Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent return to USMNT for Concacaf Nations League finals
Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent are back with the U.S. men's national team for the first time since the 2022 World Cup.
Coach Gregg Berhalter named Adams — the USMNT's captain in Qatar — and Sargent among the 23 players who will help the Americans try to claim a third consecutive Concacaf Nations League crown starting next week in Arlington, Texas. The U.S. faces Jamaica in the semifinals on March 21, with a potential 2023 title rematch against rival Mexico inside a jam-packed "Jerry World" looming three days later.
"Our objective is to win our third title," Berhalter said on Zoom call with reporters shortly after the squad was announced.
England-based veterans Adams and Sargent have been dogged by injuries since the last World Cup; neither appeared for his country at all in 2023. But Adams recently returned to full training with Premier League side Bournemouth following a long-term hamstring ailment, while center forward Sargent has scored nine goals in 13 games for second-tier Norwich since recovering from ankle surgery in December. Sargent is one of three dedicated strikers selected along with Folarin Balogun and Texas native Ricardo Pepi.
Berhalter said that Adams is capable of playing up to 45 minutes at a time. "This decision was basically the [result] of months of communication with his club," Berhalter said of calling up the 25-year-old defensive midfielder.
Most of the rest of the usual suspects were also summoned, including USMNT headliners Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest. Dest is suspended against the Reggae Boyz because of the two yellow cards he received in the quarterfinal decider against Trinidad and Tobago. He'll be available for the final or the third place match on March 24.
Gio Reyna received an invitation from Berhalrer despite having played a paltry 38 minutes across three Prem games since joining Nottingham Forest in January. (Reyna also made a brief cameo in Forest's FA Cup loss to Manchester United last month.)
"For us, he's performed well in this last year, basically," Berhalter said of Reyna. "We thought that was enough" to recall the 21-year-old.
But there was no room for longtime mainstay Brenden Aaronson, who has struggled this season with Union Berlin in Germany's Bundesliga. "This was probably the most difficult squad we've had to pick," Berhalter said. "We think there's guys ahead of him right now."
The full roster, which features five sets of club teammates, is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Drake Callender, Inter Miami (MLS); Ethan Horvath, Cardiff City (Wales); Matt Turner, Nottingham Forest (England)
Defenders: Sergiño Dest, PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands); Kristoffer Lund, Palermo (Italy); Mark McKenzie, Genk (Belgium), Tim Ream, Fulham England), Chris Richards, Crystal Palace (England), Antonee Robinson, Fulham (England), Miles Robinson, Cincinnati (MLS); Joe Scally, Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany)
Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Bournemouth (England); Johnny Cardoso, Real Betis (Spain); Luca de la Torre, Celta Vigo (Spain); Weston McKennie, Juventus (Italy), Yunus Musah, AC Milan (Italy); Gio Reyna, Nottingham Forest
Forwards: Folarin Balogun, Monaco (France), Ricardo Pepi, PSV Eindhoven; Christian Pulisic, AC Milan; Josh Sargent, Norwich City (England) Malik Tillman, PSV Eindhoven; Tim Weah, Juventus
The 23 players — 21 of whom were also on one or both of the Americans' Nations League-winning squads in 2021 or '23 — will report to the Dallas area starting this weekend following games with their clubs. The only two members who haven't previously won the tournament are No. 3 goalkeeper Callender and reserve left back Lund.
"This is a tough squad to break into," Berhalter said. "There's not much difference between a lot of these guys."
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men's and women's national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
