NEW YORK (AP) — Christian Pulisic is out and 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan is in.
Mauricio Pochettino picked 13 newcomers Thursday for the first roster of his second term as U.S. coach, dropping the team's top star and picking a forward who could become the youngest American national team player in 20 years.
“It’s a completely different approach than it was in the past,” Pochettino said from New York during an online news conference. “The World Cup is
in four years. We need to work with different objectives and goals.”
Midfielder Yunus Musah, a 2022 World Cup veteran who hasn't played for the Americans since March 2025, also was among 28 players selected for friendlies against Peru (Sept. 26 in Orlando, Florida), Chile (Sept. 29 in St. Louis), Mexico (Oct. 3 in Glendale, Arizona) and Canada (Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota).
A two-time World Cup veteran who turns 28 on Friday, Pulisic failed to score during last summer's tournament. He missed one of the Americans’ five matches because of a calf injury and left two others early.
Pulisic came off in the second half of the 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 because of a microfracture of his right tibia and fibula, and he didn't make his season debut for AC Milan until last weekend.
Pochettino didn’t give a reason for why he didn’t pick Pulisic.
“It’s not a point that now the first camp of this new cycle I start to explain why it’s one, why it is not another," Pochettino said.
Sullivan made his Major League Soccer debut at 14 with Philadelphia in July 2024 and has six league goals this season. He is set to transfer to Manchester City when he turns 18.
“He deserved all the praise that he’s getting I think because he’s performing well, he’s playing well, he’s giving assists and scoring goals," Pochettino said. “He is special because he is 16 years old playing in this level in MLS.”
Sullivan will be two days shy of his 17th birthday when the Americans play Peru and could become the youngest U.S. national team player since Freddy Adu debuted at 16 years, 234 days against Canada on Jan. 22, 2006.
Sullivan was in the stands for the World Cup loss to Belgium in Seattle.
“Thinking of that Belgium game, I think I could come into that game on the right side and make a difference," he said on Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union podcast earlier this month.
Others who could debut are 17-year-old midfielders Adri Mehmeti and Mathis Albert; 18-year-old defenders Peyton Miller and Neil Pierre; 18-year-old forward Julian Hall; 19-year-old midfielder Zavier Gozo; 19-year-old forward Justin Ellis; 20-year-old goalkeeper Diego Kochen; 20-year-old right back Frankie Westfield; 20-year-old midfielders Cole Campbell and Brooklyn Raines; and 25-year-old goalkeeper Brian Schwake.
“This for me is a great opportunity to meet these guys, to see them, to analyze, to see the things to improve in the way that they can evolve,” Pochettino said. “They need to make the mistake, but we need to be there to try to fix that.”
Also showing assurance, Gozo spoke of this year's World Cup last month on “The Late Run” podcast.
“I do think I deserved to be there,” he said.
Twelve players are from Major League Soccer.
Two players have just one previous appearance: 22-year-old goalkeeper Chris Brady and 25-year-old defender George Campbell.
Just 13 players return from the 26-man World Cup roster: goalkeeper Matt Freese and Brady; defenders Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson and Austin Trusty; midfielders Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman; and forward Ricardo Pepi.
Folarin Balogun, who hasn't played for Monaco this season after a possible transfer to Everton fell through, also was not selected. Pochettino cited what he said was a minor leg injury.
Others from the World Cup roster who were dropped included goalkeeper Matt Turner; defenders Max Arfsten, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream and Joe Scally; midfielders Weston McKennie and Cristian Roldan; and forwards Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah, Haji Wright and Alejandro Zendejas.
“Now it’s not what I did in the past,” Pochettino said. “Now is about today. Football is about today, soccer is about today.”
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago), Matt Freese (New York City), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville).
Defenders: George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Peyton Miller (New England), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Auston Trusty (Celtic), Frankie Westfield (Philadelphia).
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace), Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Brooklyn Raines (New England), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).
Forwards: Cole Campbell (SV Elversberg), Justin Ellis (Orlando), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia).
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