NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino will lean on a cast of reliable veterans in this month’s CONCACAF Nations League finals, as the defending champions look to build momentum a little more than a year out from the World Cup.
Pochettino took charge in September after the U.S. suffered a humiliating early exit from the Copa America on home soil and he played it safe with Tuesday’s squad that featured 16 players who have competed in the Nations League Finals before.
Longstanding national team regulars, including forward Christian Pulisic and midfielder Weston McKennie, will hope to rebuild the fans’ confidence when they play their semi-final against Panama on March 20.
“This is a massive opportunity to win a trophy and that is our clear objective,” Pochettino said in a statement. “We must continue to show our quality, our bravery and our commitment to each other.”
The camp that begins on March 16 will give the former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris St Germain and Chelsea manager his first look at midfielder Tyler Adams, the 2022 U.S. Soccer men’s player of the year who has not played for the national team since the Copa amid back and hamstring issues.
Midfielder Gio Reyna, the 22-year-old Borussia Dortmund player who famously clashed with former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, will also return to the national team amid an injury-impacted season in Germany.
“It was a great opportunity to see him,” said Pochettino, who will have limited chances to work with Reyna this summer, as Dortmund will play in the Club World Cup.
“It’s true that maybe he’s not playing too much, but I think for us, he’s a great player and we want to consider him.”
The United States play Panama on March 20 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The winner will face Mexico or Canada in the final on March 23.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis)
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