Three key positional battles to watch with the USMNT this month, as the World Cup looms

Gio Reyna, Tim Ream, and Union alumni Matt Freese, Mark McKenzie, and Auston Trusty are among the players in the spotlight for this month's training camp and games.

Attacking midfielder Gio Reyna is in the biggest spotlight of any of the 27 players on this month's U.S. men's soccer team roster.Read moreJonathan Tannenwald

by Jonathan Tannenwald

Published March 25, 2026, 7:01 a.m. ET

MARIETTA, Ga. — The clock is ticking toward the World Cup, and even in this serene Atlanta suburb, it’s ticking loudly.

This week, the U.S. men’s soccer team is holding its last training camp before manager Mauricio Pochettino picks the World Cup squad. There are 27 players here, and plenty more who want to be.

The competition at hand isn’t just the games to come against two European powerhouses, Belgium on Saturday (3:30 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62) and Portugal next Tuesday (7 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62). It’s everything before then, too, from practice fields to the film room and the off-the-side moments that build chemistry.

Here are three key positional battles to watch.

Goalkeeper

Matt Freese is the clear No. 1. The Wayne native, who rose from the Union’s academy to become Andre Blake’s backup and then New York City FC’s starter, has played every minute for the U.S. since the start of the Gold Cup last summer. And that might not be a good thing.

Matt Turner, who started at the last World Cup, hasn’t played well since coming back to his former MLS home in New England. But while it’s one thing to make Freese the clear starter, it’s another to not give anyone else any minutes, even just to settle the rest of the depth chart.

Freese has never played against teams as good as Belgium and Portugal. If he slips up, then what? There isn’t much time for anyone else to get serious reps before the World Cup kicks off.

The No. 3 spot is also still up for grabs. That player hardly ever plays in a tournament, but still gains vital experience.

For that reason, 2024 men’s Olympic team starter Patrick Schulte was presumed to have the inside track. But Schulte wasn’t called up to this squad until a player who was, Roman Celentano, had to withdraw over an injury precaution.

Celentano and Chris Brady seem to have the lead over Schulte right now. Whether that stays the case until late May — or whether Pochettino plays a wild card with 20-year-old Diego Kochen, who plays for FC Barcelona — feels impossible to guess right now.

Centerback

Pochettino’s switch last fall to a three-centerback system played a big role in sparking the Americans’ five-game unbeaten run to close the year. But the starting trio for the World Cup is far from set.

Chris Richards is a lock. That’s the easy part. Tim Ream is Pochettino’s captain, but he’s 38 years old and Father Time doesn’t lose. Pochettino might not be worried, but some fans are.

At least the three-back setup helps cover for some of Ream’s risks, with two central midfielders in front of him and a wingback to help reduce the odds of getting caught in one-on-one situations.

The third starting spot seems pretty open. It could go to one of the Union alums in the squad, Mark McKenzie or Auston Trusty, both of whom played well in last November’s 5-1 rout of Uruguay. McKenzie even got to wear the captain’s armband that night, a good sign of Pochettino’s belief in him.

Miles Robinson is the top contender from MLS, a regular with the U.S. and FC Cincinnati. And there’s a wild card in Noahkai Banks, a 19-year-old prospect with so much potential.

Banks declined an invitation this month while he decides whether to commit to the U.S. where he was born, or Germany where he has lived since a young age. If he picks the U.S. before the summer, he’ll almost certainly go to the World Cup.

Attacking midfielder

No player on this squad is in a bigger spotlight than Gio Reyna. He’s barely playing for his club, Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Pochettino has said throughout his U.S. tenure that he wants to pick his national teams based on players’ club performances.

But as Pochettino admitted when he announced this month’s roster, he makes an exception for Reyna’s talent. While there’s no doubt that Reyna has it, whether it’s the right move for the manager is a big question.

Reyna paid back Pochettino’s faith in November, with a great game against Paraguay at Subaru Park including the opening goal. Now he must do it again in this high-pressure moment.

It’s not just about the other attacking midfielders on this roster who could line up across from Christian Pulisic: Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, and Brenden Aaronson. It’s about two players who aren’t here, could be, and are fighting hard to make the World Cup team.

Diego Luna is just back from a knee injury at Real Salt Lake, and stayed home this month as a precaution. That’s fine. Alejandro Zendejas, though, is playing great for Mexico’s Club América — as Union fans saw firsthand in the Concacaf Champions Cup. He hasn’t played for the U.S. since September, when he scored a goal in the streak-starting win over Japan.

A lot of people wanted to see Zendejas on this squad. If Reyna delivers this month, he will justify his place and more than likely seal a World Cup place. If he doesn’t, the calls for Zendejas’ return will grow louder.