WITH MAURICIO POCHETTINO and his staff getting ready for his first camp to lead the United States men’s national team, one of the frequent buzzwords we’ve heard tossed around is that the players all have a “clean slate.” For some players, their status won’t be dramatically affected. For some, however, there is a real positive opportunity.

One of the problems with the national team in Berhalter’s last year is that the team had gotten stale. His first cycle saw him identify a core early, have a respectable World Cup, and then have plans to keep a huge percentage of the core together for a second cycle. There wasn’t a lot of competition for roster spots. Even as players struggled for their clubs, their spot on the national team was secure.

Pochettino is obviously not going to take a wrecking ball to the player pool. But he’s obviously going to make some changes. While Berhalter’s firing was justified in a results-oriented business, the players deserve a lot of the blame too. Like any coach, Pochettino will want to have his own standards, skillsets, and character that he wants from his team.

But as to where the player pool has stood over the past few years, there is a lot of opportunity for mobility. Instead of looking at a straight list, we can look at positions.

Goalkeeping

Clean Slate beneficiaries: Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Gaga Slonina, Drake Callender, Roman Celentano, Matt Freese

If ever there was a position that could see changes quickly on the USMNT, it is goalkeeping. The three goalkeepers on the Copa America team (Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath, and Sean Johnson) are all not in great positions. Turner and Horvath are backups in Europe and Johnson is older. Turner hasn’t been a starter at the club level in over a year, Horvath recently lost his starting spot to a Cardiff team that is rock bottom in the Championship.

There must be changes, and it is wide open.

Patrick Schulte is the player most likely to benefit. The starting Olympic goalkeeper is doing well for Columbus and has had a great year. He’s put himself in a great position at the start of Pochettino’s run.

Zack Steffen can also benefit. He’s been out of the USMNT picture since 2022, and he had knee injuries over the years. But he’s doing well with Colorado and still has a lot of experience.  

Turner was the start at the World Cup and the Copa America. He might not get dropped right away, but is lack of games for multiple years have made him very vulnerable.

After them, Drake Callender has cut back on his mistakes with Miami as they cruise towards the Supporters Shield. Gaga Slonina is now in the third tier at Barnsley, but is doing well. Roman Celentano is a steady hand for a good Cincinnati team. Matt Freese has put up good numbers with New York City.

The current U-20 pool has four very good goalkeepers - such as Diego Kochen – but they’re very young.

Right back

Clean slate beneficiaries: Bryan Reynolds, Marlon Fossey

Gone are the times when the U.S. team is deep at right back and thin at left back. It’s the reverse now. Sergino Dest is due back in December and should gradually return to the starting role. But the pecking order is wide open after him. Joe Scally was one of the few USMNT players to acquit himself well at the Copa America, but he isn’t a lock as the interim U.S. starter or Dest’s backup once he returns. Deeper in the player pool, Shaq Moore and Reggie Cannon had chances but never seized the chance.

Marlon Fossey had a good game in his USMNT debut against New Zealand earlier this month hand his athleticism to cover the right side aggressively might be more in-tune with what Pochettino wants. On the flip side, Fossey has a long and ugly history with injuries. Now in his third season with Standard Liege, he has been on a long and healthy run in Belgium.

Bryan Reynolds also plays in Belgium with Westerlo and also brings a lot of athleticism to the right back position. It would have helped his visibility if his release for the 2024 Olympics wasn’t denied by Westerlo. He would have started for that team.

Left back

Clean slate beneficiaries: John Tolkin, Caleb Wiley

Antonee Robinson is not only the starting left back on the USMNT, he’s also one of the team’s best players and probably a perfect fit for Pochettino. The question has always been about the backup left back. That frequently changed under Berhalter with George Bello and Sam Vines were given chances but never seized the job.

Lately, it has been Kristoffer Lund, but he has rarely played for the USMNT given the durability of Robinson. He still certainly should be in the mix, although not set in stone. For now, he’s a good Serie B player that is vulnerable to competition.

John Tolkin continues to be an excellent left back for the New York Red Bulls and was the start for the U.S. Olympic team all cycle. He has a frantic style with him in that he’s scrappy, fights for balls, creates chances with effort, and is generally consistent with his performances.

Caleb Wiley recently made the move from Atlanta United to Chelsea with a loan to France. That’s a good move for him but it’s still in the early stages. He’s talented, but still pretty raw.

Central defense

Clean slate beneficiaries: Mark McKenzie

This is the toughest position to break down because there haven’t been many young players breaking into the player pool. For the past four years, it’s been the same group of 8 players with typically 4-5 getting selected for a roster. The list is Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Walker Zimmerman, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Miles Robinson, Mark McKenzie, John Brooks, and lately Auston Trusty. It’s safe to say Brooks has left the pool. It’s also likely that Ream has or will age out soon. No one else entered the pool (Jalen Neal appeared close at one point, but that has stalled). That puts it at seven people, until new and younger options emerge.

With Pochettino, he’s probably going to be working off the same list. There aren’t many options knocking at the door. But among the list, McKenzie seems to have the potential to make the biggest strides. He’s move to Toulouse in Ligue 1, which will raise his profile. He has a lot of experience from his days on Philadelphia and Genk to draw from. He’s always been on the bubble and typically fallen outside. He’s in a position to have things start going his way.

Central midfielders

Clean slate beneficiaries: Aidan Morris, Tanner Tessmann, Gianluca Busio, Jack McGlynn, Lennard Maloney

There is the potential for a lot of movement here. Tyler Adams has been injured for most of the past 18 months. Luca de la Torre is in a bad club situation. Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie should remain constants. Johnny Cardoso probably will, although he has never fully seized a role on the team over the last several years.

Aidan Morris had a great final year with Columbus and has looked strong since making the move to Middlesbrough. In addition to playing a deeper role, he does get forward and adds offense.

Tanner Tessmann is still getting adjusted into Lyon’s squad after missing preseason but once he begins playing for Lyon, he will be in a good position. He was instrumental in leading to Venezia into promotion last season and he turned that into becoming the Olympic team captain.

Gianluca Busio is back from an injury and is playing for Venezia again. Now in Serie A, he will be in the spotlight.

Jack McGlynn is one of the better young domestic options where he is consistently strong for the Philadelphia Union. A move abroad this winter could be in the cards. McGlynn passes well and is smart in how he reads the game. Athleticism is a concern.

Lennard Maloney is not a flashy midfield and his offensive/playmaking skills are limited. But he runs a lot and is very tenacious with his defense. He has helped an overmatched Heidenheim team stay up in the Bundesliga.

Attacking mids/wings

Clean slate beneficiaries: Kevin Paredes, Diego Luna, Griffin Yow, Paxten Aaronson

The incumbent list is well known. Christian Pulisic is the best player. Tim Weah doesn’t start regularly for Juventus but he’s important to the USMNT. Brenden Aaronson is in a good position now at Leeds and his energetic style should be a good fit under Pochettino. Malik Tillman puts up great numbers for PSV Eindhoven, but his club form hasn’t translated to the USMNT, so far.

Most of the “next up” players are of the Olympic age group.

Kevin Paredes is a player who has been at the edge of the USMNT player pool and was pushing for a spot on the Copa America team. In the end, he was placed with the Olympic team. But the 2023/24 season saw him take important steps with Wolfsburg. Continued progress will only help his case.

Griffin Yow was a player very few saw emerging after struggling for playing time at DC United. But he moved to Belgium and was an explosive player for Westerlo in 2023/24. He then forced his way onto the U.S. Olympic team where he continued to be effective.

Diego Luna was left off the Olympic team, which was seen as controversial by the fanbase. But he’s continued to be a dynamic creative force with Real Salt Lake where he contributes defensively as well.

Paxten Aaronson has long been a star for youth national teams. If he can continue to impress at Utrecht, he might emerge as an option.

Other players include Djordje Mihailovic, Alejandro Zendejas, Emmanuel Sabbi.

Center forward

Clean slate beneficiaries: Brandon Vazquez

The national team forward chart is not unlike the central defense position. The players are the same, but the order among them changes. Folarin Balogun, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright are the incumbents. But there are concerns over each player. Balogun’s Ligue 1 production dropped from 21 to seven last year. Sargent hasn’t been able to stay healthy for the USMNT. The overwhelming majority of Pepi’s club minutes are mop-up situations. Wight plays more on the wing these days.

While those four should continue to be the obvious front-runners, other players should feel inspired by a new coach with fresh eyes on the pool. Brandon Vazquez is top among them. The Monterrey forward is a starter for one of Mexico’s biggest and most storied teams. In the calendar year between Liga MX and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, he has bagged 14 goals. That’s a solid number in his first year at the club.

There are other players too. Duncan McGuire scores at a steady rate for Orlando although he could have used a goal at the Olympics. Kahveh Zahiroleslam has been impressive in Belgium while struggling for service with a bad St. Truiden team (although he seems more likely to get an Iran call-up first).

These are all just guesses, however, we will have a much better understanding following the October and November windows about Pochettino’s initial readings of the player pool.