Heading into some of the most significant friendlies that the United States men's national team has played under Gregg Berhalter, he has named a 23-man roster. This October international break will see the United States host Germany on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Ghana on Tuesday, Oct. 17, for a true litmus test of what this team can do against top opposition. They will get their first look at Germany under new manager Julian Nagelsmann, but they will have to do it without captain Tyler Adams, who is still sidelined for Bournemouth due to a hamstring injury.
While Adams appeared in the Cherries' EFL Cup victory over Stoke City on Sept. 27, logging 12 minutes, manager Andoni Iraola stated that there has been a recurrence of his hamstring injury. With Adams unavailable for national team selection, Yunus Musah and Luca De La Torre have been filling in as defensive midfielders for Berhalter, but these matches will be their biggest test in that role.
There is a significant return to the side with attacking midfielder Gio Reyna. After recovering from a leg injury, he makes the squad despite not having featured for club or country since June 18. Reyna and Berhalter have spoken to repair their relationship following a fallout at the World Cup, and this return to the national team confirms what Berhalter has publicly stated: the door was never closed for Reyna to return.
"The conversation was positive, I'm appreciative of him taking the time," Berhalter said about his conversations with Reyna. "It's about us aligning on how we're moving forward."
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The rest of those conversations were kept private but Berhalter did mention that this camp will be good for getting Reyna minutes and that he aims to use him in as many positions as possible. Given Reyna's versatility, it's a good thing for the young midfielder as he gets back into the fold of the USMNT.
Keeper Matt Turner spoke frankly about that relationship when he joined CBS Sports Golazo Network's Kickin' It this week.
"I know Gio and I know him well and I love the guy, and I know Gregg and I know him well and I love the guy. I just think the whole thing was just a terrible situation, really."
“People still want to play for [Berhalter]. The players were involved in those conversations.”@headdturnerr opens up about the Gio Reyna-Gregg Berhalter post-World Cup fallout, and his experience within it. pic.twitter.com/qvjMGqQLBB
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 4, 2023
Nineteen players on the roster were also called up for the September friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman, as the core group of the USMNT is becoming more established with each match. Lennard Maloney of Heidenheim will be the only member of this side seeking his first USMNT cap. A German-born defensive midfielder, Maloney is someone who could have a significant chance on this roster as the team looks to find a natural backup for Adams. Berhalter added that he "has the most distance run in the Bundesliga," a trait that fits in well with the USMNT press.
Berhalter also noted that Antonee Robinson is staying with Fulham to rest.
"He's dealing with the onset of a sports hernia type of thing," Berhalter said. "He got injections before last camp, and is still struggling with that a bit."
With these being friendlies and also needing to find out who the backup left back is moving forward, that opens an opportunity within the squad. Joe Scally and Kristoffer Lund are the players who would have the first crack at things during the camp and a strong performance could easily make one of them a member of the USMNT regulars ahead of Nations League play during the next international window.
Injuries can bring opportunities and left back along with midfield will have plenty of room for that.
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 33/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 12/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 28/2), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 7/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 2/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 52/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 12/1), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 26/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 6/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 7/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 17/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 46/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 29/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 20/4), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED;64/0)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 34/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 4/2), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 1/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 18/9), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 62/26), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 33/5)
