Balogun's Back

The Striker Made His Return to the National Team and Scored Twice, Though Only One Counted, in a Win Over Haiti

Folarin Balogun marked his return to the U.S. Men’s National Team with a goal and a celebration that was impossible to miss.

Balogun, who had not played for the Americans since the World Cup, entered as a substitute in the 66th minute Saturday night and scored in the 82nd to complete a 6-0 rout of Haiti in the first leg of a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal at Nu Stadium.

He slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Alex Pierre after Malik Tillman and Adri Mehmeti released him into the box. It was his 13th international goal, and it came after video review had wiped out an earlier finish for a handball or foul.

After both attempts, Balogun tapped his wrist in the “Dame Time” gesture popularized by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Only the second one counted.

“After the World Cup, it’s been a bit of an up-and-down period for me, so it’s just nice to come back here with the boys, get the win and get a goal,” Balogun told TNT Sports.

“I wanted to kind of show it’s just my time. I’m back,” he said.

The fall has been turbulent for the Monaco forward. He scored three goals for the U.S. at the World Cup, but a planned move to Everton collapsed on transfer deadline day, and he has played sparingly for Monaco since returning from injury. He has said he plans to leave the club in January, according to ESPN.

Balogun also spoke about the departure of coach Mauricio Pochettino, who leaves for Manchester United after Tuesday’s second leg in Cincinnati, stating, “Poch has definitely raised the standard since he’s been in charge. You’ve seen the intensity of training, how we approach games.”

Pulisic's Reintroduction

With His First International Brace Since 2023, Captain America Showed He Still Belongs

Christian Pulisic needed less than two minutes Saturday night to remind the U.S. Men’s National Team what it had been missing.

Back on the roster for the first time since the World Cup, the 28-year-old forward scored twice in the 6-0 rout of Haiti in the first leg of a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal at Nu Stadium. He converted a penalty in the 62nd minute after being fouled, then struck again as soon as play resumed with a left-footed shot from outside the area.

“(I) felt I could curl it in to the near post,” Pulisic said.

It was his first two-goal game for the U.S. since June 2023. He became the second American to score in consecutive minutes, after Landon Donovan in 2007, and his 35th international goal moved him past Eric Wynalda into fourth on the career list. He also has 23 assists in 91 appearances.

The showing eased a rough stretch. Pulisic was hurt in the World Cup opener against Paraguay, missed the next match and never regained his form, limping out of the round-of-16 loss to Belgium. Coach Mauricio Pochettino then left him off the September-October roster to evaluate younger players, and questions grew about where Pulisic fits as teenagers such as Julian Hall and Cavan Sullivan rise.

Pochettino, who leaves for Manchester United after Tuesday’s second leg, thanked Pulisic and Weston McKennie for how they handled the absence. Pulisic, who has four goals and one assist in 11 games for AC Milan this season and is signed there through 2031, also thanked the manager for his contribution to the program, saying, “We had some good moments, he brought a lot of excitement to the team.”

Whoever succeeds Pochettino will have Pulisic available. On Saturday, he showed he still has plenty to offer.

U.S. Rout Haiti

The USMNT Scores Six Goals in Pochettino's Penultimate Match as Manager

Christian Pulisic scored twice Saturday night as the U.S. men’s national team routed Haiti 6-0 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal, all but securing a spot in the semifinals.

Haiti played its home leg at Nu Stadium because of security concerns in Port-au-Prince. Auston Trusty opened the scoring in the 10th minute, redirecting a Sebastian Berhalter free kick. Despite dominating possession, the Americans led by only one goal at halftime.

The floodgates opened after the break. Julian Hall finished a six-player counterattack in the 52nd minute, and Pulisic converted a penalty in the 62nd after being fouled. Less than two minutes later, he curled in a left-footed shot for his 35th international goal, passing Eric Wynalda for fourth on the U.S. career list. It was his first multi-goal game for the national team since the 2023 Nations League semifinal.

Weston McKennie headed in a corner kick, and Folarin Balogun, whose first chance was ruled out by video review, scored in the 82nd minute. Goalkeeper Diego Kochen, 20, preserved the shutout with an early save on Danley Jean Jacques, and video review overturned a Haiti goal by Lenny Joseph for offside.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino, who will leave for Manchester United after Tuesday’s second leg, praised his players for handling his departure. “We feel so proud of the players and how they managed the situation in a mature way,” he said.

Balogun said the team must keep working. “We have to build on the foundation he set,” he said.

Pochettino, who signed a new deal with the U.S. this summer, will make his United debut Nov. 22 at Liverpool.

The second leg is Tuesday, Nov. 17, in Cincinnati. Haiti faces a six-goal aggregate deficit, and the winner advances to the Nations League finals in March.

Pochettino Out as U.S. Manager

The Manager Has Signed a Two-and-a-Half-Year Deal at Manchester United

Mauricio Pochettino is leaving the U.S. men’s national team to become Manchester United’s head coach, just 102 days after signing a four-year contract with U.S. Soccer.

United announced Friday that Pochettino will take over Nov. 18. He will lead the Americans in their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Haiti on Saturday in Miami and Tuesday in Cincinnati before departing. United replaces Michael Carrick, who was fired Thursday after the club’s worst start to a season in 40 years left it 18th in the Premier League.

A tearful Pochettino called the decision “very sad” and said he is “a very emotional guy.” He said he never wanted to return to Europe but that few opportunities compare to United. “When it arrives, it’s difficult to turn down,” he said.

The 54-year-old Argentine led the U.S. to the round of 16 at this summer’s World Cup, where it lost to Belgium. U.S. Soccer included a $10 million release clause in his contract. BBC Sport reported United paid about 7.4 million pounds, plus a further fee for his staff.

U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson said Pochettino and his staff “have raised the standard.” The federation will begin a coaching search immediately, with women’s national team coach Emma Hayes assisting. Under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo will lead a camp without European-based players next month. The full squad will not regroup until mid-March.

Pochettino’s résumé includes stints at Espanyol, Southampton, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. At Tottenham, he led the club to four straight Champions League qualifications and its first final in the competition in 2019. United first considered hiring him in 2016. His first match in charge will be Nov. 22 at Liverpool.

Haiti Ready for the Americans

Haitians Are Prepared to Spoil Pochettino's Final U.S. Matches

Haiti’s national team arrives at its CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against the U.S. with a rich history and a new coach on the bench.

The Haitian Football Federation was founded in 1904, and Haiti has been a FIFA member since 1934. It is a founding member of CONCACAF and the only Caribbean nation to win the confederation’s championship, which it did in 1973. That title sent Haiti to the 1974 World Cup, where it lost to Italy, Poland and Argentina but scored its first World Cup goal against Italy. Haiti returned to the sport’s biggest stage in 2026 after beating Nicaragua 2-0 in Curaçao on the final qualifying matchday. Drawn into a group with Brazil, Morocco and Scotland, it did not advance to the knockout rounds. Haiti’s best Gold Cup finish was a semifinal run in 2019.

Spanish coach David Badía took over soon after the World Cup. A former defender, he began coaching in FC Barcelona’s academy and later held assistant jobs in Turkey and Spain. He got his first head coaching job in 2021 at Cyprus club Ethnikos Achna, where he returned in 2024 before joining Haiti.

Les Grenadiers finished second in their Nations League group with nine points from four matches. They beat Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic before losing 2-0 to Costa Rica.

Several key players are based in the U.S., including Atlanta United forward Fafà Picault, who also earned two caps with the U.S., and Philadelphia Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques. Both started all four group matches. Picault won the 2025 MLS Cup with Inter Miami. Goalkeeper Alexandre Pierre, 25, became the starter after longtime captain Johny Placide retired following the World Cup. Pierre kept two clean sheets in the group stage.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde withdrew from the squad with a minor injury.

U.S. Versus Haiti: A Soccer History

The Two CONCACAF Nations Have a Storied History, Dating Back Over 70 Years

The U.S. men’s national team will renew one of its oldest international rivalries this month, meeting Haiti twice in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, on Nov. 14 in Miami and Nov. 17 in Cincinnati.

The series dates to April 1954, when the Americans won 3-2 and 3-0 in World Cup qualifying in Port-au-Prince. Bill Looby scored three goals across those matches. Haiti’s connection to U.S. soccer history runs deeper, though. Joe Gaetjens scored the winning goal in the Americans’ 1-0 upset of England at the 1950 World Cup. He played for Haiti in 1944 and again in 1953, earning three caps for each country.

The rivalry turned in Haiti’s favor from 1968 to 1983. Following a 6-3 U.S. win in October 1968, the Americans went winless in their next nine meetings, losing six straight in friendlies and World Cup qualifying before three consecutive scoreless draws in 1976. Twelve of the first 13 matches were played in Port-au-Prince.

The U.S. has not lost to Haiti since 1983, when it won 2-0 in Port-au-Prince. The teams have since met twice in Miami, with the Americans winning 3-0 at the Orange Bowl in the 2000 Gold Cup before Danny Califf’s late equalizer salvaged a 1-1 draw in 2004. Saturday’s match will be the third in Miami.

The Gold Cup has produced most of the recent meetings. The teams drew 2-2 in 2009, and the U.S. won 1-0 in both 2015 and 2021. The most recent matchup came in the 2025 group stage, when Malik Tillman and Patrick Agyemang scored in a 2-1 U.S. victory in Arlington, Texas.

The Americans hold an all-time record of 8-5-6 (WDL) against Haiti, are unbeaten in 11 meetings since 1983 and have won the last three. Mauricio Pochettino’s team is ranked 16th in the FIFA rankings, while Haiti is 84th.

No World Cup for the U-17s

Youth National Team Pulls Out of the World Cup in Qatar

U.S. Soccer has withdrawn its Under-17 men’s national team from the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, citing safety concerns less than two weeks before the tournament begins.

The federation informed players of the decision Wednesday in a letter. It pointed to the U.S. State Department’s Level 3 travel advisory for Qatar, issued Oct. 23, which urges Americans to “reconsider travel to Qatar due to risk of armed conflict.” The advisory followed deadly missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Riyadh’s international airport in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

“Unfortunately, in light of current circumstances … we are no longer able to participate in the tournament,” the letter read. “The well-being of our players and staff will always be our top priority.”

FIFA said it was informed of the decision and that “the applicable tournament regulations will be followed.” Those rules call for a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs (about $24,000) for a team that withdraws within 30 days of the start. The governing body said its security assessments remain unchanged and that no new developments have affected the tournament’s security situation. It noted that Qatar has hosted several international events in recent months, including MotoGP and the Doha Diamond League.

The 48-team tournament is scheduled to begin Nov. 19 in Doha and end Dec. 13. The U.S., coached by Alex Aldaz, was drawn into Group J with Montenegro, Chile and Algeria and was set to open against Montenegro on Nov. 21. Aldaz named a 21-player roster last week. The Americans reached the round of 32 in the 2025 edition, also held in Qatar.

The withdrawal comes amid regional conflicts that have disrupted other events. The 2027 Asian Cup, planned for Saudi Arabia in January, has been postponed by nearly a year, and the Dakar Rally is being moved. Formula One still plans to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to close its season.

Pulisic Continues Scoring Form

Winger Scored The Eventual Winner Against Genoa Sunday, His Third in Last Four League Matches

Christian Pulisic gave his club-form credentials a timely boost on Sunday, scoring in AC Milan’s 2-1 win at Genoa just before he links up with the U.S. Men’s National Team for the Haiti series.

Pulisic was one of five changes Ruben Amorim made after Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League loss to Ferencváros, and he was involved in both of Milan’s first-half goals. His pressing forced the error that led to Alphadjo Cissé’s opener in the 13th minute. Six minutes later, Milan pounced on another Genoa mistake in their own half. Gonçalo Ramos intercepted the ball and, rather than shoot himself, squared it to Pulisic, who fired low into the bottom corner for a 2-0 lead. It was his fourth goal of the season.

That tally fits a recent upswing. Pulisic had scored three times in his previous six matches, and his goal came a little over a week after Milan beat Inter in the derby. He was booked in the 75th minute and replaced by Ardon Jashari soon after.

The win was hardly comfortable. Genoa, who came in on a run of three straight victories, had 17 shots and were rewarded when Mikael Ellertsson struck from distance in the 87th minute, setting up a tense finish. Milan held on, though, to move into fourth place in Serie A on 24 points and ease some of the pressure heading into the break.

For Mauricio Pochettino, the timing could hardly be better. Pulisic returns to the national team for the first time since the World Cup and arrives as the squad’s most-capped player, with 90 caps. He missed the September-October window, an absence Pochettino chose not to explain, and Pochettino has already pointed to his potential partnership with young wingers like Cavan Sullivan as something to watch in camp.

Mehmeti Scores Second of the Season

Teenage Midfielder Finished the MLS Regular Season with His Second Goal

Adri Mehmeti capped a promising season with the New York Red Bulls by scoring the opening goal in a 3-0 win over Atlanta United on the final day of the MLS regular season, just days before he joins the U.S. Men’s National Team for the Haiti series.

The 17-year-old homegrown midfielder struck in the 31st minute. Ronald Donkor slipped a pass into the box for Mehmeti, whose first shot Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert kick-saved. Mehmeti reacted quickest to the rebound, dribbled once around the diving keeper, and finished into the open net. It was his second goal of the 2026 season, and he has 11 goal contributions in all.

Cade Cowell doubled the lead in the 54th minute after a through ball from Sekou Koné, and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty sealed the win with a free kick into the top corner in the 81st, his first goal for the club. Ethan Horvath needed just one save to keep a clean sheet. Both sides were already out of playoff contention, but the result gave New York a 10th-place finish and ended a stretch in which the team had lost four of its previous five. 

Mehmeti is one of eight young players returning from the September-October window for the Nations League quarterfinals. He made his national team debut during that stretch and has three caps. He is also eligible to represent Albania, so an appearance against Haiti would further cement his commitment to the U.S.

Teammate Julian Hall, also in camp, finished the regular season with 13 goals, one short of the MLS teenage record.

Sullivan Strong in Season Finale

The Teenager Scored Twice in Philadelphia's Victory, One Assisted By His Brother

Cavan Sullivan closed his breakout MLS regular season in style, scoring twice in the Philadelphia Union’s 4-1 win over Toronto FC. The result locked up the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a best-of-three opening series against the third-seeded New England Revolution.

It was a family affair. Older brother Quinn set up Cavan’s second goal, a one-touch finish in the 58th minute that made it 3-1. Quinn led the breakaway after a flick header from Bruno Damiani, then slipped the ball to his trailing brother. Quinn also converted a penalty in the 41st minute and helped set up the opener, which Cavan tapped into an empty net in the 28th minute. The pair became the third set of brothers in MLS history to score for the same club in the same match, joining Gonzalo and Federico Higuaín and Diego and Yimmi Chará.

The two goals pushed Cavan to nine goals and 14 assists, including secondary assists. His 23 goal contributions are the most by a teenager in a single MLS regular season, passing the 20 Diego Fagúndez recorded in 2013. The 17-year-old is slated to join Manchester City after he turns 18.

The finish also caps a remarkable stretch for the teenager. Cavan became the youngest scorer in USMNT history against Mexico, lofting the ball over the goalkeeper after pressing him. Earlier, he had become the youngest player to win MLS Player of the Month, an honor he earned for September.

Philadelphia has surged since Ryan Richter took over as interim coach during the World Cup break, collecting 43 of a possible 57 points. Cavan has been central to that run. Quinn, meanwhile, appears to be rediscovering the form he showed before a torn ACL. Captain Alejandro Bedoya also made his final regular-season appearance as a late substitute.

Cavan will now join the USMNT for the Nations League series against Haiti before the Union’s playoff opener.