Projecting Mauricio Pochettino's first USMNT squad: Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson are locks, but who might surprise?
Getty ImagesGOAL projects the squad as Pochtettino takes charge in advance of friendlies against Panama and Mexico
With established national team coaches, it's easier to project what their squads will look like. There's a natural cadence coaches have, both in terms of favorites and history. Gregg Berhalter, for instance, certainly had a predictable approach during his time in charge of the U.S. men's national team.
This is Mauricio Pochettino's team now, however. It's a clean slate and, and thus it's not a clear exactly what the makeup of his first squad will be when it's unveiled this week.
Pochettino is set to name his first USMNT group ahead of October friendlies against Panama and Mexico. After months of waiting, Pochettino's first game is nearly here, and it all starts with the players.
Some members are obvious. Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Antonee Robinson are fixtures on the team, for example. Some key players, such as Tyler Adams and Sergino Dest, will be missing due to injury. Tim Weah and Gio Reyna will likely join them. Because of that, we won't get a full look at the player pool in the coming weeks, but we will get a good idea of what Pochettino thinks of it.
Which members of the old guard will he trust? Which new players can break into his plans? What tactics and lineups will he rely on in these early days? GOAL projects what the squad could look like.
