Jedi in, Adams out: Key takeaways from USMNT's October roster

Tyler Adams is absent...for good reason

If any one player defines this generation of USMNT players, it's defensive midfielder Tyler Adams. The 26-year-old, who captained the team at the 2022 World Cup, has consistently championed American soccer in the press and is a regular fixture in the USMNT starting eleven.

It was jarring, then, to see his name absent from this October roster... but his absence is for family reasons, not footballing ones. Adams's wife is pregnant and due to give birth shortly; he's staying home to care for her and his new baby. We'll see him back in a USMNT shirt soon.

Antonee "Jedi" Robinson is finally back

It's been nearly a year since we last saw Antonee "Jedi" Robinson in a USMNT shirt, and every match he missed only served to underline just how important he is to this team. Jedi serves as a crucial link between attack and defense — and without him, as we saw in the Gold Cup last summer, the USMNT struggles to bridge the two.

Jedi underwent knee surgery in the spring and has taken his time recovering to full match fitness. With a few strong performances for Fulham in the Premier League under his belt this fall, he looks just about ready to rejoin the USMNT roster in earnest... but Pochettino was quick to tell reporters he was more interested in returning Jedi to the fold than pushing him into a full 90-minute performance.

"It's a long time that we're not seeing him," Pochettino said. "We're talking to his club, we're going to try to manage him in the best way, but it's important that he can be with us, with the group, with his teammates."

Tournament fitness is a pressing issue

We often discuss fixture congestion in soccer — situations where players are required to play multiple games per week to meet the demands of their clubs. (Think of Inter Miami, for instance, who played the Chicago Fire on Tuesday and will turn around to face New England this Saturday.) Playing two games a week is hard on a player's body. Even some of the fittest and most dedicated athletes struggle to manage it consistently.

It's important to remember, then, that while tournaments like the World Cup are one-off exceptions, they do require an even deeper level of physical commitment than a busy club schedule. When choosing his rosters — even this far out from the tournament — Pochettino is intentionally selecting players he believes are capable of handling a World Cup-level game load.

"We are thinking that in a tournament like the World Cup, you need to play every three, four days," Pochettino said. "We need to see players that have the possibility to play every three days.

"Too many players that could be involved with us can't play two games, three games in a week. We need to be careful."

All eyes are on Orlando's Alex Freeman

There aren't too many surprises within this USMNT roster, but the biggest one — and one that will undoubtedly raise plenty of questions if it backfires — is the lack of right-backs. With regular starter Sergiño Dest recovering from an injury and outside candidate Joe Scally seemingly out of the picture, Pochettino selected just one: Orlando City phenom Alex Freeman.

Freeman and Pochettino have a good relationship; the two worked together all summer at the Gold Cup and seem to be aligned on expectations. However, it's somewhat puzzling to see Pochettino placing so much pressure on the shoulders of a player who is still just 21 years old. Yes, veterans Weston McKennie and Tim Weah can drop back into a wingback role to cover for Freeman if they must, but their club performances tell us that both are stronger elsewhere.

The USMNT will face Ecuador on Friday, Oct. 10, in Austin, Texas, before taking on Australia on Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Commerce City, CO.