The U.S. men’s national soccer team is gearing up for its biggest competitions of 2023 as they get set to take on Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals on Thursday.
The USMNT topped Grenada and El Salvador back in March 2023 to wrap up group stage play in the Nations League and secure passage to the semifinals. Their opponent will be El Tri, who similarly finished top of their group to advance to this stage.
Interim head coach BJ Callaghan will be in charge of the USMNT as the U.S. Soccer Federation continues to search for a permanent boss. Previous interim Anthony Hudson departed for another job in Qatar, leaving Callaghan as the man in charge for the June 2023 international window, as well as the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup which is also scheduled for the summer.
Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun are the leading names on the roster for the Nations League semifinal against Mexico on June 15 in Las Vegas. Should the U.S. win, they would qualify for the final on Sunday, June 18 against either Canada or Panama, whereas defeat would see them slotted into the third-place match, also happening on Sunday.
MORE: Top candidates for permament USMNT head coach position as U.S. Soccer continues search
USMNT roster for CONCACAF Nations League semifinal
The USA confirmed a 23-man roster for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Mexico and the subsequent final or third-place match.
There were 24 players originally brought into camp, with Maccabi Haifa goalkeeper Josh Cohen the odd man out. Cohen was called into the June camp, but since he was not part of the Nations League preliminary roster, he was ineligible to be part of the finals roster. U.S. Soccer has appealed to CONCACAF to have Cohen added to the preliminary roster in order that he can serve as a potential injury alternate.
Missing players such as FC Dallas forward Jesus Ferreira, LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta, and FC Cincinnati striker Brandon Vazquez are thought to have been left off the Nations League squad in order that they can be saved for duty at the CONCACAF Gold Cup which starts later in June.
| Pos | Name | Age | Club | Caps |
| GK | Drake Callender | 25 | Inter Miami (USA) | 0 |
| GK | Sean Johnson | 34 | Toronto FC (CAN) | 12 |
| GK | Matt Turner | 28 | Arsenal (ENG) | 26 |
| DEF | Sergino Dest | 22 | Barcelona (SPA) | 24 |
| DEF | Chris Richards | 23 | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 8 |
| DEF | Antonee Robinson | 25 | Fulham (ENG) | 34 |
| DEF | Miles Robinson | 26 | Atlanta United (USA) | 21 |
| DEF | Joe Scally | 20 | B. Monchengladbach (GER) | 4 |
| DEF | Auston Trusty | 24 | Birmingham City (ENG) | 1 |
| DEF | Walker Zimmerman | 30 | Nashville SC (USA) | 39 |
| MID | Johnny Cardoso | 21 | Internacional (BRA) | 6 |
| MID | Luca de la Torre | 25 | Celta Vigo (SPA) | 14 |
| MID | Weston McKennie | 24 | Juventus (ITA) | 43 |
| MID | Gio Reyna | 20 | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 18 |
| MID | Alan Sonora | 24 | FC Juarez (MEX) | 2 |
| FWD | Brenden Aaronson | 22 | Leeds United (ENG) | 30 |
| FWD | Folarin Balogun | 21 | Arsenal (ENG) | 0 |
| FWD | Taylor Booth | 22 | FC Utrecht (NED) | 2 |
| FWD | Ricardo Pepi | 20 | Augsburg (GER) | 14 |
| FWD | Christian Pulisic | 24 | Chelsea (ENG) | 58 |
| FWD | Timothy Weah | 23 | LOSC Lille (FRA) | 29 |
| FWD | Alex Zendejas | 25 | Club America (MEX) | 3 |
Folarin Balogun to make USA debut
The most eye-catching name on the USMNT roster this summer is newly committed Arsenal frontman Folarin Balogun (photo below), who is considered a top contender to take over as the regular starting striker for the foreseeable future.
MORE: How good is Folarin Balogun? Will he start for the USA at striker?
Balogun, who is just 21 years old, was among the top scorers in the French top flight this past season, bagging 21 goals for Reims while on loan. He committed to the United States over England in May, and was immediately brought into the senior side for this international window.
It’s thought that Balogun will be involved straight away, and while he may not start quite yet given how new he is to the international setup, it’s likely he will see the field at some point.
Tyler Adams, defenders dealing with injuries
There are a host of key players who fans will notice are not on the roster.
The most notable absence is midfielder and captain Tyler Adams, who is still recovering from his season-ending hamstring injury suffered back in mid-March. Adams missed the final 12 Premier League matches of the campaign, of which Leeds won just two and suffered relegation. Adams was on the preliminary Nations League roster, but was not selected to the final 23-man group given he’s still recovering from injury.
Also missing is Tim Ream, who, like Adams, suffered a season-ending injury in Premier League play. Ream’s campaign was ended prematurely in late April due to a broken arm. While he’s on the mend, rehabbing with the U.S. camp as they prepared for the Nations League matches, Ream will not be cleared to play. Ream was recently photographed wearing a cast on his arm as he did drills, so his return to play may not come at all this summer, and his availability for the start of the Premier League season could also be in question.
Finally, another defender not on the roster is Cameron Carter-Vickers. The Celtic center-back was a key figure on the 2022 World Cup team in Qatar, but he had knee surgery which kept him out of the final six matches of the Scottish league season. He told CBS in mid-May that there’s no timeline for his return, but it sounded positive overall and it feels likely that he’ll be available to start the next 2023/24 season with Celtic.
Other injured players who do not appear on the roster include Norwich City forward Josh Sargent, West Brom striker Daryl Dike, Rangers winger Malik Tillman, Luton Town goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, and Man City goalkeeper Zack Steffen.
CONCACAF Nations League semifinal schedule
The USA topped a group consisting of El Salvador and Grenada to reach the semifinal stage. Meanwhile, Panama, Canada, and Mexico also advanced from their respective groups.
Based on the total points earned during the group stage, those four semifinalists were seeded, and goal differential was the first tiebreaker. The U.S. boasted 10 points and a +12 differential, making them the top seed, while Mexico was fourth and last seed with eight points, pitting the two together.
The other semifinal will feature Canada and Panama, who finished as the No. 2 and 3 seeds.
Semifinals
| Date | Fixture | Time (ET) | Location |
| June 15, 2023 | Panama vs. Canada | 7 p.m. | Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nev. |
| June 15, 2023 | USA vs. Mexico | 10 p.m. | Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nev. |
3rd place match
| Date | Fixture | Time (ET) | Location |
| June 18, 2023 | Loser SF #1 vs. Loser SF #2 | 6 p.m. | Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nev. |
Final
| Date | Fixture | Time (ET) | Location |
| June 18, 2023 | Winner SF #1 vs. Winner SF #2 | 8:30 p.m. | Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, Nev. |