USMNT sets its training camp roster ahead of Copa Amrica
Coach Gregg Berhalter on Monday set the U.S. men’s national soccer team roster for training camp ahead of two heavyweight friendlies. For all intents and purposes, though, the group that will begin arriving in Washington next week will remain together for more than a month.
With Copa América, the storied South American competition taking place across the United States, on the horizon, Berhalter named 27 players for tuneups against Colombia on June 8 in Landover, Md., and against Brazil on June 12 in Orlando. Soon thereafter, he will finalize the Copa América squad of up to 26 players.
Though almost everyone will stay on for the tournament, “It isn’t set in stone,” Berhalter said.
“We want to have a good training camp,” he said. “We want to have some good performances against Colombia and Brazil. And we have to monitor a couple players from their fitness standpoint and then a couple others for how they’re performing.”
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The Americans enter group play against Bolivia on June 23 in Arlington, Tex. They also face Panama on June 27 in Atlanta and Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas City, Mo.
If they finish as one of the group’s top two teams, they are likely to play Brazil or Colombia in the quarterfinals. World Cup champion Argentina is the favorite in the 16-team tournament, which will provide Berhalter’s team with its most pressure-filled tests before the 2026 World Cup is held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
With the exception of injured right back Sergiño Dest, Berhalter was able to select all of his regulars, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. Pulisic is enjoying the best season of his career, with 12 goals for AC Milan in league play and 15 overall.
The only surprise pick was Los Angeles FC midfielder Timmy Tillman, who debuted with the national team in January.
Notable omissions were Wolfsburg winger Kevin Paredes, the former D.C. United homegrown who, because of his age, is expected to instead join the U.S. under-23 squad at the Paris Olympics this summer; Germany-based midfielder Lennard Maloney; Mexico-based attackers Alejandro Zendejas and Brandon Vázquez; and Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty.
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Vazquez and Trusty are under consideration as overage selections for the Olympic squad, Berhalter said. (Olympic men’s teams are allowed three over-23 players.)
“We were looking at players that could have potentially been on this [senior] roster but would have gotten more playing time with the Olympic group,” Berhalter said. “And we decided that’s the best possible option for us to really give a broader player pool international experience in good competition this summer.”
Forward Josh Sargent (16 goals for Norwich City) will be in camp for the first time since the 2022 World Cup after an injury forced him to withdraw before the Concacaf Nations League camp in March. He was among four strikers named to the squad, though Berhalter said Haji Wright, who scored twice in the Nations League semifinal against Jamaica in March, is better equipped to play on the wing.
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“It’s related to how he moves and how he is able to get chances that generally come from wider positions,” Berhalter said. “And with us lacking some depth [at wing], we think it’s a great option to move him into that position.”
World Cup veterans Cameron Carter-Vickers, Luca de la Torre and Sean Johnson will make their first camp appearances of 2024.
All but four players are employed by European clubs. The exceptions are Tillman, Johnson (Toronto FC) and defenders Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati) and Shaq Moore (Nashville SC). Tillman’s younger brother, Malik, has been a U.S. regular since 2022.
As of last week, more than 40,000 tickets had been sold for the friendly against Colombia. The U.S. team’s seven-match winless streak against Colombia is its second-longest against any opponent, trailing its 11-game skid against Brazil.
U.S. roster
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Sean Johnson (Toronto FC), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest).
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Defenders: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Tim Ream (Fulham), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Mönchengladbach).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Timmy Tillman (Los Angeles FC).
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Juventus), Haji Wright (Coventry City).
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