Who's in and who's out of Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT?

In: Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) - The USMNT's defense has been a sticking point for fans in recent seasons; many make jokes that U.S. Soccer's motto of "Only Forwards" simply underlines that the team doesn't have a reliable backline to speak of. But Richards, a 24-year-old defender who came up through the FC Dallas youth system, might be the missing piece to change that. He was instrumental in Crystal Palace's surprise run of form at the end of the 2023-24 season, and his hamstring injury this year has left both Palace and the USMNT adrift. It's great to see him back in the lineup; let's hope he's ready to compete.

Out: Kristoffer Lund (Palermo) - Kristoffer Lund Hansen, a young left-back who shares citizenship with Denmark, hasn't had much consistency with the USMNT. Three separate coaches — Gregg Berhalter, B. J. Callaghan and Mikey Varas — left him outside of their starting lineups, and it looks like Pochettino is taking the same approach. Lund had a rough time against Mexico in his last USMNT performance and hasn't impressed his club team in Italy. With other left-backs like Celtic's Auston Trusty stepping up in his absence, it may be a while before we see Lund in a USMNT shirt again.

In: Alex Zendejas (Club America) - Pochettino's first USMNT stint in October featured a match against Mexico. It was puzzling, then, to see him leave Zendejas out of his initial USMNT camp. No one in the USMNT sphere is better suited to face Mexico than Zendejas. He was born there, plays his club soccer there and knows the members of El Tri nearly as well as he knows his teammates.

Zendejas was added to Pochettino's squad at the last minute to backfill an injured player; he seized his opportunity with abandon and caused glorious chaos every time he took the field. Pochettino took notice. He's called up Zendejas with the regular squad this time around, and the USMNT is better for it.

Out: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Josh Sargent (Norwich City) and Haji Wright (Coventry City) - There's no drama or intrigue behind these absentees; all three of these USMNT strikers are unavailable due to long-term injuries. But their absence opens up a real opportunity for some of the USMNT's unheralded strikers. With Balogun, Sargent and Wright — three players who received most of the starting striker opportunities under Berhalter — unavailable, could someone like Monterrey's Brandon Vazquez or PSV's Ricardo Pepi step up and make the position their own?

The USMNT will kick off its November camp with a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica on Thursday, Nov. 14, in Kingston.