Mauricio Pochettino has a USMNT roster dilemma, and the 2028 Olympics are making it more complicated

Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. roster announcement for the first official matches since the World Cup is days away, but beyond decisions common before every international window, he must also sort out whether his young prospects belong with the first team or the junior platoon with Olympic medal aspirations. Starting Nov. 9, the squads will gather separately — Pochettino’s for the CONCACAF Nations League’s quarterfinals against Haiti and Steve Cherundolo’s under-23s for a head start on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Had Pochettino not invited a dozen newcomers to senior camp six weeks ago, the intrigue this week wouldn’t rise above a typical selection. During victories over Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada, however, several showed they were up to the challenge. In all likelihood, many will join Cherundolo for what is expected to be an overseas camp and friendlies. Cherundolo worked with Pochettino’s staff at the last camp, and the two coaches are collaborating on this week’s selections. With greater public attention on an Olympics at home, the U.S. Soccer Federation has placed extra emphasis on building a strong team. (Olympic men’s soccer is restricted to players 23 and under, with three overage exceptions.) Cherundolo will conduct additional camps in many of the international windows over the next 18 months. Christian Pulisic celebrates his fourth-minute goal in AC Milan's 3-1 win over Inter Milan on Saturday. NurPhoto via Getty Images At the moment, Pochettino might need to peel off a few players for this camp at the national training center in the Atlanta area, followed by games against Haiti on Nov. 14 in Miami and Nov. 17 in Cincinnati. (The U.S. has never failed to advance to the final four.) The frontline sits at the forefront of Pochettino’s decisions. After missing the September-October call-up to recover from injuries, top strikers Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi scored over the weekend as second-half subs for Monaco and PSV Eindhoven, respectively. (Pepi also assisted during the 7-0 romp over Willem II.) It was the first goal since the World Cup’s round of 32 for Balogun, who has played just 116 minutes in Ligue 1 for Monaco. Pepi returned Saturday after missing six weeks with a muscular injury. Both are involved in European competition this week: Eindhoven hosts Club Brugge on Wednesday in the Champions League and Monaco faces Nordsjaelland on Thursday in the third-tier Conference League. Christian Pulisic, whose injury recovery and limited playing time at AC Milan kept him out of the previous U.S. camp, scored the opening goal four minutes into a 3-1 win over rival Inter Milan on Saturday. Pulisic and Milan are back at it Thursday against Ferencvaros in the second-tier Europa League. Pulisic’s goal … https://t.co/9kuGfiNb4P — Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) October 31, 2026 Barring any setbacks, Pochettino seems inclined to summon the trio for the first consequential action since the World Cup’s round of 16 against Belgium. In the recent four friendlies, teenagers Justin Ellis (Orlando) and Julian Hall (Red Bull New York) started two games apiece at striker. Ellis scored in the first and last matches, and Hall struck in each of the first three. Seven of the 12 U.S. goals were scored by teenagers. Pepi’s replacement, St. Louis’ Damion Downs, 22, was the third striker. If Pochettino is seeking a short-term fix at striker, he could consider Vancouver’s Brian White, 30, who scored twice Sunday to raise his season total to 20, six off Lionel Messi’s MLS-best pace. White (66 goals in 114 MLS matches the past four years) scored once in seven U.S. appearances in 2025. Pulisic’s absence this fall opened an opportunity for Philadelphia’s Cavan Sullivan, who, at 17, became the youngest scorer in program history. European-based wingers Mathis Albert, 17, and Zavier Gozo, 19, also debuted. Sullivan, though, missed two matches with an ankle injury before returning this weekend as a sub, while Albert and Gozo aren’t playing regularly for Borussia Dortmund and Crystal Palace, respectively. Other World Cup players to miss the recent friendlies included midfielder Weston McKennie, winger Tim Weah, attacker Brenden Aaronson and right back/wing Joe Scally. McKennie was poised to return to the U.S. squad before leaving Juventus’ match at halftime Sunday with a reported adductor injury. The severity is unclear. Scally has a strong recall case: He leads Mönchengladbach with three Bundesliga goals and has posted two goals and two assists in the past five matches across all competitions. (On Saturday, he had a goal overturned by video replay.) Midfielders Tanner Tessmann (Lyon) and Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid) are angling for recalls after missing the World Cup, but Pochettino doesn’t seem to rate Tessmann very high and Cardoso is nursing another injury. And then there is Jack McGlynn, a 23-year-old right wing for Stoke City in the second-tier English Championship. He played 12 times for the U.S. in 2025 but wasn’t in the World Cup mix. On Saturday, he had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory over Preston North End, lifting his totals in the past seven appearances to three goals and two assists. McGlynn goal for Stoke City … https://t.co/xaJhB5ailg — Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) October 31, 2026 Four Americans are employed by the English Championship front-runner, Middlesbrough. Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter continues to impress in his first season overseas with a goal and an assist in the first half of a 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic. Berhalter for Boro … https://t.co/qtFq73luKX — Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) October 31, 2026 Aidan Morris, who missed the World Cup cut, is a defensive-midfield mainstay, while summer signing Max Arfsten, a World Cup wing back, is coming off the bench. Midfielder Rokas Pukstas has played once since signing in September. Only Berhalter is all but certain to receive a U.S. callback. The other U.S. goal scorer over the weekend was 20-year-old winger Cole Campbell, on a spectacular strike for Elversberg in the Bundesliga. Because of an injury, his debut at the last camp had to wait until the second half of the last match. 🤯⚽ ¡GOLAZO PARA CERRAR EL PARTIDO! ¡Qué manera de cerrar el partido! Cole Campbell controló el balón con el pecho y, sin dejarlo caer, sacó una espectacular tijera para firmar el 4-0. 🇺🇸🔥 ¡Un gol para verlo una y otra vez! 👀 ¿Es el gol de la jornada? 🤔 EN VIVO 📺… pic.twitter.com/XSEC5lL3GM — Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) October 30, 2026 At center back, Auston Trusty has missed four matches for family reasons and Miles Robinson has missed six with a leg injury. Trusty might be in uniform Thursday against Besiktas in the Europa League. Mark McKenzie, a World Cup member and Toulouse starter, is available after being left out last time. Alex Freeman continues to soar for La Liga’s Villarreal, which on Tuesday will host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The U.S. goalkeeping situation remains unsettled after all four call-ups started once during the last window. New England’s Matt Turner, the 2022 World Cup starter and 2026 back-up, is enjoying a strong MLS season and could rejoin the team after Pochettino passed him over the last camp. The only Olympic-eligible keeper at that last camp, 20-year-old Diego Kochen, was the best of the bunch. Seeking another U.S. call-up is Nashville’s Brian Schwake, who on Sunday, stopped a penalty kick for an MLS-best third time. Brian Schwake denies the PK! 🧤 📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/TVOYIcHqJq pic.twitter.com/Ja6ExjKvU5 — Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 1, 2026 Pochettino and Cherundolo are probably going to announce their rosters at least a day apart late this week.