Mauricio Pochettino named his 25-man USMNT roster on Wednesday for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti, and six of the players are from the birth years we rank at YSC.
Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Adri Mehmeti, Mathis Albert, Justin Ellis and Neil Pierre are all in. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun are also back.
Why these games matter for the kids
These are competitive matches, not friendlies. That means several dual-eligible young players could become cap-tied to the United States by playing against Haiti, including Hall, Pierre, Albert and Mehmeti. The quarterfinal also decides who reaches the Nations League Finals in March and earns a spot in the 2027 Gold Cup.
Sullivan's inclusion comes right after he returned from an ankle injury. He played the final 30 minutes at Cincinnati on Oct. 31.
The full roster
Goalkeepers: Matt Freese (NYCFC), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville SC)
Defenders: Reed Baker-Whiting (Nashville SC), George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion), Sergiño Dest (PSV), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia Union), Bryan Reynolds (Rennes), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic)
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Santiago Castañeda (Paderborn), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
Forwards: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Justin Ellis (Orlando City), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union)
Who missed out
Baker-Whiting and Castañeda are the only uncapped players in camp. Young names not on this roster include Peyton Miller, Zavier Gozo, Cole Campbell and Brooklyn Raines, who all return to their clubs. Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson, Joe Scally and Yunus Musah are also out.
The schedule
First leg: Saturday, Nov. 14, at Nu Stadium in Miami. It's Haiti's home game, because Haiti can't host matches at home.
Second leg: Tuesday, Nov. 17, in Cincinnati.
Sources: NBC Sports, Goal
