Leeds United midfielder named alongside Celtic & AC Milan stars in Pochettino's first USA squad
There was an international call-up for one Leeds United star as the United States kick off a new era.
Leeds United midfielder Brenden Aaronson will get a chance to add to his 44 international caps after being named in Mauricio Pochettino’s first United States squad.
There was some surprise when the former Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager was named as successor to Gregg Berhalter and he will now look to lead the USMNT into the 2026 World Cup. There is added pressure on Pochettino as the United States are one of the three host countries and will be expected to move on from a poor performance in this summer’s Copa America and produce a strong display at the tournament.
Speaking after his appointment was confirmed, the former Argentina international said: "I think we have very talented players. "I think of course the confidence was a little bit low after the Copa América. But we need to work into recovery. We have a very good professional not only in tactics or in physicality or in psychology. But we are going to work and to create the right pattern to follow, to get the confidence, to recover the confidence and start to perform together. But of course I think it's a very good generation of players."
Pochettino will take charge for the first time when his side face Panana at the Q2 Stadium in Texas on Sunday week before travelling to Guadalajara to take on Mexico on the following Wednesday. Aaronson will hope to take his club form on to the international stage after he moved on from a summer dominated by talk of an exit from Elland Road to establish himself in Daniel Farke’s starting line-up.
The 23-year-old midfielder came off the bench to score in the opening day 3-3 draw with Portsmouth and made a further substitute appearance in a goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion seven days later. However, the former Union Berlin loan star has started the Whites’ last six Championship fixtures and will aim to carry on that momentum into international duty with the United States.
United States squad for Panama and Mexico games
Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Juventus), Haji Wright (Coventry City)