U.S. men's national team head coach Gregg Berhalter named Josh Sargent to his 27-player roster for upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Brazil, the team's final games before the Copa America.
Forward Sargent is expected to make his first appearance in USMNT camp since the 2022 World Cup after he had to withdraw from the Concacaf Nations League Finals in March due to injury.
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Sargent scored 16 goals in 26 league games for Norwich City in England's second division championship this season after missing four months of action following ankle surgery last August. He appeared to hurt his ankle again last week, but he was still selected for the upcoming camp, to which players will begin reporting on May 28. Berhalter said Sargent has some swelling in his foot that the medical staff wants to monitor.
Sargent's return joins a group of USMNT forwards that includes Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright. Berhalter said Monday that he sees Wright playing a winger role, a position Berhalter believes currently lacks depth.
“So that would leave us with three forwards, and when you look at all the guys, they've done well when given the opportunity,” Berhalter said. “Between their club form and what they have done for the national team in the past, we believe they are a talented group of forwards.”
Eighteen of the 27 players on Berhalter's final squad participated in the 2022 World Cup. All but one of the players on the squad were with the United States for its Concacaf Nations League triumph in March, with the sole exception of injured defender Sergiño Dest, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in training with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven last month.
Defender Shaq Moore, who plays for MLS side Nashville SC, appears to be Berhalter's answer for more depth at right back following Dest's injury.
“Obviously, with Sergiño going down, we have to resolve the right-back situation,” Berhalter said, naming Moore and Joe Scally as possible “similar” options. Berhalter also said that Tim Weah could be used as a full-back, as he has done at times with Juventus.
“We just wanted this training camp to have options for flexibility. Some of them may revolve around a back three,” Berhalter said. “But the first objective is to see how we are going to cover that right-back position because we know that we are going to miss Sergiño.”
Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Matt Turner and Tim Ream, all coming from club seasons in which they saw little playing time over the past three months, were included in the squad, while Berhalter left out goalkeeper Zack Steffen despite having played 14 games as a starter. Colorado since its return to MLS.
Berhalter will select his final Copa América squad in the days following friendly matches against Colombia on June 8 in Landover, Maryland, and Brazil on June 12 in Orlando, Florida.
Berhalter faces some tough decisions, particularly with several young players also eligible for the 2024 Olympics, where the USMNT U-23s will compete later this summer. The long-term goal, he said, is to prepare for the 2026 World Cup at home.
“We're really using these games to see how we can perform both individually and collectively,” Berhalter said. “And when you play against teams like Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, what you get is information, and that information will help you grow and improve as you move towards 2026.”
“This summer presents us with an opportunity to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Berhalter said in a statement.
“We have a talented group of players and we are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world.”
The USMNT's two longest active winless streaks are against Colombia (seven games) and Brazil (11 consecutive losses). The last time the USMNT got a result against Colombia was in 2005 (a 3-0 win in Fullerton, California) and against Brazil in a 1-0 win in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal in Los Angeles in 1998.
Brazil or Colombia are likely to be the USMNT's opponents in the Copa América quarterfinals if the Americans exit Group C.
The teams must present their final lists for the Copa América before June 15, three days later than initially required.
Last week, CONMEBOL confirmed that the squad size for the tournament would be expanded to a maximum of 26 players per team.
The Copa América will be played entirely in the United States with the 10 CONMEBOL countries and six guest teams from Concacaf.
The tournament begins on June 20, with the USMNT in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia. The final will take place on July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Next USMNT Roster (International Caps/Goals)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Sean Johnson (Toronto FC/CAN; 13/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 39/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 16/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 13/0), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC; 18/ 1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 56/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 16/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 41/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 29/3) , Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 9/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 38/2), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 11/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 20/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA ; 51/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan; ITA; 35/0), Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 26/8), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 10/0), Timmy Tillman (LAFC; 1/0)
FORWARD (7): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 8/40), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 3/10), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 10/23), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 66/28), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 23/5), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 37/5), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 9/4)
Associated Press reporting contributed to this report.
