Folarin Balogun, Medford’s Brenden Aaronson highlight USMNT roster for Nations League

When the U.S. men’s soccer team takes the field later this month in Las Vegas for the Concacaf Nations League final four, the biggest spotlight will be on marquee new striker Folarin Balogun.

That’s likely to be just fine with the USMNT’s new interim manager B.J. Callaghan, who was born in Ventnor and previously spent time coaching at Ursinus, St. Joseph’s, and Villanova. For while the Nations League roster features a lot of big-name attackers, the announcement of the squad Thursday brought news of a lengthy injury list.

Some long-term absences were already known, such as midfield captain Tyler Adams, veteran centerback Tim Ream, and striker Daryl Dike. But the U.S. also will be without striker Josh Sargent, midfielders Malik Tillman and Kellyn Acosta, centerback Cameron Carter-Vickers, and goalkeepers Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath.

Steffen’s absence became known shortly before the roster was released. The Washington Post reported that the Downingtown native recently had his left knee scoped to clean out damage to his meniscus that he had been dealing with all season.

He’s likely to be sidelined for 3-4 months, which will affect his plans to change clubs this summer. Steffen revealed to The Inquirer in March that he won’t return to Manchester City, where he’s currently under contract, after spending this past season on loan at English second-division club Middlesbrough.

» READ MORE: Zack Steffen opens up about missing the World Cup and returning to the U.S. men’s team this month

“In life there are times when you have to take a step backward in order to progress further, stronger and wiser. God has a plan different from our own!” Steffen wrote on social media Thursday. “I’m grateful for all who have helped me these past couple weeks. I’ll be back soon 🙏🏾”

Matt Turner thus remains the starter in net, with Sean Johnson backing him up. The other two goalkeepers on the roster are uncapped: Drake Callender of Inter Miami and Josh Cohen of Maccabi Haifa, the three-time reigning champions of Israel’s top league.

The rest of the roster has plenty of familiar faces. On the back line, Sergiño Dest will hope to attract suitors after falling off the radar at AC Milan, while Chris Richards makes his long-awaited return after a series of injuries. He hasn’t played for the national team since January of last year. Media’s Auston Trusty also was included, though fellow Union alumnus Mark McKenzie notably was not.

McKenzie has had a great season with Belgium’s Genk, playing nearly 3,500 minutes over 38 games, all starts. He even has helped give Genk a shot at the league title in Sunday’s season finale (12:30 p.m., ESPN+).

“It’s a hard, hard conversation to have with him,” said Callaghan, who has known McKenzie since the player was a 12-year-old in the Union’s youth academy. Callaghan spent seven years with the Union, first as an academy coach and then as an assistant to manager Jim Curtin, before joining the U.S. men’s team staff in 2019.

» READ MORE: Highly rated striker Folarin Balogun commits to the USMNT

“I can tell you that he was understanding, he was professional, but at the same time — and what I would expect — he wasn’t happy,” Callaghan said. “But at the same time, I reassured him that I have a pathway for him to continue with the men’s national team. This is no way a door shut for him.”

McKenzie was included in a 60-player preliminary list of names for the Gold Cup squad later this summer that Concacaf published Thursday.

In the midfield, Johnny Cardoso and Luca de la Torre will try to help make up for Adams’ absence. De la Torre’s club, Spain’s Celta de Vigo, is fighting to avoid relegation from La Liga and hosts champions Barcelona in its season finale on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN Deportes and ESPN+).

Yunus Musah, whose Valencia also is in the relegation mix, likely will start for the U.S. alongside Weston McKennie, whose short Leeds United tenure ended with relegation from the Premier League — and a pile of criticism from Leeds fans, including some who called him fat during last Sunday’s season finale.

Gio Reyna is listed as a midfielder after a season at Germany’s Borussia Dortmund that was good but not all he hoped for. Reyna was a frequent substitute but couldn’t crack the starting lineup enough. To make matters worse, Dortmund blew a golden chance at its first Bundesliga title in 11 years with a tie in its season finale.

» READ MORE: Ex-Union assistant B.J. Callaghan to serve as interim USMNT coach this summer

The American front line will feature Balogun up top, with Ricardo Pepi as his backup after a great season on loan at the Netherlands’ Groningen. He’ll move on from there this summer, with Dutch club Feyenoord reportedly leading the race to sign him. PSV Eindhoven, where former U.S. Soccer and Union sporting director Earnie Stewart is now in charge, also reportedly is interested.

Medford’s Brenden Aaronson and Hershey’s Christian Pulisic are among the wingers, as are Tim Weah and Alejandro Zendejas. If Zendejas plays against Mexico in the semifinal, it would be his first game against the country of his family’s ancestry. He picked the U.S. over Mexico earlier this year.

The 24 players called up will gather in Los Angeles starting June 4, before heading to Las Vegas for the games that start June 15. Callaghan will cut one player — probably a goalkeeper, since he called in four of them — to finalize the 23-man tournament squad.

“[I] have that type of experience in, I would say, the operation of it — whether it’s the game planning, or the culture building and the management of the staff,” Callaghan said. “But we all know that the next biggest piece is now the buck stops with me, and that’s the piece that I have to step up on. … It’s something that I think over time, and how I’ve been integral pieces of the other staffs that I’ve been part of, I’m prepared for.

» READ MORE: Alejandro Zendejas’ commitment a needed boost at an uncertain time for the USMNT

Goalkeepers (4): Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Josh Cohen (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Sean Johnson (Toronto FC), Matt Turner (Arsenal, England)

Defenders (7): Sergiño Dest (AC Milan, Italy), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, England), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, England), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany), Auston Trusty (Birmingham City, England), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

Midfielders (6): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional, Brazil), Luca de la Torre (Celta de Vigo, Spain), Weston McKennie (Leeds United, England), Yunus Musah (Valencia, Spain), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Alan Soñora (FC Juárez, Mexico),

Forwards (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, England), Folarin Balogun (Stade de Reims, France), Taylor Booth (Utrecht, Netherlands), Ricardo Pepi (Groningen, Netherlands), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea, England), Tim Weah (Lille, France), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América, Mexico)

All games are at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. All times listed are Eastern.

7 p.m.: Canada vs. Panama (CBS Sports Network, Spanish coverage TBA)

10 p.m.: United States vs. Mexico (Univision 65, Paramount+)

6 p.m.: Third-place game (Paramount+, Spanish coverage TBA)

8:30 p.m.: Championship game (Paramount+, Spanish coverage TBA)