14 players who could get a fresh look under new USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino

The prevailing wisdom when it comes to coaching a national team is that you're stuck with the players you have. There's certainly some truth to that thinking; unlike at the club level, new U.S. men's national team boss Mauricio Pochettino can't go out and spend tens of millions of dollars to fill a position of need.

Pochettino, therefore, must build his team around an existing core led by star forward Christian Pulisic. But the idea that he can't bring in new players is misguided. Unlike at club level, where players have guaranteed contracts and can be difficult to jettison, Pochettino can simply decide not to summon a player who isn't getting minutes, is out of shape or form, or who doesn't fit his hard-running system.

That last part is crucial. Because Pochettino needs guys who can run, he needs guys who are getting 90 minutes — or close to it — each and every week. Several key Americans aren't right now because of injury or other reasons, a list that includes the likes of Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso, Sergiño Dest, Gio Reyna and Luca de la Torre.

So there could be changes on the fringes of Pochettino's first USMNT squad, which will be announced ahead of next month's friendlies against Panama and at Mexico.

Here are 14 players who weren't (or weren't often) part of former coach Gregg Berhalter's lineups or squads during the 2026 World Cup cycle, but who are playing regularly and could warrant a fresh look from the new man in charge.

D Reggie Cannon , 26, Colorado Rapids (MLS)

A mainstay for most of the last World Cup cycle, Cannon was one of Berhalter's final cuts before Qatar 2022. He publicly criticized the decision and hasn't been capped since. That could change now that Pochettino is in charge and Cannon is