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan
Stock up: Berhalter, Roldan, Tessmann
Stock down: Cardoso, Musah
Tenorio: Tessmann was good against Paraguay and seems to be the best option to start next to Adams if Pochettino decides the Bournemouth midfielder is a player he wants on the field. McKennie is an interesting one, because he probably fits into the attacking midfield spot under Pochettino. I don’t see him as a fit to pair with Adams. Pochettino should want players like Tessmann or Roldan to sit deeper and let Adams do what he does at a world-class level: break things up, make interceptions and press like crazy. Berhalter’s continued effectiveness on set pieces, along with his fight and aggressiveness, might earn him a place on the World Cup team.
Bushnell: The biggest loser of the window was Musah. Pochettino made the semi-bold call to exclude him from all three fall camps after the versatile midfielder opted out of the Gold Cup. And the players who were called instead validated Pochettino’s decision. At this point, it would be unsurprising if Musah doesn’t get another shot under Pochettino — and, frankly, it would be surprising if he does get the call in March. The other question mark is Cardoso. What if he returns to full health and starts playing regularly at Atlético Madrid? However, that ship might have sailed too, because there’s no glaring need for him. Perhaps we’re overreacting to Berhalter’s performance on Tuesday, but the World Cup group appears to have taken shape.
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Attacking midfielders/wingers
Locks: Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah
Confident: None
In consideration: Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas
Stock up: Reyna
Stock down: Zendejas
Tenorio: Luna scored against Uruguay and didn’t necessarily move down in his standing, but the reality is that many players are showing reasons why they deserve serious consideration for a spot on the World Cup roster. Reyna had a goal and an assist in this window. If he’s healthy — and that’s a big if — he has a good chance to be on this team. Aaronson is starting every week in the Premier League and has a different defensive work rate than others at this position. Pochettino could have the “good dilemma” of picking a starter next to Pulisic between Tillman, Reyna and McKennie.
Bushnell: I still can’t see Reyna in the starting 11. But he was, without a doubt, the biggest winner of this November window. Because he didn’t just play well; he reminded us (and coaches) that he can still play well for the national team even if he’s not playing well (or playing much at all) for his club. That’s why he’s suddenly more likely to make the World Cup roster than miss it. I struggle with projecting this position, though, because it doesn’t seem necessary to take all six of Pulisic, Tillman, McKennie, Reyna, Aaronson and Luna if only two of them, or at maximum three, are going to be on the field at once. However, maybe that’s where the expansion of rosters to 26 comes in handy.
A big season for Derby County could propel Patrick Agyemang onto the World Cup roster.Martin Rickett / PA Images via Getty Images
Strikers
Locks: Folarin Balogun
Confident: None
In consideration: Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Brian White, Haji Wright
Stock up: Wright
Stock down: Sargent
Tenorio: Three starts and three goals for Balogun put him on the “locks” list. Wright and Pepi are the most likely to win World Cup spots if they are healthy and scoring. Still, I’m not ruling out Agyemang — nor even Pochettino bringing four strikers with Agyemang seen as the “specialist” late in games, much in the same way as Zimmerman, only at the opposite end of the field.
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Bushnell: I’d argue that Wright belongs in the “confident” category. He didn’t score Tuesday night but was active and part of the strong team performance. He’s clearly the No. 2 option at this point. Of course, that could change between now and June. Strikers, perhaps more so than anybody else, are subject to fluctuations in form. If Agyemang has a strong season in the Championship, I think we’ll likely see him in March and maybe in June. But the three in camp this month are definitely the top three. I don’t believe Sargent will get another chance this cycle.
USMNT 2026 World Cup roster projection
(As of November 2025)
Goalkeepers (3): Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner
Center backs (5): Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally
Fullbacks/wingbacks (4): Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson
Central midfielders (4): Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann
Attacking midfielders/wingers (7): Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright
USMNT’s reality has shifted, and Pochettino now has dreams of ‘impossible’ World Cup run
Nov. 19, 2025Updated Nov. 20, 2025 4:35 am EST
Follow The Athletic’s live coverage of today’s World Cup play-off draws.
TAMPA, Fla. — It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was just June 10 that a heavily-rotated U.S. men’s national team squad was played off the field against Switzerland.
So when Mauricio Pochettino named a starting lineup for Tuesday night’s friendly against Uruguay that featured nine new starters from the team that beat Paraguay three days before, it was understandable why some might have braced for a similar outcome. Uruguay, after all, was probably the most talented team the U.S. had seen since South Korea in September — and was playing some of its most important players.
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Instead, the U.S. overwhelmed and steamrolled Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium, scoring three goals in the first 30 minutes en route to a decisive and signature 5-1 victory.
It spoke to the sheer amount of progress Pochettino had made in a short time with this U.S. team, not just in building out depth in the pool, but in building belief within that expanded pool of players. That he could field one team that looked like by far the better side against Paraguay, then change out so many players and get an even more impressive performance was a testament to that progress.
After the game, Pochettino’s press conference started with a surprisingly combative and fiery response to a question about what it meant to get such a positive result despite, “a lot of regulars rested.” Pochettino took it as an attack on the identity he was trying to build in the team; the identity that the result in question was meant to reinforce.
“I don’t want to be negative, no, but I hate the ‘no regular players’ (question). What does this mean? It’s (the) USA playing, it’s the national team,” he said. “Stop with that mindset. Every time our decision to pick a starting XI, it’s the U.S. men’s national team playing. If you know me, I hate to talk this way. It’s so disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys.”
The focus on that word — ”regulars” — cut to the core of what Pochettino feels he has had to overcome. It has been a theme of his for months now. He has worked to cut the legs out from any sort of complacency or entitlement within the group. And to change the mentality outside of the group, as well. The talk about a “golden generation” had to end.
It was a journey that he said truly started after March’s Nations League, when losses to Panama and Canada sent this U.S. team reeling, but one he hopes ends with this team taking its chance and making a dream run to the decisive stages of next summer’s World Cup.What You Should Read NextGio Reyna still has a World Cup pulse after being USMNT’s ‘nightmare for Paraguay’Mauricio Pochettino referred to Reyna as a “special situation” given his U.S. inclusion despite a lack of recent playing time. We saw why
The defeats to the pair of Concacaf rivals in March’s Nations League felt like a sobering moment for a U.S. team that may have been hoping that changing the coach would be like pushing a fix-it button.
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There had been so much hope and optimism around the U.S. team going into the 2024 Copa América only for them to fall in the group stage. After firing Gregg Berhalter and hiring Pochettino, the belief was that things would get back on track immediately.
The problems ran deeper than that. Pochettino felt the focus wasn’t there in camp. He could sense contentment and laxity.
“I think that March (was the turning point). I think with all that negativity, (comes) positive things, because with all this negativity we used (it) to build that journey,” Pochettino said. “Sometimes this type of thing can happen, for changing things. Maybe you see things in a different way. Sometimes our perception, sometimes can be wrong. Even being inside. And that I think when the reality touch, I think that’s important.”
A turning point for Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT: defeat to Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in March 2025Kevork Djansezian / USSF / Getty Images
It was, in other words, a moment for the U.S. team to come back down to reality.
Whatever the U.S. and its players thought they were — it wasn’t and they weren’t that. If Pochettino was going to change the mentality of the group, he was going to have to manufacture competition that hadn’t existed to a high enough degree in the first years of this cycle.
The ensuing months were spent breaking things down and building them back up again.
“I think that was good for us to see the reality,” Pochettino said. “When you really touch the reality, and it’s not the reality that you perceive, or you were convinced was different, I think this is a good point to be.”
The revamp started in the Gold Cup camp with players who mostly had everything to prove.
Going into the Gold Cup, the absence of players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Yunus Musah – “regulars,” if you will, even though Pochettino won’t – opened the door for others to step through. Pochettino leaned into the opportunity. He threw the players onto the field and challenged them to prove they belonged.
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Even after the Switzerland loss, Pochettino didn’t lose faith in the group he believed could deliver an important message: that there was more talent in this U.S. pool than was being given credit. They just needed the chance. While just two players — Mark McKenzie and Sebastian Berhalter — were in the starting lineup for both the Switzerland loss and Uruguay triumph, a number of other players who featured in two big wins this window were a part of that game, against the Swiss, including Max Arfsten, John Tolkin, Diego Luna, Tim Ream and Brenden Aaronson.
Other players, like Malik Tillman, Matt Freese and Alex Freeman turned the Gold Cup — where the U.S. made a run to the final before falling to Mexico — into important jobs with the U.S.
Mauricio Pochettino puts his arm around Sebastian Berhalter during Tuesday’s rout of UruguayNathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images
“We know exactly the big group of players that we can rely on,” Pochettino’s assistant Jesús Pérez said. “Depending on the circumstances, now it’s a matter of state and injuries. But we know (for example), if we call Alex Freeman, what Alex can give us. When we gave him the opportunity, we saw the potential. And now (he is) just getting better for the national team, for his club.”
It was, Pochettino said, simply a matter of providing the platform and the belief.
The results weren’t perfect. But the tournament was less about the results and more about building a different mentality within the pool at large: No one’s job was secured. Everyone had a chance to book a ticket to the World Cup.
“At the end of the day, the principles of the games are there. … But none of them are going to be right if you are not fully committed,” Pérez said. “Fully committed with no doubts. And that’s the basics. So before we talk (about) other things, we [must] feel that we have a group really committed. And if (there) was some noise around those circumstances, I think everything (is now) clear.”
And it was that clarity — that commitment — that Pochettino felt he had to defend after the decisive victory that closed out 2025 on an enormously positive note for this U.S. team.
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On Tuesday night, it was some of the new faces that emerged over the last few months that reignited belief that this U.S. team might be capable of making noise at next summer’s World Cup.
Berhalter stung a beautiful finish into the upper corner to start the scoring. Freeman netted the next two. Luna added the fourth.
This is what Pochettino aimed for when he built out his Gold Cup roster. Whether it was Pulisic, McKennie and Weah, or Berhalter, Freeman and Luna, Pochettino was convinced the results could be the same. And that the belief in the team should be the same, too. There are no regulars.
In part because of that depth that has been built out, the U.S. is unbeaten in its last five games against FIFA top-40 opponents for the first time since 2013. It feels like a completely different world than it did less than half a year ago.
“It’s a testament to the culture that we’re building,” McKenzie said. “It shows, again, the faith that Mauricio has in this team and that the collective have in one another. We’re building something special. We have a real brotherhood, a band of guys who are going to go out there and not only play with pride to represent our country, but play for the guys next to us.”
It has been a steady drumbeat of positivity around this U.S. team since it downed Japan in September. Players have looked more confident on the field. There seems to be a strong understanding of how they want to play and what the staff is looking for in the team’s approach to games. There has also been less concern or talk about intensity or desire. The complacency that Pochettino was combatting is gone.
Tanner Tessmann celebrates his goal for USA vs Uruguay, with Mark McKenzie joining inHoward Smith / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Two days before taking the field against Uruguay, Pochettino weaponized the idea of “reality” differently. He could sense the confidence building in front of him. In camp, Pochettino contrasted this team to what it looked like in March, calling it the epitome of “professional.” There was no “silly or stupid” things that happened away from the field.
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“The focus, the concentration to perform, to train, to do everything that we propose (was there),” he said.
The reality now, he said, is better than what we might even think. And it’s forever away from where it was in March. Sensing that change, in a meeting with the team on Sunday, he reintroduced the goals going into the World Cup.
“Let’s be realistic,” Pochettino told the team. “And do the impossible.”
It was about reaching for big goals again. To compete against the best. The team’s reality could again be linked to its ambition.
With their heads now out of the clouds, and with the results coming and things clicking on and off the field, the focus could start to once again shift toward next summer and the task at hand. This U.S. team has a chance to do something special in the biggest sports event of all time. To do so, it’ll have to make a run deep into the knockout phase — to the quarterfinals or semifinals. The type of performance that would galvanize the nation.
“We’re starting to feel the World Cup and the excitement,” Pochettino said. “I think it’s important for our fans, this type of victory and the result, because I think it’s to push them to really believe in the team. We never doubted, because we saw the quality of the players. It was only to trust in them and to give the possibility to find a way to perform, to behave in the way that we feel in football, what it means to be professional. In all the areas I think we need to improve, because we are very ambitious and we want to win. We want to challenge all the teams. … Of course, the World Cup is going to be different, but I think we need to prepare ourselves to be there and to and to really believe in our chance.”The further this U.S. team goes in the World Cup, the greater the impact on the sport in this country. If it can continue to build the way it has over the last five months, then the influence of this team and the 2026 World Cup could be as transformational as people hope.By Paul Tenorio Senior Writer, MLS
In defending USMNT depth, Pochettino annoyed by questions after Uruguay win
Rich Storry / Getty ImagesBy Tom BogertNov. 18, 2025Updated Nov. 20, 2025 4:37 am EST
Follow The Athletic’s live coverage of today’s World Cup play-off draws.
Emerging from the locker room following his team’s huge 5-1 win over Uruguay Tuesday night in Tampa, Fla., U.S. national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino didn’t like the first question at his press conference. He didn’t like the second, either.
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Both queries were meant to indicate the program’s depth. Few – if any – of the consensus “regular starters” actually started.
It’s that phrase Pochettino dug his feet in on and didn’t give an inch.
“I hate the ‘no regular players’ (question),” Pochettino said. “What does this mean? It’s USA playing, it’s the national team. Stop with that mindset. Every time our decision to pick a starting XI, it’s the U.S. men’s national team playing.”
Pochettino changed nine players from the XI that started in a win over Paraguay on Saturday. This from a squad that is already missing stalwarts Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and more.
In their place, goalscorers Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman (two), Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann led the way for the USMNT.
“If you know me, I hate to talk this way,” Pochettino said when asked about players missing. “It’s so disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys.”
Pochettino consistently preaches fight, competitiveness and togetherness from his teams. He has pushed back hard at the notion that any roster spot is guaranteed at any time. Players need to consistently fight to earn their place on the roster and in the starting XI.
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And he has put that methodology into practice by creating internal competition. The USMNT has called up 71 players to camps in this calendar year. By next summer, only 26 can make the final roster for the World Cup. It’s a huge pool and competition is a feature, not a bug, under Pochettino.
“I am the USA coach. Tell me which ‘regular players’ you are talking about?” Pochettino asked indignantly. “I don’t understand.”
What was expected to be a joyful press conference given the match that preceded it quickly went off the rails and never got back on track.
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“Maybe we need to stop the press conference, I need to go to the dressing room, come back and start the press conference again,” Pochettino said with a laugh, “because it’s like we lost 5-1!”
Soon after, Pochettino was asked if Berhalter’s exquisite goal from a free kick – which was rolled short and touched back to Berhalter before he curled it into the top corner – was rehearsed in training or improvised in the moment.
Pochettino threw his hands up and sarcastically – we think – said: “No, it happened by coincidence.”
Sebastian Berhalter was one of the stars of the USMNT’s show in a 5-1 rout of UruguayMiguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo /AFP / Getty Images
There were few big breakdowns of individual performances, like Berhalter, who boosted his chances of making the World Cup squad in a hugely competitive midfield pool. His set-piece delivery alone turned heads, with a goal and assist, let alone his box-to-box performance in the run of play.
Nor was there another shout out to Gio Reyna, who came off the bench for 30 minutes to add an assist after scoring against Paraguay in his return to the national team.
Pochettino, perhaps feeling a need to fight for and protect the group as a whole, insisted the day was about the group of players as a collective.
“To be honest, maybe I’m tired and don’t understand the English (questions), but I’m very disappointed at the first two questions,” he said.
No matter what questions were asked or performances given, the USMNT has now put together a five-game unbeaten run (4-0-1) since a disastrous performance against South Korea in September.While the national team won’t reconvene for four months, the group departs on a hugely positive note, with strong results fueled by strong performances.
Pulisic, Richards, Adams, Weah, McKennie and Robinson could all feasibly be back in frame by the spring, but the coaches don’t want to look at that. They are proud of the present group – the one that delivered in November.“The credit is all to the players,” Pochettino insisted.
By Tom Bogert Senior Writer, US Soccer
TAFC: USMNT show they mean business. Plus: Ronaldo’s White House visit and Scotland’s World Cup dream
Sebastian Berhalter celebrates scoring the United States’ first goal against Uruguay Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo
By Phil Hay
Nov. 19, 2025
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Hello! The USMNT smashed Uruguay, and Cristiano Ronaldo showed up at the White House. Just another night in American soccer.
Coming up:
- Pochettino’s boys run riot
- Trump and Ronaldo meet
- Curacao’s World Cup history
- It’s great being Scottish (really)
USMNT on the up: How did they thrash Uruguay?
Sebastian Berhalter’s openerTNT Sports U.S./X
The USMNT are nothing if not an enigma. A short while ago, confidence in them peaking for the World Cup was brittle, to say the least. By Monday, after a solid win against Paraguay, TAFC cautiously suggested they might be on course to peak at the right time. This morning, we’re hoping they aren’t peaking too soon.
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These incremental stages of improvement carried them to a savage 5-1 victory against Uruguay yesterday, a result like no other in Mauricio Pochettino’s reign to date. When the USMNT turn out next — during the round of international matches planned for March — it will almost be showtime. Whisper it gently, but Poch’s squad could be ready.
His early months in the job were those of a blindfolded man feeling his way through the jungle, but through a fair amount of foul weather, he’s roughly where he’d want to be six months away from a home World Cup co-hosted with Canada and Mexico. Make no mistake: friendly or not, their hammering of Uruguay is a statement result, one that leaves Uruguay’s celebrated head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, with plenty to stew on.
Uruguay were weakened — no Federico Valverde, no Darwin Nunez — but so were the USMNT. Pochettino made nine changes without his side missing a beat. His line-up will look different on day one of the World Cup (that goes without saying), but the roster has started to ooze tangible depth. Competition for places is real, a point Pochettino made in spiky fashion when he was asked about the absence of “regular starters” Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Tyler Adams, et al.
Plainly, he didn’t like the questions, and his press conference got strangely heated considering the scoreline. “I hate the ‘no regular players’ (narrative),” he said. “What does this mean? It’s the national team. Stop with that mindset. It’s disrespectful. We need to give credit to all of the guys.”
His little digs at mentality in the States grated at first. Now it feels like they’re starting to land positively.
Poch is on a roll
Mauricio Pochettino with Marcelo Bielsa before the gameMiguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images
At the weekend, Gio Reyna put his hand up for a World Cup place, reappearing from the wilderness to score early against Paraguay. In Florida last night, Alex Freeman and Sebastian Berhalter stepped forward, Berhalter assisting and scoring (GIF at top of section) and Freeman scoring twice from the right side of Pochettino’s defensive back three.
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Berhalter, who is on the rise, had never notched for the national team before. Freeman, as our U.S. writers note here, faces top-class rivals down the right in Sergino Dest and Tim Weah, but by playing so well, the Orlando City defender gave Pochettino food for thought. This is a sea change. For a while, Poch must have wondered how much padding he would have to put on the fringes of his 26-man World Cup squad. Suddenly, he’s got the unenviable decision of figuring out who to disappoint.
As for Uruguay, you fear they are slowly unravelling. They showed huge promise under Bielsa initially, but they haven’t cut a wholly happy camp since the 2024 Copa America, and you’ll recall the stinging criticism of Bielsa’s regime by Luis Suarez. They lost Rodrigo Bentancur to a red card yesterday, but, truthfully, the game was done by then. Poch is on a roll. Uruguay’s performance speaks of trouble in paradise.
News Round-Up
- We saw a fantastic piece of World Cup history made last night: the Caribbean island of Curacao became the smallest nation to make it, surpassing Iceland for that record. A 0-0 draw with Jamaica got them there, and Laurie Whitwell was in town to experience the wave of euphoria. The result spelled the end for Steve McClaren, who swiftly resigned as Jamaica coach.
- If you want to keep track of all the countries that have qualified for 2026, we’re maintaining an up-to-date list here. A mere six spots remain vacant. The glaring absentees at this stage are Italy.
- Court documents in the U.S. show that high-profile football agent Jonathan Barnett is under criminal investigation in the UK after being accused of rape, torture and trafficking. He denies the allegations.
- The trial of a man charged with 31 alleged offences after a car was driven into crowds at Liverpool’s Premier League title parade in May will start next week. Paul Doyle, 53, of West Derby, Liverpool, has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
- Arsenal have confirmed their sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda will end in June 2026 after eight seasons. The association with the east African country drew criticism over human rights concerns.
- Arsenal, meanwhile, have suffered an on-field blow with the Premier League season set to resume: defender Gabriel is expected to miss up to two months with a thigh injury suffered on international duty.
Ronaldo’s D.C. visit: Portugal star attends dinner with Trump
Cristiano Ronaldo at the dinner (Anna Rose Layden/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to the United States was in the diary from the moment he and Portugal qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday. In fact, two appearances are anticipated next year: at the finals themselves, and in an earlier friendly between Portugal and the USMNT, planned for Atlanta in March.
These are rare commitments in that part of the globe because Ronaldo, despite his gargantuan profile, hadn’t been spotted in the U.S. for years. In 2017, German outlet Der Spiegel revealed details of an alleged sexual assault involving him and model Kathryn Mayorga in Las Vegas in 2009. Ronaldo always strenuously denied the allegations, and charges have never been brought against him.
His absence from the States ended yesterday in the most high-profile manner: at a gala dinner hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House. Ronaldo, it appears, spoke with Trump in person beforehand and met with his son, Barron. “My son is a big fan of Ronaldo,” Trump said. “Barron got to meet him and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact I introduced you.”
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Ronaldo’s attendance coincided with diplomatic talks between Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman. The purpose of his visit isn’t clear — Henry Bushnell tried to make sense of it for us — but as the Saudi Pro League’s superstar name with Al Nassr, his links to the Gulf state speak for themselves. His trip to Washington, D.C. also follows appearances by FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the Oval Office, and it’s hard to think of a time when American politics and soccer were more intertwined than this.
Choose Scotland: McTominay inspires his nation to the World Cup
Scott McTominay’s overhead kick against DenmarkBBC Sport Scotland/X
If you’re familiar with the 1996 film Trainspotting (and if not, why not?), you’ll know the scene in which the main character, Mark Renton, is asked if he’s proud to be Scottish. “It’s s***e being Scottish,” he shouts back.
That, in essence, was the tone of many match reports as Scotland’s national team blundered into added time last night, level at 2-2 with Denmark in a World Cup qualifier in Glasgow they had to win. Never mind Scott McTominay’s brilliant overhead opener after just three minutes, above. Never mind the red card shown to Denmark’s Rasmus Kristensen. That old quote was ringing in our ears.
And then… well, Scotland’s World Cup bid chose life. Kieran Tierney curled in a cracker on 93 minutes. Kenny McLean made it 4-2 with a lob from his own half, below. We’re off to the World Cup finals rather than a World Cup play-off — ending an absence stretching back to 1998 — and I woke up believing there is a God. It doesn’t mean Renton was wholly wrong, but it’s true what they say: every dog has its day.
Kenny McLean’s goal from the halfway lineBBC Sport Scotland/X
Around TAFC
- Football has become extraordinarily litigious. The charges brought by the Premier League against Manchester City — still no sign of white smoke there — are merely part of a trend across the game. It’s harvest time for the legal fraternity, as Phil Buckingham writes.
- Mariano Diaz was the man who took Cristiano Ronaldo’s No 7 shirt at Real Madrid. It didn’t really work out for him, but he’s the ideal person to offer advice to Endrick, a prospect struggling to make the grade at the Bernabeu. Guillermo Rai spoke to Mariano.
- Get stuck into this beauty of a tactical read from Anantaajith Raghuraman on the evolution of Pep Guardiola as a coach, following his 1,000th match in management. It tracks Guardiola’s path through Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.
- NHL icon Wayne Gretzky showed up to speak to Canada’s squad before their friendly against Venezuela. The pep talk did the trick: Canada won 2-0.
- Most clicked in Tuesday’s TAFC: Trump’s latest World Cup host city threats.
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