The U.S. men’s national team had a September window to forget, embarrassingly falling to Canada and then drawing New Zealand in a pair of friendlies on home soil. The good news, however, is that Mauricio Pochettino has officially been named manager of the program on a two-year deal through 2026.
His player pool returns to action this weekend at the club level, with the international window officially coming to a conclusion. Now, it’s time for the Americans vying for roster spots under the new coach to start performing at a high and consistent level for their respective teams, as they look to impress for both club and country.
GOAL analyzes the major storylines to follow this weekend with Americans abroad.
Crystal Palace, Chris Richards seeking three points
Chris Richard has locked himself into the starting XI with the Premier League side, but Crystal Palace have had a rocky start to the season. They’re winless in three matches, and still searching for the first three points of the campaign.
Speaking during the international window with the USMNT, the 24-year-old central defender said that he’s happy with the English club, and believes they’re on the track to success.
“It’s been good, well, we (Palace) haven’t won a game yet, but It’s been good. The preparation you know, we’ve done well in games,” he said after the U.S. loss to Canada.
Palace play Premier League promotees Leicester City and Jamie Vardy Saturday as Richards and the Eagles host the Foxes.
Will McKennie’s choice to stay with Juve pay off?
Weston McKennie has been on the bench for three Juventus matches this season, going unused twice, and earning just 23 minutes on in a 0-0 draw with Roma. The start to his stint under Thiago Motta has not quite gone to plan.
However, the 26-year-old agreed that it was the best option for him to not report to the national team camp in September, and instead stay in Turin to train with Juventus and Motta..jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
Now, this weekend, the Bianconeri play Empoli Saturday as McKennie looks to earn his first start of the season. After nearly two weeks of direct training with Motta, he may finally be set to earn regular minutes under their new manager.
It’s still early in the season, and opportunities to feature in European and Cup competitions have yet to arrive, but McKennie needs to play. Saturday won’t quite be tell-tale, but it will offer a glimpse into whether or not he’s made progress.
