World Cup veterans Jesús Ferreira, Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman headline the 24-player roster selected by U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino for a pair of upcoming friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica.
The U.S. will face the Venezuela on Jan. 18 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with the second match against the Ticos taking place four days later in Orlando. Players will begin reporting on Jan. 7. in Ft. Lauderdale.
Because the friendlies fall outside of a FIFA international window, 23 of the 24 players play for MLS clubs, with Pochettino aiming to establish more depth within his squad. The next set of competitive fixtures with the full complement of players will be at the Concacaf Nations League finals in March, starting with the semifinal against Panama.
“We are extremely excited to work with a new group of players and continue to implement our ideas,” Pochettino said. “As I have said, MLS is very important to the National Team project, and these players have earned this opportunity.”
The annual January camp has a history of giving players their initial exposure to the USMNT, including the aforementioned trio. The bulk of Ream’s career has been spent overseas, and as such, he is attending his first January camp since 2011. For many of the players called in, the camp represents a critical opportunity to make an impression on Pochettino and the rest of the USMNT coaching staff.
Seven players earn their first call-ups to a USMNT camp, including Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang, Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten, CF Montreal defender George Campbell, Real Salt Lake midfielder Emeka Eneli, Chicago Fire forward Brian Gutierrez, forward Matko Miljevic (who is currently without a club) and St. Louis City forward Indiana Vassilev. In total, 10 players have the chance to make their first appearance for the senior team.
Of this group, Miljevic is the most interesting call-up. The player’s talent isn’t in question, but he’s displayed some bizarre behavior during his time as a pro, allegedly suiting up for an amateur team under an assumed name while under contract with CF Montreal because he wasn’t playing with the MLS club. His contract was eventually terminated.
During a subsequent stint in Argentina with Newell’s Old Boys — Pochettino’s former club — Miljevic reportedly showed a lack of discipline, and wasn’t offered a new contract.
The roster also includes reigning MLS Young Player of the Year Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake.
Venezuela has enjoyed a solid run of form in the last year, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa América after topping their group with three straight wins, including a 1-0 shutout against Mexico. In qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Vinotinto have earned 1-1 draws against defending World Cup champion Argentina and five-time winners Brazil.
The USMNT holds a 3W-1L-2D edge in the series dating back to 1993, with all but one of the meetings taking place in the United States. Most recently, Venezuela defeated the USMNT 3-0 back on June 9, 2019 in Cincinnati.
Costa Rica has been a difficult opponent over the years, with the U.S. holding a 19W-17L-6D record. All 19 of the USA’s victories have come at home, but the most recent encounter took place on March 30, 2022 in World Cup qualifying, with the Ticos prevailing 2-0.
Full 24-player USMNT roster:
Goalkeepers: Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), George Campbell (CF Montreal), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas), Jalen Neal (CF Montreal), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
Midfielders: Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union).
Forwards: Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Caden Clark (CF Montreal), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fire), Matko Miljevic (Unattached), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps).
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