USMNT next generation arrives as Pochettino calls 13 uncapped players to camp
Mauricio Pochettino is set to debut a new generation of the United States men’s national team over the coming multi-week Fifa window, calling in 13 players who have yet to earn a senior cap.
Cavan Sullivan, 16, is the headliner, but the USMNT boss has brought in a deep group of club performers for a first look. The Guardian’s camp cheat sheet, based on club data pulled from Futi unless otherwise noted, highlights the profiles Pochettino could turn to.
Goalkeepers
Diego Kochen, 20, Lyngby (loan from Barcelona)
The Miami-born Kochen is on loan in the Danish Superliga with newly promoted Lyngby. The club have won just one of nine games, conceding 16 goals from 116 shots for a 0.14 rate that is joint-worst in the league.
“It’s tough to say exactly how Kochen’s first club run-out away from Barça is going, as Lyngby plays in the Danish Superliga – one of many leagues lacking in robust publicly available data,” the guide notes. The numbers may not jump off the page, but Kochen’s profile still makes him a tantalizing prospect for a program that has been without an obvious starter in goal since Tim Howard’s retirement a decade ago.
He already got valuable reps as a training-only member of the World Cup squad, and scouting reports suggest he’s proactive about stopping crosses, a good sign considering his slim build.
Brian Schwake, 25, Nashville SC
Schwake joined Nashville in 2025 after loan stints in Scotland and two years with Castellón. He is first-choice this season and has backstopped Nashville to MLS’s best record with a credible shot at a new single-season points record.
His 0.81 goals allowed per game jumps off the page, though the metric is equally attributable to the defense in front of him. Schwake keeps clean sheets under greater shot volume and offers capable cross claiming and tidy distribution to minimize mistakes.
Defenders
Frankie Westfield, 20, Philadelphia Union
Right back has been thin for the US for multiple cycles, especially with Pochettino recasting Sergiño Dest as a winger. Westfield, a member of last year’s U-20 World Cup squad, is thriving as Philadelphia’s preferred starter.
He lobs in 3.62 crosses per 90, in the 98th percentile of MLS full-backs, and is increasingly comfortable switching play. Westfield is a progressive passer rather than a carry-and-one-two player. With a quarter of the MLS season remaining, only Carles Gil, Joaquin Pereyra and Lionel Messi have sprayed more progressive passes than Westfield, and no other defender ranks in the top eight.
Neil Pierre, 18, Philadelphia Union
The towering 6ft 7in centre-back was heralded as arguably the Union academy’s best centre-back prospect before his first-team debut, no small claim given the club’s development of Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty.
After a loan spell at Lyngby in 2026, Pierre returned to Philadelphia this summer and became its set-piece goalscoring ace. Interim manager Ryan Richter has given Pierre license to be the backline’s proactive passer – he directs 38% of his distribution upfield, in the 88th percentile among MLS centre-backs. He ranks in the 95th percentile for high defensive actions and 97th for balls won in midfield.
Peyton Miller, 18, New England Revolution
Since Alphonso Davies left Vancouver for Bayern Munich, MLS has seen several homegrown left-backs picked by Europe, including Caleb Wiley, John Tolkin, George Bello, Sam Vines and Kevin Paredes. Luca Bombino and Max Arfsten joined that list with summer moves to Stoke City.
Miller is assessed to have arguably the greatest ceiling of the bunch. Increasingly operating as a right winger since the World Cup break, he has rare goalscoring potential for his position. A brace against Orlando brought his season tally to seven, with four assists predominantly from cutbacks and squared passes. Those instincts could be handy as an alternative to Antonee Robinson if he plays left-back for the US.
Midfielders / Attackers
Mathis Albert, 17, Borussia Dortmund
Albert splits billing with Sullivan as this US generation’s headline attacker, though he is still largely a training player and not even starting regularly with Dortmund II. The talent that earned him a Bundesliga debut younger than Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna is unmissable.
Once part of the LA Galaxy academy, Albert takes to the wing with mazing intentionality, able to dribble upfield with ease thanks to unusually effective acceleration with the ball at his feet. His skillset is still being defined between upfield advancer, chance-creator or finisher.
Zavier Gozo, 19, Crystal Palace
In any other window, Gozo’s senior international debut would be the headline inclusion. He may be best positioned among the newcomers to stick around immediately and for the long haul.
While an infrequent contributor to Palace thus far, his decisiveness and ability to wring threatening shots from unpromising sequences is rare. Gozo warranted late World Cup wild-card consideration thanks to a red-hot start to the MLS season with Real Salt Lake. He has tricks and ingenuity to catch opponents off-guard with his dribbling and strong shifts at right wing-back enhance his versatility.
Adri Mehmeti, 17, Red Bull New York
Arguably the league’s best midfield prospect since Tyler Adams, Mehmeti is a fixture of the Red Bulls’ engine room. Currently a lean six feet tall, he already serves as the team’s epicenter in possession, leading the team in touches and responsibly linking the defensive line to attack.
He has taken to the role with unusual grace for a player his age who only made his MLS debut in the 2026 season opener, operating with poise more commonly seen from players with at least 100 senior matches.
The camp offers Pochettino an up-close look at a group designed to replenish the USMNT for the next World Cup cycle.