Mauricio Pochettino has named a U.S. men’s national team roster that mixes an influx of teenagers with returning World Cup-era veterans as the Americans prepare for a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti.
An astonishing 24% of the roster are teenagers — Cavan Sullivan, Justin Ellis, Julian Hall, Mathis Albert, Adri Mehmeti and Neil Pierre — all of whom earned their first senior caps in September. The young players impressed in four friendly wins, with Hall registering three goals and an assist and Ellis scoring twice.
Mathis Albert became the youngest goalscorer in national-team history only to have that mark surpassed days later by Cavan Sullivan. Their performances in low-stakes friendlies pushed Pochettino to keep the newcomers in the squad for competitive matches.
The teenagers will be joined by several of the USMNT’s established names. Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun return to the team for the first time since the World Cup, and Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Antonee Robinson and Chris Richards are also included.
Pochettino faces the task of integrating prodigious talent into an established system. The veterans built rapport over multiple years, helped the U.S. win its World Cup group and a knockout-stage match four months ago, and the team has relied on an aggressive press that both protected the defense and created attacking opportunities.
The Nations League quarterfinal offers a comparatively gentle introduction for the teenagers. Haiti, ranked 84th in the world, sits 68 spots below the United States, and Haiti has moved the home leg to Miami for security reasons, meaning the Americans will play all 180 minutes on U.S. soil between Florida and Ohio. Those conditions give the newcomers a chance to adapt to the system in meaningful games.
