ON MONDAY, United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino announced his roster for the team’s annual January camp which will open on Tuesday, January 7 and conclude with friendlies against Venezuela on January 18 in Ft. Lauderdale and Costa Rica on January 22 in Orlando.

The roster is 24 players, and it consists of 23 players based domestically and one currently without a club. As with this camp’s history, it does not take place in a FIFA international window and clubs must voluntarily release the players.

Here is the roster along with some thoughts.

The Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4): Drake Callender (Inter Miami; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0) 

DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 0/0), George Campbell (CF Montreal; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew; 8/0), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas; 19/1), Jalen Neal (CF Montreal; 6/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 66/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 30/3), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; 4/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 41/3) 

MIDFIELDERS (4): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami; 1/0), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 1/0), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; 1/0) 

FORWARDS (7): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 0/0), Caden Clark (CF Montreal; 0/0), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 23/15), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matko Miljevic (Unattached; 0/0), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis CITY; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps; 1/0) 

Intensity is key

Last fall when discussion the topic of dual nationals within the USMNT, Pochettino made a revealing statement.

“Maybe less talent is better, but with people with commitment and people desperate to defend the shirt and the country,” Pochettino said. “That is all we want.”

Pochettino is still new into his tenure and his first two camps in charge. He has not looked at a wide variety of players and his starting lineups have not seen a lot of changes within these two camps. In the first two camps, he was mostly working off the player pool and the pecking order that existed at the end of Gregg Berhalter’s tenure.

The concept of a clean slate for those in the player pool still exists and these players all have a real shot. The question is what will Pochettino be looking for in this group? In addition to playing well and showing talent that can fit into his tactics, Pochettino wants to see players who are tenacious and play with a high level of intensity.

Sometimes January camp friendlies have been passive and dialed down due to the players being in preseason. These players much get beyond that and play as if this is a World Cup game. A low-energy effort is the quickest way for these players to get lost in the shuffle. Playing effectively and with passion could lead to future call-ups on FIFA dates.

Builds off the Olympic cycle

What is important to note about this team is that it builds nicely off the recent U.S. Olympic team. A sizable majority of the players on this roster were either from the Olympic team or took part in U-23 camps that were part of the cycle.

Patrick Schulte, Jack McGlynn, Benjamin Cremaschi, and John Tolkin were part of the Olympic team as age-eligible selections. Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson were two overage selections.

Meanwhile, Diego Luna, Indiana Vassilev, George Campbell, Jalen Neal, and Brian Guiterrez were part of Olympic preparation camps. Meanwhile, Caden Clark, Max Arfsten, and Matko Miljevic were age-eligible for the Olympic team but were not involved.

The key for the Olympic cycle (not just the final Olympic team) was to prepare players for the next level. This camp is an important test of that.

Miljevic’s surprise call

The most surprising call on this roster was Matko Miljevic. The troubled attacking midfielder has had a wave of behavioral issues at his previous clubs and is now unattached.

First there was Argentinos Jrs. where he broke into first-team soccer but eventually was frozen out of all soccer operations as part of a contractual dispute. He didn’t play or train with the team for over a year.

Then he landed in Montreal where his tenure ended in an embarrassing and violent manner. After not being pleased with his playing time, he enrolled in a Quebec amateur league under an assumed name. During a game in that league, he reportedly punched an opponent and was since banned by that league for life. His contract with Montreal was terminated.

This past fall, he signed for Newell’s Old Boys, Pochettino’s former club, and eventually broke into the starting lineup. Per reports, the club eventually opted not to exercise the option on his contract due to more serious behavior issues.

Per this report, American attacking midfielder Matko Miljevic is out at Newells Old Boys despite breaking into the starting lineup and playing well for nice stretches. The reason? Behavior issues
- if accurate, this is the third club he’s bombed out due to wild & inexcusable… pic.twitter.com/pWKXxh2zMt

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) December 22, 2024

Lost in all of this is a player with talent. But all the reports point to a player who is out of control. It’s one thing to play passionately, but Miljevic’s behavior has also been selfish and unhelpful to his teams.

It is a pick that is risky for Pochettino.

Surprising omissions

As with any roster, there are players who aren’t called but who have a case to be here.

Cole Bassett was productive for Colorado with goals and assists. Like many, he spent time with the Olympic team during camps earlier in the cycle. Similarly, his Colorado teammate Djordje Mihailovic was an overage selection for the Olympic team and has been an effective free-kick taker.

Quinn Sullivan had a big season for the Philadelphia Union with five goals and eight assists. Daniel Edelman also played a key role in helping the New York Red Bulls advance to MLS Cup and has a bright future as a central defender.

Central defense might be a spot where Pochettino wants to broaden the player pool and Jackson Ragen seems as if he had a strong case to be involved (compared with Neal or Campbell) given his season with Seattle.

Players with the most opportunity

Given the positions of need on the full national team, some players have an especially big opportunity at this camp to be part of the team’s future.

John Tolkin has had several good seasons in a row for the New York Red Bulls and could be sold if the right opportunity comes his and the team’s way. Antonee Robinson is a lock as the national team’s left back, but the backup left back is not settled. Will it be Joe Scally or Sergino Dest (when he returns)? Maybe, but both players are better right backs. If Pochettino wants a real left-footed left back, Tolkin could emerge as the option.

Kristoffer Lund is having a tough season and various left backs over the years haven’t sealed the deal (George Bello, Sam Vines, etc). But Tolkin is an effective left back who plays with intensity that Pochettino might value. He has a real opportunity to become Robinson’s backup.

Patrick Schulte: With Matt Turner not playing for Cystal Palace and Ethan Horvath in no-man’s land at Cardiff City, the USMNT goalkeeping position is up for grabs. Turner is still the No. 1, but he must be on a short leash given his club situation. A bad outing for the USMNT will see questions be asked. Schulte is playing and has been doing well for the Columbus Crew. The fact he is young, healthy, and is playing helps him. If he can play well, he might soon get a look in games on FIFA dates.

Diego Luna: Last year was wild for Diego Luna. He fell out of favor with the Olympic coaching staff but he used it as motivation and had a good rest of the year, finishing with eight goals and eight assists. He was one of the best young (as defined by U.S. youth national team eligibility) American players in the league. He’s a versatile player who can create things out of nowhere and can break games open. But this camp is yet another opportunity to continue to show people he is overlooked.