Pochettino on USMNT’s September surprises: "We need to give MLS the value"

As is almost always the case, surprises and subplots bubbled as the US men’s national team released their latest roster on Tuesday, the squad that will face South Korea and Japan in the September international window’s friendlies as the countdown to the FIFA 2026 World Cup continues.

Yet above any single snub or unexpected name rose an unmistakable overarching theme: The heavy presence of MLS-based players – 12 in all, more than half of the 22 called in by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with one final unknown participant still to be revealed in the coming days.

That’s a striking development, particularly compared to the final camps of Pochettino’s predecessor Gregg Berhalter, who included just three MLSers in last year’s Copa América squad , his final event at the helm. For Poch