The current United States men`s national team training camp marks the longest period head coach Mauricio Pochettino will have the squad together since taking over in September 2024. However, this time he will be without several key players. Folarin Balogun, DeJuan Jones, and Sean Zawadzki have all exited the camp due to injuries. Walker Zimmerman, Nathan Harriel, and Paxten Aaronson have been called up to replace them for the upcoming friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland leading up to the Gold Cup.
Monaco forward Folarin Balogun has sustained an ankle injury. This setback will prevent him from making his first appearance under Pochettino`s leadership. Balogun was previously sidelined with a shoulder injury when the Argentine was appointed, and now he begins another camp unavailable, depriving the team of its top striker. Balogun is not the only prominent player missing, as Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, and Giovanni Reyna are also absent.
The absence of some players is due to club commitments, including those related to the summer Club World Cup. Christian Pulisic, for instance, was not called up to allow him to rest during the offseason. While the absence of stars from a standard Gold Cup, a tournament often featuring domestic talent, might not typically raise concerns, this competition holds particular significance. With the FIFA World Cup scheduled for next summer, and the USA automatically qualified as a host nation, this Gold Cup represents the final major competitive tournament for the national team beforehand.
Combining this with it being Pochettino`s most extended time with the first team, the camp presents a vital opportunity to move past the disappointment of the Concacaf Nations League. In that tournament, the USMNT not only lost the final to Mexico but also fell to Canada in the third-place match. Improvement is needed under Pochettino, but it will be more challenging to achieve if he cannot get the core group of players assimilated to his tactical approach.
Balogun`s absence creates significant opportunities for Patrick Agyemang and Brian White. However, if the forwards currently in camp struggle to find their goal-scoring form, the team`s recent struggles and lack of attacking productivity may persist.
