The USMNT enters 2025 ranked 16th in FIFA's rankings and carries momentum from successful qualification to both the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals and Gold Cup. Under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, they've posted a solid 3-0-1 (WDL) record, including perfect results on home soil.
This January camp roster, traditionally focused on MLS-based players, represents a chance to expand the player pool ahead of a critical year. The 21-man squad features considerable youth and inexperience – ten players are uncapped, and the attacking corps has a mere four combined international appearances. Only veteran defenders provide significant international experience, led by Tim Ream (66 caps), Walker Zimmerman (42) and Miles Robinson (30).
The team has shown potency in recent matches, demonstrated by their 5-2 aggregate victory over Jamaica in November's Nations League quarterfinals. Ream has worn the captain's armband in all of Pochettino's matches, with the team going 10-3-1 under his leadership.
Several players arrive with interesting storylines. Patrick Agyemang's rise from Division III college soccer to MLS success with Charlotte FC (10 goals in 2024) exemplifies the developmental pathways being discovered. Five squad members competed in the 2024 Olympics in France, while goalkeeper Zack Steffen returns to the national team, seeking his first cap since World Cup qualifying in March 2022.
The January camp has historically proven vital for USMNT player development – since the 2002 World Cup cycle, 30 players who earned their first or second caps in January camps have gone on to make World Cup rosters. Nine members of the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar, including key players like Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, got their start in these winter gatherings.
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