Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie headline a 26-strong squad named Thursday by USA manager Mauricio Pochettino for two October friendlies. McKennie, who hasn’t played for the United States since March as Pochettino opted to run the rule over less tested players, is among several key returnees. That includes Fulham defender Antonee Robinson, who is poised to make his first appearance of the year after recovering from a spate of injuries. Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann are also back as Pochettino called in 15 players who were not part of his September training camp.
The United States will host Ecuador in a friendly in Austin, Texas, on October 10. Four days later they will play Australia in Commerce City, Colorado. All three countries have already qualified for next year’s World Cup being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Pulisic arrives in red-hot form with six goals in seven matches for Milan this season.
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Pochettino, who sparred with Pulisic over his decision to opt out of the Gold Cup this year after a demanding Serie A campaign, told reporters on a conference call on Thursday that Pulisic is “the most important player now for the national team.” But Pochettino reiterated that he expects all players to be ready to prove their case for eventual inclusion in the World Cup squad, saying no one should take it as a given.
“It’s not because your name is one or another, you are going to have the place sure in the roster for the World Cup,” he said. “That, I think, is an idea that we were fighting in the last year to try to fix: change the culture, change the vision, change the idea of, ‘OK, because in the past I perform in some way, or because I did well four years ago, now I am right to come and to use my place, because that is my place.’ And I think that is changed a lot.”
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