As the UEFA Champions League qualifiers conclude and teams prepare for Thursday`s draw, the U.S. Men`s National Team (USMNT) is already focused on their upcoming September international break.
USMNT: Player Pool Expansion and Squad Announcements
USMNT Squad for September Friendlies Announced
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has selected a squad featuring several lesser-known and inexperienced players for the September friendlies against South Korea and Japan. Pochettino emphasized that this camp is “the last opportunity to bring some new faces” with the 2026 World Cup less than 300 days away. The full roster is listed below:
- Goalkeepers: Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena)
- Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps), Sergino Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace)
- Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)
- Forwards: Damion Downs (Southampton), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alex Zendejas (Club America)
The squad includes only seven players with 30 or more caps, while 11 players from the recent Concacaf Gold Cup roster make a return. Five players could earn their first cap next month. Notably, Christian Pulisic is back after missing the Gold Cup, an issue Pochettino stated is “behind us.” Sergino Dest is set to make his first appearance since recovering from an ACL injury, and Josh Sargent also returns after being omitted from the Gold Cup squad due to a “football decision.” Conversely, Weston McKennie is a notable absence, with Pochettino explaining his exclusion as part of the ongoing player pool expansion strategy.
Pochettino: `For me, all the players are important. The individual situations are important, and to analyze and make the decisions and have a plan for them. We have a roster of 65 players that we`re going to be assessing every week and it`s for them to perform and for us to select the best players to make a roster with a good balance. We don`t have much time because we started last October and it has been less than one year and I think for us it`s important to get a chance to work with the players because we know what some players can provide and now is a chance for different players like Sebastian Berhalter or Luca de la Torre.`
The USMNT will gather in New Jersey next week, facing South Korea on September 6th at Sports Illustrated Stadium, followed by a match against Japan three days later at Columbus` Lower.com Field.
UEFA Champions League: Playoff Conclusion
Final Round of Champions League Qualification
The UEFA Champions League qualification stage concludes on Wednesday, with eight teams vying for the final four spots in the group stage. The draw for the league phase is scheduled for Thursday in Monaco. Below are the first-leg scores for the remaining ties:
- Ferencvaros 1, Qarabag 3
- Rangers 1, Club Brugge 3
- Fenerbahce 0, Benfica 0
- Basel 1, Copenhagen 1
These matches follow a dramatic Tuesday, where three clubs—Norway`s Bodo/Glimt, Cyprus` Pafos FC, and Kazakhstan`s Kairat—secured their first-ever Champions League berths, often overcoming more established opponents. Bodo/Glimt advanced comfortably with a 6-2 aggregate win after a 5-0 first-leg victory against Sturm Graz. Pafos FC triumphed 3-2 on aggregate against Crvena zvezda, sealing their qualification with an 89th-minute goal from Jaja. Kairat endured the longest path to the Champions League, defeating Celtic on penalties after 210 goalless minutes over two legs, thanks to three shootout saves by goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov. Kairat, who began their campaign in the first round in July, is now only the second Kazakh team to reach the Champions League, following Astana in 2015-16.
The highlight of Wednesday`s schedule is in Lisbon, where Benfica hosts Fenerbahce following a goalless first leg in Istanbul. Fenerbahce manager José Mourinho makes a notable return to Benfica, where he began his managerial career 25 years ago. However, his team enters as underdogs; Benfica is a Champions League regular, while Fenerbahce has not competed in the tournament for nearly two decades. Mourinho’s pre-match comments reflected this realistic assessment, though he maintained his characteristic confidence.
Mourinho: `This is where it all began. I`ve been back here with Manchester United. I`ve never lost here because my teams were better. My Porto were much better, Manchester United were better; in this case Benfica are a team with a greater power to mine. … Good build-up play, dangerous on the counterattack, with fast players who attack space. They`re a good team. I`m not here to sugarcoat things and put Benfica on a pedestal that they don`t deserve. Right now, my goal is to win.`
