The U.S. men’s national team has little time before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as three players look to impress Mauricio Pochettino in November.
After shutting down the potential of a January camp, the USMNT will have only two March friendlies and one or two friendlies in June to prepare for the World Cup, which they open on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
With fleeting opportunities for players to impress, there are a few who will need big showings in November. Sports Illustrated picks out three to watch this November.
Gio Reyna (Midfield)
The November window could be Gio Reyna’s last chance to earn a spot at the World Cup. After leaving Borussia Dortmund to join fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in the offseason, he has gotten off to a mixed start. Yet, he offered a determined “I will be there” when asked about 2026.
The 22-year-old returns to the roster for the first time since March, when the USMNT lost to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League finals. He has not started for the team since the 2024 Copa América, where the Americans failed to advance from the group stage.
This season, he has 146 Bundesliga minutes. With such limited opportunity at the national team level as of late, he’ll need to impress.
Luckily for him, he won’t have to contend with the likes of Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie or others, who were not selected.
Another factor to watch will be how he interacts with Sebastian Berhalter. Both the Reyna and Berhalter families were previously close, but faced intense controversy during and after the 2022 World Cup, with Gio Reyna’s parents, Claudio and Danielle Reyna. Reyna said he was frustrated by the lack of playing time under Sebastian Berhalter’s father, Gregg, who was the manager.
Sebastian Berhalter (Midfield)
Pochettino relied heavily upon Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter at the Gold Cup this summer, but left him out of the two most recent camps as European-based midfielders and Seattle Sounders’ Cristian Roldan took roles.
Now, he comes back into the team in what could be a final chance to contend for a World Cup roster spot, and he should get the opportunity to do so with Tyler Adams having to pull out with an injury.
Should Pochettino use a three-man midfield, Berhalter has shown he can play on the right side. Whereas if there is a four-man midfield, he would play in the middle. The sheer number of midfielders available means he will have to stand out to have a hope of pushing for a roster spot.
Outside of Berhalter, Roldan, Aidan Morris, and Tanner Tessman are in the camp, while Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Johnny Cardoso are among the European talents absent.
Berhalter will need to showcase his pinpoint delivery, long-range shooting and ability if he wants to compete for future opportunities and a spot on the final World Cup roster.
Joe Scally (Right Back)
Gio Reyna’s Monchengladbach teammate, Joe Scally, comes into the team as a versatile player down the right side. Naturally a right back, he has played on the right of a back three, and the right wingback position in a back five at the club level.
A starter through the last five seasons in the Bundesliga, he has amassed 808 minutes this season, balancing time in several positions out wide. Should he earn Pochettino’s trust, he could play a vital role in the variety of formations that the USMNT could employ moving forward.
And after saying that it was “upsetting” to be left off the summer’s Gold Cup squad, he hopes to regain Pochettino’s trust and carve out a role for the World Cup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three USMNT Players Who Need to Impress in November Friendlies .
