USMNT Injury Crisis

A Few Americans Missed Club Action This Weekend, Fueling a Slight Roster Panic

With the World Cup just over a month away, Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT preparations have been rocked by a wave of injuries to key players, raising serious questions about the squad's fitness heading into the tournament.

The most devastating blow came when Atlético Madrid confirmed that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will require surgery on a high-grade right ankle sprain suffered in training last week. The 24-year-old, who made 30 appearances for the Spanish club this season and was one of La Liga's standout holding midfielders, is almost certain to miss the entire tournament. It is a crushing outcome for a player who had 23 caps to his name and had been part of this cycle, though his USMNT performances had been inconsistent relative to his club form.

The situation surrounding Christian Pulisic is less definitive but equally worrying. The face of the tournament was ruled out of AC Milan's 3-2 defeat to Atalanta on Sunday with a gluteal muscle strain, adding a fitness concern to what has already been a deeply difficult stretch. Pulisic has gone 17 club matches without a goal since the start of the year and has cut a frustrated figure, both at club level and during March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal. The early indication is that the injury isn't severe, but any setback this close to the World Cup raises alarm bells for a player who desperately needs to rediscover his form.

Two further injury concerns emerged over the weekend. Tim Weah missed Marseille's win over Le Havre with a muscle problem, though the injury is reportedly not serious and he could return for the club's season finale. Tanner Tessmann has been shut down for the rest of Lyon's season with a muscle strain, though multiple reports suggest he should be fit before the tournament opens June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles.

With the roster announcement set for May 26 in New York, Pochettino has little time and precious few answers.

Zendejas's Strong Showing

Winger Had a Big Performance Sunday in Hopes of Making the World Cup Roster

If Alejandro Zendejas needed to make a statement ahead of Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup roster announcement, Sunday night in Mexico City was about as emphatic as it gets.

The 28-year-old winger delivered a stunning two-goal, one-assist performance as Club América mounted a remarkable comeback from three goals down against top-seeded Pumas UNAM in the Liga MX quarterfinal second leg. América ultimately drew 3-3 on the night and 6-6 on aggregate, but were eliminated by the Liga MX tiebreaker, which favors the better regular-season finisher, sending Pumas through to face Pachuca in the semifinals.

The result stings, but Zendejas's individual display was extraordinary. With Pumas racing out to a 3-0 lead inside 23 minutes, it was Zendejas who sparked the comeback. He set up Patricio Salas from a corner kick delivery to get América on the board, then converted a penalty to make it 3-2. In the 61st minute, he beat legendary Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the air with a close-range header to level the tie. América still needed a fourth to advance on the tiebreaker, and a penalty in the 87th minute offered that chance, but Henry Martín struck the post, and the opportunity was gone.

Across 90 minutes, Zendejas created six chances—more than anyone else on the pitch—completed 87% of his passes and delivered 10 corners. The performance followed a Clausura season in which he managed three goals and three assists in 10 appearances despite missing time through injury.

Yet Zendejas hasn't featured for the USMNT since scoring against Japan back in September 2025, and his absence from the March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal drew notable criticism, including from América manager André Jardine, who publicly questioned the omission and rated Zendejas among Liga MX's best players.

Pepi and Dest Combined for a Goal

American PSV Duo Linked Up For a Goal in PSV's Win

Two of the United States men's national team's most important players combined to good effect on Sunday as PSV cruised to a 4-1 Eredivisie victory over Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer.

Sergino Dest and Ricardo Pepi linked up for a pivotal goal just before halftime that proved to be the turning point in a match that had briefly been level. Ivan Perisic had given the Eredivisie champions the lead in the 19th minute with a well-placed header, but Mathis Suray leveled from the penalty spot shortly after. With the two sides seemingly heading into the break all square, Dest picked out Pepi in the final seconds of first-half stoppage time, and the 23-year-old striker restored PSV's advantage.

Perisic added a second in the 70th minute before Paul Wanner rounded off the scoring to complete a comfortable afternoon for the champions, who now sit 19 points clear atop the Eredivisie table. Dest played 65 minutes before being substituted, finishing with an impressive 97% passing accuracy and a big chance created. Pepi played until the 86th minute, taking five shots, which was the joint-most of any player on the pitch, and registering eight touches inside the opposition box.

The goal will further fuel speculation surrounding Pepi's future, with a move away from PSV expected before the World Cup kicks off this summer. Fulham had shown interest earlier this year but withdrew from talks, and PSV are said to be monitoring potential replacements, with teenager George Ilenikhena among those linked.

For now, though, Pepi remains central to PSV's attack and is in strong form heading into the World Cup. Both he and Dest will be key figures for Mauricio Pochettino's side this summer, and Sunday's combination play was a timely reminder of the quality the pair can offer together.

Berhalter Saves Vancouver

Midfielder's Second-Half Equalizer Helps Maintain the Whitecaps' Unbeaten Run

Sebastian Berhalter delivered a timely equalizer on Saturday night as Vancouver Whitecaps played San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-1 draw in a clash between the top two teams in the MLS Western Conference standings.

The 25-year-old midfielder ran onto a loose ball inside the area in the 76th minute and flicked a first-touch finish into the net using the outside of his foot to cancel out Preston Judd's fourth-minute opener. It was a composed, instinctive piece of finishing that underlined just how much Berhalter has grown as a player. He now has eight goal contributions across his last seven starts, with three goals and five assists in that stretch.

The goal came at a particularly significant moment off the pitch as well. With U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino set to announce his World Cup roster on May 26, Berhalter is firmly in the frame for a spot. Yet the midfielder insisted after the match that the pressure of the moment isn't weighing on him.

"I'm so grateful. A year ago, I didn't even make my national team debut, and now to be in this position is awesome," Berhalter told ESPN. "So for me, it doesn't feel like pressure... If I get a chance to represent my country at a home World Cup, it would mean the world."

Berhalter also suggested that Pochettino and his staff already have a clear picture of what he offers, given that he has appeared in 11 USMNT matches over the past 11 months. "I think it's pretty already set," he said. "They know what they're going to get out of me."

He faces competition from players like Cristian Roldan and Aidan Morris for a midfield spot, while Johnny Cardoso's ankle injury adds further uncertainty to the picture. Vancouver's remaining schedule includes road trips to FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, and FC San Diego before the roster announcement arrives.

Reyna's First Goal of 2026

Midfielder's First Goal Was a Consolation in Gladbach's Defeat

Gio Reyna ended a lengthy goalless drought at club level on Saturday, netting a consolation strike in Borussia Mönchengladbach's 3-1 Bundesliga defeat to Augsburg.

The 23-year-old American attacker had not scored for his club since January 2025, making the late goal, which was his first for Gladbach and first of the 2025-26 campaign, a meaningful moment despite the disappointing result at the WWK Arena.

Reyna entered the match in the 58th minute with the Foals already trailing 2-0, and he immediately made his presence felt. In just 32 minutes of action, he completed all 26 passes he attempted and created six chances—more than any other player on the pitch. His performance offered a glimpse of the dynamic, creative attacker that has made him such a coveted talent.

The goal itself came deep into stoppage time. Rocco Reitz played a clever layoff into Reyna's path, and the American coolly tapped home into the bottom-right corner to make it 3-1, which was a small consolation in what was otherwise a tough afternoon for Gladbach.

The timing of Reyna's return to goalscoring form could hardly be more significant. With the 2026 World Cup on home soil just a month away, U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino will be delighted to see his player approaching full fitness. Pochettino had carefully managed Reyna's return from muscle injuries through limited minutes in March friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, and Reyna had already shown his quality for the national team with a goal against Paraguay and an assist in a 5-1 thrashing of Uruguay last November.

Fellow USMNT player Joe Scally also featured in the loss, playing the full 90 minutes for Gladbach. Reyna will look to push for a starting spot when the Foals close out their Bundesliga season against Hoffenheim next weekeend.