World Cup veterans Jesús Ferreira, Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman headline the list of 24 players selected by US men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino for a pair of upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica.
The United States will face Venezuela on January 18 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and the second game against the Ticos will take place four days later in Orlando. Players will begin reporting on Jan. 7 in Ft. Lauderdale.
Because friendlies fall outside of a FIFA international window, 23 of the 24 players play for MLS clubs, and Pochettino aims to establish more depth within his squad. The next series of competitive matches with the full roster of players will be in the Concacaf Nations League final in March, beginning with the semifinal against Panama.
“We are very excited to work with a new group of players and continue to implement our ideas,” Pochettino said. “As I said, the MLS is very important for the National Team project and these players have earned this opportunity.”
The annual January camp has a history of giving players their initial exposure to the USMNT, including the aforementioned trio. The majority of Ream's career has been spent abroad and as such he will attend his first January camp since 2011. For many of the players called up, the camp represents a critical opportunity to make a good impression on Pochettino and the rest of the USMNT. coaching staff.
Seven players earn their first call-ups to a USMNT camp, including Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang, Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten, CF Montreal defender George Campbell, Real Salt Lake midfielder Emeka Eneli, Chicago forward Fire Brian Gutiérrez, forward Matko Miljevic (who is currently without a club) and St. Louis City forward Indiana Vassilev. In total, 10 players have the opportunity to debut with the senior team.
Of this group, Miljevic is the most interesting call. The player's talent is not in doubt, but he has shown strange behavior during his time as a professional, allegedly dressing for an amateur team under a false name while under contract with CF Montreal because he did not play for the MLS club. His contract was eventually terminated.
During a subsequent spell in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys, Pochettino's former club, Miljevic allegedly showed a lack of discipline and was not offered a new contract.
The list also includes reigning MLS Young Player of the Year, Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake.
Venezuela has enjoyed a solid run over the past year, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa América after topping its group with three straight wins, including a 1-0 shutout against Mexico. In qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Vinotinto earned 1-1 draws against defending World Cup champion Argentina and five-time winner Brazil.
The USMNT has a 3W-1L-2D lead in the series dating back to 1993, with all but one of the meetings taking place in the United States. Most recently, Venezuela defeated the USMNT 3-0 on June 9, 2019 in Cincinnati.
Costa Rica has been a difficult opponent over the years, with the United States having a record of 19W-17L-6D. All of the United States' 19 wins have come at home, but the most recent meeting took place on March 30, 2022 in World Cup qualifying, with the Ticos prevailing 2-0.
Full USMNT 24-player roster:
Goalkeepers: Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), George Campbell (CF Montreal), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas), Jalen Neal (CF Montreal), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders: Benjamín Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union).
Forwards: Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Caden Clark (CF Montreal), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire), Matko Miljevic (Independiente), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps).
