Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, Barcelona defender Sergino Dest and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah headline the 27-player roster for the U.S. men's national team's May 30 friendly against Switzerland, set to take place in St. Gallen (Live on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET).
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The match, combined with the CONCACAF Nations League finals on June 3 and June 6, as well as a friendly against Costa Rica on June 9, is intended to mimic the cadence and travel challenges that the U.S. will face during World Cup qualifying, slated to start in September. The final 23-player CNL roster is due May 24.
The U.S. will train at altitude to prepare for the run of matches, which include CNL games in the mile-high altitude of Denver. The U.S. will also face a stern test in Switzerland, which is ranked 13th in the world according to FIFA.
"The ability to play a top-20 team in the world is an opportunity that we didn't want to miss on," said U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter. "Switzerland is a very strong opponent, very talented players, and they're preparing for the European Championship. So one of the goals is just to play a high level opponent, and we're certainly achieving that with this camp."
Berhalter had to juggle club commitments and injuries in naming his roster. Chelsea's Christian Pulisic and Manchester City's Zack Steffen will square off in the Champions League final on May 29, rendering them unavailable for the Switzerland match. Both are expected to join up with the U.S. squad for the CNL games.
Playoff matches could also impact the availability of Barnsley striker Daryl Dike, Werder Bremen striker Josh Sargent and Greuther Furth midfielder Julian Green.
In terms of injuries, New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long is absent after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this week.
"Aaron's been a mainstay in our group, he's a leader in the group, and a player that performs well on the field," said Berhalter. "So it's really tragic news for the US Soccer Federation, for our team. But having said that, it gives another player an opportunity to step up, and we have some young center backs who are going to need to get experience and this will give them the opportunity to do so."
Hoffenheim's Chris Richards is also out with a hamstring ailment, but RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams is a surprise inclusion. He had been excused by his club to rehab a back injury, but is included in the U.S. side.
Two players making returns to the U.S. include Green and Galatasaray defender DeAndre Yedlin. For Green, this is his first call-up since Berhalter took over as manager. His last U.S. appearance came against England on Nov. 15, 2018. Yedlin, the most capped player on the roster with 62, is taking part in his first camp since November of 2019, when he played in a 4-0 victory over Cuba in the Concacaf Nations League. More importantly, Yedlin has made the most of his midseason move to Galatasaray from Newcastle United.
"What we've been observing is just DeAndre's rise since he's been to Galatasaray. He's been playing consistently. He's been performing well and it's great to see him back on the field, getting that rhythm."
The roster includes three players taking part in their first U.S. camp, those being Bayern Munich loanee Justin Che, Schalke forward Matthew Hoppe and Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa.
"We like to integrate young players into it," said Berhalter. "We feel like the program will benefit from giving these players young players experiences early on, and these are three players that fit this mold."
The match against Switzerland represents the sixth time the U.S. will face a top-20 opponent since Berhalter became head coach in 2019. The Swiss are preparing for the European Championship, where they have been drawn into Group A with four-time World Cup champion Italy, Turkey and Wales. The tournament airs on ESPN networks from June 11-July 11.
Detailed Roster by Position (Club/Country; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL; 4/0), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; 0/0), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (10): John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER; 40/3), Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 14/0), Justin Che (Bayern Munich/GER; 0/0), Sergino Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 7/1), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 2/0), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht/BEL; 21/1), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 42/1), Bryan Reynolds (Roma/ITA; 1/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 10/0), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 62/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 27/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 12/1), Julian Green (Greuther Fürth/GER; 15/4), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 20/6), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 21/6), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 4/0), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes; 9/0)
FORWARDS: (7): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 4/2), Daryl Dike (Barnsley/ENG; 2/0), Matthew Hoppe (Schalke/GER; 0/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 4/2), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER; 13/5), Jordan Siebatcheu (Young Boys/SUI; 2/0), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 10/1)