The U.S. men's national soccer team will play its first meaningful game of the Mauricio Pochettino era as it takes on Jamaica in the first leg of a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal on Thursday night.
When last we saw Pochettino's USMNT, it was getting out-classed by Mexico in a friendly match at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico. That undesirable result came three days after Pochettino won in his USMNT debut, a 2-0 victory over Panama in a friendly match in Austin, Texas.
Now, the stakes are higher. The USMNT are three-time defending Concacacf Nations League champions, having won the competition in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
The two-leg series versus Jamaica will conclude on Sunday, when the U.S. hosts Jamaica at Energizer Park in St. Louis.
The other Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matchups are Costa Rica vs. Panama, Suriname vs. Canada and Honduras vs. Mexico. The semifinals and final will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, from March 20-23.
How to Watch USMNT vs. Jamaica
Here's everything you need to know for Thursday's Concacaf Nations League match:
- Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 14.
- Location: National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. The USMNT has played at Jamaica 10 times, with the U.S. holding a narrow advantage with three wins, one loss and six draws.
- TV: TNT and truTV. Pregame coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET. Spanish-language television broadcast is available on Universo.
- Streaming: Max and Peacock. Pregame coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET.
USMNT Roster
Goalkeepers (4): Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona Atletic/Spain), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/England)
Defenders (7): Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/France), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/England), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/England), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Germany), Auston Trusty (Celtic/Scotland)
Midfielders (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/England), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/Italy), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/Spain), Weston McKennie (Juventus/Italy), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/England), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/Italy), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/France), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands)
Forwards (6): Cade Cowell (Guadalajara/Mexico), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/Italy), Brandon Vazquez (Monterrey/Mexico), Tim Weah (Juventus/Italy), Alex Zendejas (Club América/Mexico)
Jamaica Roster
Goalkeepers (3): Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union/USA), Shaquan Davis (Mount Pleasant), Jahmali Waite (El Paso Locomotive FC/USA)
Defenders (9): Amari'i Bell (Luton Town/England), Di'Shon Bernard (Sheffield Wednesday/England), Tayvon Gray (New York City FC/USA), Mason Holgate (West Bromwich Albion/England), Richard King (IBV/Iceland), Greg Leigh (Oxford United/England), Dexter Lembikisa (Yverdon Sport/Switzerland), Damion Lowe (Al Okhdood/Saudi Arabia), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford/England)
Midfielders (5): Karoy Anderson (Charlton Athletic/England), Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United/England), Joel Latibeaudiere (Coventry City/England), Tyreek Magee (Colorado Springs Switchbacks/USA), Kasey Palmer (Hull City/England)
Forwards (7): Michail Antonio (West Ham United/England), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa/England), Renaldo Cephas (Ankaragücü/Turkey), Kaheim Dixon (Charlton Athletic/England), Demarai Gray (Al-Ettifaq/Saudi Arabia), Shamar Nicholson (Spartak Moscow/Russia), Romario Williams (Indy Eleven/USA)
Pochettino's First Test
AC Milan duo Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah are mainstays in the American National Team setup, and ahead of the clash against Jamaica, the latter offered an update on how things are after Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival.
Musah is still a player that holds a lot of potential for the future, and Milan have a lot to be excited about. Starting as a wide player, he has moved more central in recent times, and this could have significant benefits. A player blessed with fantastic physical attributes, he has all the marks to reach a very high level.
However, he has rarely been given many opportunities to start, but when Paulo Fonseca gave him a chance against Real Madrid, he showed his quality. For this reason, questions must be asked about how the Rossoneri can integrate him into the squad.
Speaking ahead of America’s game against Jamaica, the midfielder spoke about the changes since Pochettino’s arrival, and his words have been relayed by Milan News.
“It’s all a bit new, we’re still trying to get to know each other better but the main thing for tomorrow’s game is to try to play in the best way to win and that’s what we worked on during the weekly training, just making sure we try to give our best.”
The game against Jamaica…
“We know that it will be a challenging game with the weather conditions and with the physicality they have, we must adapt to the conditions and intensity and we know that we must be ready to fight, this is the key for tomorrow.”
A Look at the Squad
United States men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino has named a 25-player roster to compete in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals this week against Jamaica.
Among those included are AC Milan's Christian Pulisic and the Juventus duo of Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah.
The quarterfinal matchup will be contested over two legs, with the first leg to be played in Kingston, Jamaica, on Nov. 14 and the second leg contested in St. Louis four days later. In 10 meetings in Jamaica, the U.S. has a record of 3-1-6.
Players will report to the camp on Sunday and Monday, with the team departing Wednesday afternoon for Jamaica.
Pochettino will have a greater number of first-choice players available compared to last month's international window, the Argentine's first in charge. Weah is recalled for the first time since his red card against Panama in the Copa América, and his subsequent suspension will carry over into the first leg in Kingston.
“We select 25 players on the roster and we try to find the best balance, thinking not only about [performing] today if not to build something for 2026,” Pochettino told a news conference on Sunday.
“That is the main objective. Of course the objective is always about to win because we need to be competitive but it's important because we are not going to have too many camps to see players.”
Other returnees include Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, Fulham defender Antonee Robinson and Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso. Pochettino will also get his first looks at Barcelona Atletic goalkeeper Diego Kochen and CD Guadalajara forward Cade Cowell.
However, a host of regulars miss out for the U.S. with fitness concerns. Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams just recently returned to play after a lengthy injury layoff due to back surgery. Monaco forward Folarin Balogun continues to recover from a separated shoulder, while Norwich City striker Josh Sargent recently underwent groin surgery that is set to sideline him for up to eight weeks. Coventry City's Haji Wright also suffered an ankle injury late in Sunday's match against Sunderland.
“He [Adams] is a highly important player for USA, for us, and I consider him personally a very important player for the future of this team. But the most important thing now is to see the progression. He came from a difficult moment. Yesterday, he played 60 minutes, 65 minutes,” Pochettino said.
“I think it was important for him to see and for us so happy to see the evolution of him. But in the same time we know very well that we need to look after him if we want to have him in the best condition for 2026.”
The injuries to Balogun, Sargent and Wright mean plenty of eyes will be on the group of forwards which in addition to Cowell includes PSV Eindhoven's Ricardo Pepi and Monterrey FC's Brandon Vázquez.
The roster does seem light on outside defenders, with just Robinson and Joe Scally having extensive experience in those roles. That hints that Pochettino may resort to playing with three defenders plus wingbacks, though Richards and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream have played at outside back in the past in a four-back system.
Building for the Future
The USMNT is aiming to win its fourth straight CNL, having previously claimed every edition of the tournament since the first final was held in 2021.
