USMNT January camp important as Mauricio Pochettino seeks stability in first full year in charge

The roster for January camp has been named. And as the first full calendar year of Mauricio Pochettino coaching the United States men’s national team begins, the list is important. It’s an intriguing time for this team and 2025 will bring these January friendlies against Costa Rica and Venezuela, and the Concacaf Nations League, and the Gold Cup over the summer as the road to 2026 really begins.

Unlike recent years, all of these competitions will also be led by the same manager, rather than the rotating cast of interim and permanent managers who oversee the USMNT. This will give the players the opportunity to impress Pochettino as he also understands the depth options within his team. With injuries to key players in the senior team, this is an opportunity for the national players to make their mark under Pochettino, while learning from experienced members of the squad.

Having Tim Ream on the side will be a big help for young defenders like Jalen Neal, as center back is one of the positions that could be in play at the 2026 World Cup. Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Benjamín Cremaschi and Brian Gutiérrez are other talented young attackers to keep an eye on. Pochetitno has emphasized that it doesn’t matter if someone is in Major League Soccer or abroad, young or old, they will have the opportunity to be part of your team if they deserve a place for their play.

That’s what makes this camp so important. It takes place outside of the standard FIFA international break, so this is a national team without the usual attackers like Christian Pulisic. Historically, the USMNT hasn’t fared well without its stars, but that’s why this is an intriguing moment. It could be very easy to see a player from this team and then move on to the Nations League team when things improve again in March.

Previously, the January camp seemed like a time when there was a hard limit on finding players who could make the Gold Cup squad, but not go beyond, but with the appointment of Pochettnio and the level of synergy above Down in US Soccer, things feel a little different. The expectations and quality of the coaching staff have increased with Pochettno’s experience in developing youth players. This is also a time during which you can show some of these guys what needs to be done to take the next step in their careers.

Even Jesús Ferrería, who was a USMNT regular under Gregg Berhalter, has been largely absent from Pochettino’s setup so far. Strong performances in these friendlies along with injuries to Josh Sargent and Folarin Balogun could see him back in the picture as the USMNT’s starting nine.

It’s an exciting time and while these players need to prove to Pochettino that they are ready to take the next step, opportunities abound in this camp. Even the opposition from Costa Rica and Venezuela will be a big test, as each of those teams has domestic talent that can challenge the USMNT. When playing against European nations, the USMNT may, at best, get their third-tier teams, but that won’t be the case against teams from America. That gives a few more reasons than usual to keep an eye on things this January.