There are numerous new faces in the U.S. men's national team squad, but the big takeaways are the few that are missing. That group includes established regulars, stars such as Weston McKennie and Antonee Robinson. More importantly, the missing includes the USMNT's coach, or at least the soon-to-be coach.
After falling short at the Copa America, the U.S. is now set for this team's first friendlies of the post-Gregg Berhalter era. They'll come against Canada and New Zealand in the next week, but the new era won't properly kick off this September. Instead, the U.S. will tread water just a bit until the reported hire of Mauricio Pochettino finally gets over the line.
For now, the job falls to Mikey Varas, who will take charge of the USMNT on an interim basis. He will start the process of picking up the pieces, but he knows he won't be finishing it. How does that impact this camp? What can the U.S. do to get something, anything, out of this brief time in limbo?
We'll find out in a few days but, for now, Varas is in charge, and he'll be leading an interesting squad. Robinson's exclusion is about rest, which is tough but understandable. McKennie's absence, meanwhile, is a bit more headline-worthy. And while those exclusions are notable, the inclusions are also compelling - several new faces will look to make their claim less than two years out from a World Cup.
What should fans be watching out for in USMNT camp? GOAL names the winners and losers of this squad announcement.