Category: USMNT

McKennie: I’ve changed some minds at Juventus

The midfielder is back in the mix after reports this summer that he was set to be shipped out

Weston McKennie believes he has changed some minds at Juventus after reports this summer that he was no longer in the club’s plans.

The U.S. men’s national team midfielder was reportedly set to be excluded from the club’s preseason tour of the United States, but ended up making the trip and showed well, earning another chance with the Serie A giants.

McKennie has played in all three of Juventus’s league games thus far and started one, as he’s slotted in at an unfamiliar right wingback role.

Speaking to reporters at USMNT camp on Thursday, McKennie said he felt as though he started from scratch this summer after returning from a difficult loan spell at Leeds.

“Things happen so fast,” he said. “Things can change within a day, things can change within a week. For me, my biggest challenge to myself was just to take care of my body and come back to preseason prepared, and not give anyone anything to talk about or try and bring up about me.”

“Coming back [to Juventus] I felt like I started back at square zero,” McKennie continued. “But it was a challenge I think I needed at this time in my career. I still have to prove to people that I’m still the player that I am, the player that they know I can be. So going into preseason in America I just wanted to put on good performances, which I think I did. I think it helped change the minds of some people. So we’ll see where it goes from here.”

McKennie subbed into Juve’s first two games in place of his USMNT teammate Tim Weah, who has been the club’s starting right wingback in the early going. In the team’s third game, McKennie started at right wingback and was replaced by Weah.

McKennie, sitting next to Weah, pointed to his teammate for club and country and said: “You’re looking at starting right wingback and backup right wingback right now,” before touching on the pair’s differing roles for Juventus and the USMNT.

“Here I’m seen as a No. 8 and Timmy is seen as a winger and club team, [Weah is] right wingback and [I’m] right wingback-slash-midfielder,” McKennie said.

“With us being able to play so many different positions and being able to adapt to so many situations and roles, I think it’s a good quality to have. I don’t think that we really stress that much about it. We both love one thing that I know for sure, [that] is to win.”

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Pulisic wants to see some of those Messi-watching celebs at USMNT games

Note to Prince Harry and Leonardo DiCaprio: The USMNT star wants you!

A plethora of A-list celebrities were in the crowd on Sunday in Los Angeles, catching a glimpse of Lionel Messi as he starred for Inter Miami in a 3-1 win at LAFC.

Seeing the likes of Owen Wilson, Prince Harry, Selena Gomez, Edward Norton and Leonardo DiCaprio at BMO Stadium has led Christian Pulisic to wonder: Where are all those celebs when the U.S. men’s national team is playing?

MLS posted a video on Instagram highlighting the star power in the stands on Sunday, to which Pulisic responded on his own Instagram story.

“Let them know they’re invited to U.S. national team games too,” the USMNT star said with a laughing emoji.

To be fair to said celebs (or at least the LA-based ones), the USMNT doesn’t give them a whole lot of big occasions at which they can make their presence known.

Outside of winter camp friendlies involving squads full of reserve players, the last time the USMNT played a game in the Los Angeles area was the CONCACAF Cup against Mexico at the Rose Bowl in 2015.

Mexico won that game 3-2 in front of a very pro-El Tri crowd in Pasadena.

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The Americans Abroad Five: PSV showing promise for USMNT trio

Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi should all be big factors for the Dutch giants this season

In the span of just a few months, PSV became one of the first clubs on the list of anyone monitoring Americans Abroad.

Three players who figure to play a key role over the next decade for the U.S. men’s national team — Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi — all joined the Dutch giants over the summer.

The transformation of PSV into a hub for Americans is largely due to Earnie Stewart, the former sporting director of U.S. Soccer who now holds the same position with PSV.

The season is still young, but there are some promising signs coming out of Eindhoven for all three USMNT players.

Dest looks to be the player who’s immediately benefitted the most, but Tillman and Pepi can also be encouraged by their first month at the club.

Let’s kick off this week’s Five with a look at PSV’s American trio.

USMNT adds Tanner Tessmann to roster for Uzbekistan, Oman friendlies

A big opportunity for the Venezia midfielder

Tanner Tessmann has been called in for the U.S. men’s national team’s September friendlies.

The 21-year-old will replace Johnny Cardoso on the USMNT roster after the Brazil-based midfielder had to withdraw due to an ankle injury. The U.S. faces Uzbekistan on September 9 in St. Louis, followed by a match against Oman in St. Paul, Minn. three days later.

Tessmann has been ever-present for Venezia in Serie B this season, and scored an 89th minute winner for the club on Wednesday.

Previously, Tessman had just one cap: a 12-minute appearance off the bench against Trinidad and Tobago in 2021. Since then, Tessmann completed a move to Italy, and over the past couple of seasons has progressed from oft-used late-game sub to a regular starter.

Big opportunity for Tessmann

With Tyler Adams missing out as he completes his recovery from a severe hamstring strain, the USMNT squad for this window doesn’t include a natural No. 6.

Gregg Berhalter’s original squad included Cardoso, Benjamin Cremaschi, Luca de la Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman, all of whom normally play as box-to-box or attacking midfielders. The safe presumption for this window was that Musah — who has shown well with the USMNT when stationed in a deeper role — would get two games at the base of the midfield.

However, with Tessmann playing that role at club level, there’s a decent chance that Berhalter could take a look at the Venezia man as an option for a spell in one or both games. Finding another option that could step in for Adams would mean keeping the rest of the team’s midfield intact, with Musah facilitating possession and resisting pressure further forward while McKennie puts in his typically relentless shift.

That said, Tessmann will have to prove himself quickly once camp convenes in St. Louis on Sunday. Berhalter could also look at de la Torre in Musah’s normal role, or play out of a 4-2-3-1 formation to give Tillman minutes as a pure No. 10. Cremaschi, too, is a player that was called in for evaluation, and Tessmann — as a late addition — will have to force the coaching staff to reevaluate whatever their initial plan was to seize his chance.

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U.S. youth international Buck called into England U-19 squad

The 18-year-old is eligible for the USMNT, England and Wales

The battle is officially on for Noel Buck.

The New England Revolution midfielder has accepted a call-up to England’s U-19 side for upcoming friendlies against Germany and Switzerland.

Buck, 18, has been one of the breakout stars of the MLS season, becoming a regular for New England while showing his versatility by playing a variety of midfield positions.

Though born and raised in the U.S., Buck has a UK passport through his father and is therefore eligible for England and Wales.

Buck was called into camp with the U.S. U-19 side in July but was left off the U-20 World Cup roster in May.

After his World Cup snub, Buck said: “It would have been really cool [to make the roster] but I’m happy where I am. If I was going to go and not play, what’s the point really? I’m playing now and I’m getting better and getting a lot of experience here. I’m on a roll, why would I stop?”

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter spoke highly of Buck this week after naming his roster for September friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.

“He’s been great. He’s been really strong,” said Berhalter. “I have spoken to him. There has been interest from England, which I think is great. Great achievement, when you have a country like England looking at you.

“I’ve communicated with him, told him that we see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team in 2026, based on what he’s doing now. We see — if he continues to develop at that rate — I’m sure he can be competitive and compete to be on the roster.”

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Argentina calls up nearly as many MLS players as USMNT

A record three MLS players will be joining Argentina ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Argentina has called in a record three MLS players for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers, with Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) and Alan Velasco (FC Dallas) all getting the call.

The world champions will play Ecuador on September 7 and Bolivia on September 12 as they begin their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

With three call-ups, Argentina is only one short of the four MLS players the U.S. national team called in for its upcoming friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.

Ironically, one of those USMNT call-ups — Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi — is still eligible to play for Argentina. The other three MLS players called in by Gregg Berhalter are Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United) and Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes).

Almada and Messi were teammates on Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winning squad. Almada, who played six minutes total in the tournament, became the first active MLS player to win the World Cup.

Messi, of course, played a considerably bigger role, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player as he finally lifted the game’s biggest international prize with Argentina.

For Velasco, the call-up represents the first time he’s been invited to join Argentina’s senior national team. The 21-year-old winger has been previously called into the Albiceleste’s U-17 side.

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Berhalter tips Buck for big USMNT future amid England interest

Berhalter: “We see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team”

Like any great recruiter, the U.S. men’s national team is always on the job.

Noel Buck, the 18-year-old New England Revolution midfielder, was not called up for the USMNT squad set to face Uzbekistan and Oman in September, but the dual national is still very much on head coach Gregg Berhalter’s radar.

Shortly after revealing his first roster since returning to the USMNT job, Berhalter told reporters that he’s been in touch with Buck, who is eligible for the U.S., England, and Wales.

“He’s been great. He’s been really strong,” said Berhalter of the young midfielder. “I have spoken to him. There has been interest from England, which I think is great. Great achievement, when you have a country like England looking at you.

“I’ve communicated with him, told him that we see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team in 2026, based on what he’s doing now. We see — if he continues to develop at that rate — I’m sure he can be competitive and compete to be on the roster.”

Buck has previously played for the United States at the Under-19 level, while he has not been called in for any England or Wales youth national team at this point.

U.S. Soccer, based on a recent run of successful recruiting, may feel confident about persuading Buck to stick with the program. Folarin Balogun, Yunus Musah, and Ricardo Pepi are just some of the USMNT regulars who could have chosen another national team, and all have seemed to benefit from going with the U.S. over other options.

Buck having a breakout 2023

Buck has 22 appearances across all competitions for New England, who trail only FC Cincinnati and St. Louis City SC in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.

That number would likely be higher had Buck not missed much of June with an injury. Buck returned to the field for the Revolution in the Leagues Cup, starting all four of New England’s matches in that tournament before going 62 minutes in a 1-0 loss to CF Montréal on Sunday.

Buck has largely played centrally for New England, but with Bruce Arena (who has been on administrative leave for a month) and interim coach Richie Williams toggling between several formations, the youngster has shown some versatility. Buck has been used as a shuttler on the right side of a diamond midfield, as a No. 6, and as a box-to-box option in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Buck has scored two goals and tacked on an assist in 2023, marking himself out as an essential part of the mix at Gillette Stadium regardless of the formation on the day.

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USMNT transfer rater: Grading every player’s move this summer

It’s a big summer for the USMNT, with a majority of its key players looking for new clubs

It’s a big summer for the U.S. men’s national team.

We aren’t talking about the Nations League or the Gold Cup here, though those are clearly significant in their own right. Instead, we’re talking about the summer transfer window, which promises to be one of the more active ones in recent memory for the USMNT.

Nearly all of the team’s top players have the potential to change clubs in the summer of 2023. With three years to go until a World Cup on home soil, the decisions USMNT players make this summer could determine their trajectory ahead of 2026.

With that in mind, we are tracking and rating all of the most significant completed moves for USMNT players this summer.

Berhalter apologized to every USMNT player after HOW Institute talk

The coach’s comments set off a firestorm that ultimately resulted in a major scandal

U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has said he apologized individually to all of his players after he unwittingly revealed that he nearly sent Gio Reyna home from the World Cup.

Shortly after last year’s tournament in Qatar, Berhalter gave a talk at the HOW Institute in which he said he nearly sent an unnamed player home from the World Cup. Later reporting from The Athletic, and then an Instagram post from Reyna himself, confirmed that the 20-year-old was the player in question.

Berhalter believed that the event was off the record but his comments were published by the Charterworks newsletter, setting off a firestorm that ultimately resulted in one of the biggest scandals in U.S. Soccer history.

Having now returned to his position after six months away, Berhalter told reporters on Wednesday that he immediately tried to make amends with his players after his comments got out.

“I sent a note to each and every player to apologize for this getting out in the way that it did,” Berhalter said. “It was never about names, it was more about an example of our strong team culture. And I felt that if it hurt one player, then it’s worth apologizing to the entire group. And that’s what I did.”

Berhalter has said he’s yet to speak directly with Reyna since his return as head coach, with the Borussia Dortmund forward left off the USMNT’s September roster as he continues to work his way back from injury.

The USMNT coach said he’s looking forward to eventually speaking with Reyna, adding that he has yet to do so because he is trying to approach the situation carefully due to past events.

“For this, it’s just being a little bit more thoughtful, a little bit more sensitive to the past,” Berhalter said. “And I look forward to having conversations with him. I look forward to watching his progress and hopefully him getting back on the field and then for us, hopefully being able to include him in the October camp.”

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USMNT coach Berhalter hints Richards may soon leave Crystal Palace

Richards has recently been linked with a move back to the Bundesliga

U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has hinted that Chris Richards could be set to leave Crystal Palace in the coming days.

Richards has established himself as a key player for the USMNT, but injuries and coaches’ decisions limited him to just 10 total appearances last season after an offseason transfer from Bayern Munich.

This season has been more of the same for the 23-year-old, who has yet to play in any league games for Palace and made his first appearance of 2023-24 in a Carabao Cup win over Plymouth on Tuesday.

After naming Richards to his September roster on Wednesday, Berhalter was asked in a media availability about his lack of minutes at the club level.

“That may change in the next couple of days, right? That’s not set in stone,” the coach said, with the transfer window set to close on Friday.

“We see him as an important piece to what we’re doing,” Berhalter continued. “I think he’s got a tremendous amount of potential. Now for him, it’s about getting minutes and staying healthy. He’s a great guy, great competitor, and looking forward to having him back in camp. His last camp went really well with the Nations League and scoring a goal (in the final against Canada).

“We think that he’ll make a big impact in this camp, but also excited to see what the future brings for him.”

Richards has been capped 10 times by the USMNT, and was forced to withdraw from contention for the World Cup squad last year due to a hamstring injury.

Earlier this month, Kicker reported that Stuttgart was interested in bringing Richards in on loan to help replace Konstantinos Mavropanos, who transferred to West Ham.

Joining Stuttgart would reunite Richards with Sebastian Hoeness, who coached Richards at Bayern Munich and during two loan spells at Hoffenheim. Hoeness was named Stuttgart coach in April 2023. 

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