Gregg Berhalter names USMNT roster for September friendlies

The United States Men’s National Team returns to action next week with friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman, and we now have a roster for the window. Today, U.S. Soccer announced the 24-man USMNT roster that will head to training camp in St. Louis next week.

There are 16 players on the roster who comprised the team that won the Concacaf Nations League in June, while two players get their first USMNT call-ups: Ben Cremaschi and Kristoffer Lund. In the case of Lund, who is Danish-American and represented Denmark at the youth international level, he has applied to FIFA for a one-time switch to represent the United States.

The matches next week mark the return of Gregg Berhalter as USMNT head coach. Berhalter, who was re-hired for a second cycle in June, returns to his role after his contract expired at the end of 2022.

Much was made of the strained relationship between Berhalter and midfielder Gio Reyna. The two have not had a chance to speak since the drama between their families began during the 2022 World Cup. However, Reyna was hurt during the Nations League and only this week returned to training with Borussia Dortmund, so he was not named to the roster. Berhalter has said recently that a conversation between him and Reyna will happen before the next time Reyna gets called into camp, which could be in October should he remain healthy. However, Berhalter’s focused on the team that will be headed to St. Louis next week.

“We have a long-term strategic approach, with two of the principles being strong rosters and maintaining continuity,” Berhalter said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have a number of core players in this group while also being able to introduce some new faces to the senior team. Uzbekistan and Oman are types of teams we could face in the World Cup, so it’s an important opportunity to gain that experience.”

Uzbekistan and Oman represent the USMNT’s only chance to face Asian opponents prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to their schedule for the next three years. Berhalter commented in a statement that the it was important to face different opponents in an effort to prepare the team for what they could face at the next World Cup.

“We are very intentional and committed to presenting different challenges to our team during the next three years as we continue to develop the program,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “Uzbekistan and Oman are first-time opponents for us and both are preparing for the AFC Asian Cup, so we expect them to be good tests. We look forward to visiting two excellent soccer facilities and performing in front of the fantastic supporters in St. Louis and the Twin Cities.”

The 24-man roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest)

DEFENDERS (9): Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Tim Ream (Fulham FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham FC), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Ben Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin), Folarin Balogun (Arsenal FC), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Juventus)

Hit the comments to discuss the roster!