The 23-player roster for the United States men’s national team’s upcoming games in the Concacaf Nations League was revealed on Wednesday. The roster had several surprises including the return of Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent.
Gregg Berhalter appeared on CBS’s pregame coverage of the UEFA Champions League and took questions from Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards about the squad he selected.
“This was the hardest roster we’ve ever had to pick based on the players in form,” Berhalter said.
Here are the 23 players that will represent the USMNT in the semifinal on Thursday, March 21, against Jamaica.
USMNT Nations League roster
On a mission for a third-straight Concacaf Nations League crown
The 23-player roster » https://t.co/tcAT6Zcf62 pic.twitter.com/1yXfaqrMXP— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 13, 2024
Tyler Adams returns
Adams being named to the roster was arguably the biggest shock. The Bournemouth defensive midfielder and captain at the World Cup hasn’t appeared for the U.S. since 2022. He’s been dealing with a severe hamstring injury that required surgery and sidelined him for nearly a year.
The 25-year-old has only made one appearance with Bournemouth’s senior team this season which was a 20-minute cameo in September that reaggravated the hamstring injury.
Adams is nearing a return to the field and Berhalter said that he won’t start for the USMNT, but his leadership will be valuable.
“We know he’s not going to be starter in these two games but we can get him back in the group and potentially playing some minutes,” Berhalter said.
Rising Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso is expected to start in defensive midfield for the USMNT.
UPDATE: Tyler Adams made his first Premier League appearance for Bournemouth on Wednesday. He played for 20 minutes as a substitute.
TYLER ADAMS MAKES BOURNEMOUTH LEAGUE DEBUT. USMNT midfielder returns to pitch for Cherries after having surgery in October, his 2nd in last year. Amazing moment for a player who has worked so hard to achieve all that he has in his career. pic.twitter.com/sVQZCDTwSh
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) March 13, 2024
Josh Sargent is back
Sargent is another player making an appearance on the USMNT roster for the first time since the World Cup. A mix of injuries and poor form kept him away from the national team for the past 15 months, but now he’s arguably the hottest player.
Sargent has been on a goalscoring tear since he returned from an ankle injury at the start of 2024. He’s scored seven goals in Norwich City’s previous nine games.
Berhalter will have a tough time deciding who to start at striker between Sargent, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi.
The USMNT head coach also name-dropped Haji Wright and Brandon Vazquez who were heavily considered to be called up.
Gio Reyna called up despite lack of play
One other big question mark for Berhalter was if Gio Reyna would be named to the roster despite his lack of play time.
Reyna made a loan move from Borussia Dortmund to Nottingham Forest in the winter transfer window which has backfired horribly. The USMNT forward left Dortmund in search of more playing time but has somehow found even less time on the field.
Since his move to Nottingham Forest he’s played just 39 minutes and didn’t even make the bench for the last two league games. Berhalter defended the decision to still name him to the USMNT roster.
“He’s performed extremely well for the national team even though he hasn’t made his impact yet at Forest like he’d want to, we still think he’s a valuable member of the team and we want to showcase him to make an impact as well,” Berhalter said.
Berhalter and the boys will head to Arlington, Texas, for the international break and face Jamaica at AT&T Stadium. The USMNT will then play in the final or third-place game against Mexico or Panama on Sunday, March 24.
