January camp is in full swing for the United States men’s national team. Mauricio Pochettino is pushing players to the limit to get them in shape for matches against Venezuela and Costa Rica. Some players haven’t played competitive games since November due to failing to qualify for the MLS playoffs, and if that wasn’t enough, it’s also been a fluid roster due to transfers and fitness issues.
Drake Callender, Jesus Ferreira, John Tolkin and Jalen Neal all left the roster before these games. Tolkin does on his way to join his new team Holstein Keil in Germany, so he left due to personal reasons, but the others are down to a mix of fitness and taking precautions during pre-season.
Add to that the fact that Neal and Ferreira have also joined new teams this season and it would normally be a good time for them to integrate after getting time with the national team under Pochettino. But while they are in Fort Lauderdale, the goal is for the USMNT to learn the Pochettino way and then bring that back to their clubs. As his fingerprints reach the team, he begins to instill philosophies, one of which he developed in the run-up to the Venezuela showdown.
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“The way Argentinian players compete against each other: when you lose a ball, you cry,” Pochettino said. “If you lose a match, you might spend a week in your room if you want to go out. That’s how you defend your place, your flag. It’s how you defend your identity, your culture. That’s what we want to translate. When When you play for the national team, you have to feel something in your skin and in yourself.”
Instilling a culture before 2026 is crucial and as Pochettino becomes more embedded in the squad, this culture will become apparent. From playing patterns to intensity and ensuring players are put in a position to succeed, it is clear Pochettino is leaving no stone unturned in international management.
Times like this camp are also more like a club’s preseason, where he can make a huge impact on the players there. Pochettino praised the team’s performance during this camp so far, which makes it exciting to see what they do in these matches against national teams who also have enough domestic talent to push the USMNT.
Pochettino has admitted he has been demanding, but all with the aim of producing the best possible team for the 2026 World Cup. With the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup approaching, this is a chance for players to seize the opportunity grab it and get started with it.
How to watch
- Date: Saturday January 18 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Location: Chase Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- TV: TNT | Live stream: Fubo TV (Try for free)
Rooster
GOALKEEPS (3): Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0)
DEFENDERS (7): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 0/0), George Campbell (CF Montréal; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew; 8/0), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas; 19/1), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 66/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 30/3), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 41/3)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF; 1/0), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 1/0), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; 1/0)
FORWARD (6): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 0/0), Caden Clark (CF Montréal; 0/0), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire FC; 0/0), Matko Miljevic (Huracán/ARG; 0/0), Indiana Vassilev (St . Louis CITY SC; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps FC; 1/0)