With October call-up, Wayne’s Matt Freese has another chance to prove his value in goal for the USMNT
Freese, a Wayne, Pa. native, is one of three area locals called up to U.S. men's national team camp ahead of a pair of international matches later this month.
The U.S. men’s national team announced its October camp roster on Thursday ahead of a pair of international friendlies against Ecuador and Australia later this month.
coach Mauricio Pochettino selected 26 players, headlined by names like Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, and Antonee Robinson, among others, joining the squad after missing the team’s 2025 Gold Cup campaign.
These upcoming friendlies mark another test for Pochettino to gauge who will make his final 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup in June.
The U.S. will first face off against Ecuador at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 10 (8:30 p.m., TNT, Peacock). The U.S. last faced Ecuador in 2019, with the U.S. winning 1-0 off a goal from Gyasi Zardes.
After Ecuador, the U.S. will host Australia at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., on Oct. 14 (9 p.m., TNT, Peacock). Ranked No. 24 in FIFA’s World Soccer rankings, the Australians have already qualified for what will be their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.
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Headliners return
Pulisic, who currently leads the Italian League Serie A in total points with six goals and two assists for AC Milan, expressed frustration after receiving criticism for opting out of the Gold Cup earlier this year — and many hope he’s now ready to carry over his hot start in Europe to the international stage.
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McKennie, Weah, Robinson, and Folarin Balogun will also return to the squad after failing to play last summer. While Balogun and Robinson missed the tournament due to injury, Weah and McKennie were unable to play due to their participation in the Club World Cup.
Locally, Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie, and Matt Freese received call-ups. Freese, the Wayne, Pa., native, is in a battle for the starting role with incumbent goalkeeper Matt Turner.
Freese, the former Union backup who will be in Chester this weekend with his club team, New York City FC, to take on the Union, had a strong summer as a member of the U.S. Gold Cup squad, when he became the hero in a penalty kick shootout in the quarterfinals against Costa Rica, fueling the Americans’ run to the finals of the competition.
Robinson, last year’s U.S. men’s national team Player of the Year, is arguably the most significant addition to the squad following a successful season with English Premier League side, Fulham.
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Stars in the making
Returners from this past summer include Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, affectionately known as “Moon Man,” who leads the team in caps for 2025. Luna scored his first international goal for the senior team in that Gold Cup quarterfinal victory against Costa Rica, and followed that up with a brace in a 2-1 victory over Guatemala in the semifinal.
Other returning names to know are Coventry’s Haji Wright, who leads the EFL Championship, the second-tier of English competition with seven total goals in eight league matches, and Malik Tillman, who has scored two goals in four matches for German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen after being named to the Gold Cup best XI team this past summer.
On the back line, Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards looks to return to the squad after dominating during the Gold Cup. With the Eagles currently third in the Premier League Table following a 2024 domestic season in which they won the FA Cup and FA Community Shield, Richardson looks to bring his world-class play back to the States.
U.S. men’s national team roster
Club team, U.S. appearances and goals in parentheses
Goalkeepers (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 52/0)
Defenders (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 12/1), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic; 19/0), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 9/0), Mark McKenzie (FC Toulouse; 22/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 77/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace; 33/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham; 50/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 35/3)
Midfielders (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United; 53/9), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 14/3), Weston McKennie (Juventus; 60/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 9/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 39/0), James Sands (FC St. Pauli; 11/0), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon; 8/0), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen; 25/3)
Forwards (6): Patrick Agyemang (Derby County; 12/5), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco; 19/6), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan; 80/32), Tim Weah (Marseille; 45/7), Haji Wright (Coventry City; 17/5), Alex Zendejas (Club América; 13/2)