Mauricio Pochettino's young USMNT get set for pre-Gold Cup friendlies with major stars absent

Getty Images

Happy Friday! The U.S. men's national team begins their final preparations for the Gold Cup, while this weekend's NWSL action just might include a return for one of the league's top stars. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest ahead of a busy weekend in the States.

📺 Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, June 6
🌍 WCQ: Norway vs. Italy, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Fox Soccer Plus
🇺🇸 NWSL: Racing Louisville vs. Utah Royals, 7 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network

Saturday, June 7
🌍 WCQ: Andorra vs. England, 12 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🇺🇸 NWSL: Gotham FC vs. Kansas City Current, 1 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🌎 Friendly: USMNT vs. Turkiye, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ TNT

Sunday, June 8
🇪🇺 UNL: Portugal vs. Spain, 3 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇺🇸 NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. North Carolina Courage, 4 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
🇺🇸🇨🇦 MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders, 9 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass

⚽ The Forward Line

🇺🇸 USMNT skew young for Gold Cup

The U.S. men's national team roster for the Gold Cup is officially set, featuring a handful of veterans mixed into a mostly inexperienced squad.

All but six players have 30 or fewer caps heading into the tournament, while seven are still waiting for their first appearance. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino's selections are partially down to the fact that several key players are unavailable for the tournament, with Antonee Robinson injured, Christian Pulisic opting out after a demanding season with AC Milan and Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah and Gio Reyna competing at the Club World Cup. It makes the Gold Cup, as well as the pre-tournament friendlies against Turkiye on Saturday and Switzerland on Tuesday, an important opportunity for Pochettino to vet a wide selection of the player pool as the USMNT enter the final year before the 2026 World Cup.

Here's the roster in full.

Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG)
Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Damion Downs (FC Koln/GER), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG)

While opportunities are ripe for the taking in several different positions, nowhere is that more true than on the forward line. The USMNT have cycled through options at the No. 9 for years, with Folarin Balogun almost settling into the role while Ricardo Pepi was his understudy. That pair will miss the Gold Cup through injury, though, while Josh Sargent's exclusion was described as a "football decision" by Pochettino last month. It leaves a major question mark in that position, increasing the likelihood that one of the Gold Cup attendees could rise to the occasion. Patrick Agyemang is a player of focus after being the only one to score during the USMNT's disastrous outing at the Concacaf Nations League finals in March, while Brian White will be looking to translate his MLS form into major moments with the national team as the most in-form American forward in recent years in the league.

This Saturday

🔗 Midfield Link Play

🗽 Gotham target course correction against Current

With the international break in the rearview mirror, the NWSL returns this weekend with a handful of intriguing matchups, perhaps chief amongst them the Kansas City Current's trip to NJ/NY Gotham FC.

The pair were part of a top four that were a cut above the rest last season and reached the semifinals of the playoffs, but their paths have diverged since. The Current sit in first place after 10 games, finding a perfect balance that has seen them win eight times so far this season. Vlatko Andonovski;s team have stayed true to their attack-minded style and lead the league with 22 goals from a variety of players – 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga leads the group with six goals, while Debinha has five and Bia Zaneratto has three. They have shored up things in the back considerably, though – a team that had conceded 15 goals in 10 games last season is now down to seven, leading the NWSL in that category and allowing them to keep the league's many talented attackers at bay.

They will meet a Gotham side on Saturday that is in middling league form, though they are just two weeks removed from becoming the first-ever champions of the Concacacaf W Champions Cup. Injuries have hampered their league campaign so far, with the versatile pair of Emily Sonnett and Jess Carter filling in at center back in Tierna Davidson's absence, and rookie Sarah Schupansky playing an attacking midfield role while Rose Lavelle was unavailable. The results have indicated as much – Gotham, usually defensively solid, have conceded 10 goals in 10 league games and have only scored 12 along the way, seven of them coming from Esther Gonzalez.

Saturday's game could present a turning point for Gotham, though, since Lavelle could be in the mix for her first game this season. The Women's World Cup winner has not played since December after undergoing ankle surgery, but her return promises an uptick in offensive output for the 2023 NWSL champions. She notched eight goals and one assist last season after missing the early weeks with a lower leg issue, helping to spur on a Gotham side that became one of the league's best attacking teams.

🔗 Top Stories

🇧🇷 Scoreless in Ancelotti's debut: Carlo Ancelotti's debut as Brazil's head coach was nothing to write home about, with the Selecao taking just three shots in a 0-0 draw at Ecuador.

🇵🇹🇪🇸 UNL final set: Cristiano Ronaldo excelled for Portugal as they progressed to the UEFA Nations League final, while Spain survived a thrilling 5-4 game against France to reach the final.

🔵⚫ Inter manager updates: Simone Inzaghi officially joined Saudi Pro League Al-Hilal after his stint with Inter ended, while the UEFA Champions League finalists look set to appoint Cristian Chivu as his successor.

🇺🇸 Trump travel ban: The White House said the Trump administration's new travel ban will not impact players and staff coming to the U.S. for the Club World Cup and Gold Cup through an exemption.

🗣️ Donovan on USMNT: Landon Donovan said USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino "shouldn't have to coach effort" as the team gears up to put a poor year behind them with 12 months to go until the World Cup.

🇳🇿 Auckland's unlikely journey: Here's the story of Auckland City, the amateur soccer team that will compete at the Club World Cup.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL latest: Here's a look at a list of transfer targets Premier League teams should be keeping an eye on, why Florian Wirtz would be a great fit for Liverpool and what to expect from the Reds' manager Arne Slot in his second season.

💰 The Back Line

💵 Best bets

UEFA World Cup qualifying: Norway vs. Italy, Friday, 2:45 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Erling Haaland to score (+160) – It may be early in Europe's World Cup qualifying tournament but Friday's match is full of high stakes for both Norway and Italy, since a spot at next year's World Cup is not a guarantee for either. Italy, who open their World Cup qualifying campaign in Oslo, have not qualified for a World Cup since 2014, while Norway are hoping to reach the competition for the first time since 1998. How exactly this match goes is up for debate since the two teams have nearly matching odds to win but one thing that works in Norway's favor is that Erling Haaland is back in the mix. Expect him to get on the scoresheet as he aims to lead his national team to their first World Cup in nearly three decades, no matter the final result.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.

📺 What we're watching

📺 What's on CBS Sports Golazo Network

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Join Golazo Network as it helps fans get their day started on the right foot on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.

☀️ Morning Footy (10 a.m. ET): A special edition of Morning Footy, the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines, will kick off Golazo Network's coverage of the big game. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode.

🏆 Champions League Today (1 p.m. ET): Kate Scott hosts pregame studio coverage alongside analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards. Coverage from Allianz Arena in Munich begins at 1 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network, followed by coverage on the CBS and Paramount+ beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

⚽ The Champions Club (5:30 p.m. ET): Poppy Miller, Mike Grella, Nigel Reo-Coker, Tony Meola and Jimmy Conrad for live reactions and match analysis as they break down all the action from the Champions League final.

🥅 Scoreline (7 p.m. ET): Scoreline is the place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can't-miss goals from the day's action, airing seven days a week.

📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.