Roster analysis: Breaking down the defenders

The United States Men’s National Team is going to have a monumental task ahead of them in 2026. The team will have to unite to take on the world as co-hosts at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino will have the unenviable task of figuring out how to lower a player pool of about 55 players down to the 26 that will form the World Cup roster. It’s the roster that every American player worth their salt wants to be a part of, but it will end in heartbreak for many of them.

It’s a good chance to evaluate the player pool to see which players are in the mix for that World Cup roster and what they need to do individually and collectively to be at their best and help the USMNT go far in the tournament. With a little over six months until the World Cup opener, we will break down each of the main groups and what that group need to do to elevate their game to the highest level.

We started this series with the goalkeepers, and now we continue with the defenders. The defensive unit has a different focus than it probably did prior to the Gold Cup this past summer, but there is a huge pool of options for Pochettino to eventually choose from:

Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Kristoffer Lund (Köln), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Caleb Wiley (Watford), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), Noahkai Banks (Augsburg), Auston Trusty (Celtic), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liège), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel)

Prior to the Gold Cup, the USMNT was mainly operating a 4-man back line, and most fans could see what a healthy back line would look like. The centerback pairing was the biggest question mark as some of the younger guys in the player pool rotated to see who would be the best combination with elder statesman Tim Ream. However, Mauricio Pochettino has since switched to experimenting with a 3-man back line with two wingbacks helping push the ball forward, and the team has responded with some great performances. It hasn’t been perfect, and there is still room to grow. But above all, the personnel needs change somewhat with the 3-man back line.

It’s not something many of the centerbacks deal with on the club level, so for them to show they can be a part of it, they need to demonstrate range, excellent positioning, as well as some versatility. When the wingbacks push forward, the three centerbacks are left to cover a ton of ground. They need to have the range to cover behind the wingbacks as well as in the middle to close the gaps that good teams will expose. They have to know where the rest of their back line teammates are on the field and it requires excellent communication. The wingbacks also need to get back and recognize when extra defenders are needed and when they can press forward, and that takes some time. The USMNT had some defensive lapses at times during the fall, and they learned the hard way against South Korea what happens when a good team is able to pounce on those mistakes through any open gaps in the penalty area.

The other thing that Mauricio Pochettino has clearly appreciated from his defense selections is the art of versatility. Guys are going to be called upon to do multiple things on the field, and Poch wants to be able to bring on guys that will not force them to change their defensive shape. Guys that can play wingback or left back, centerbacks that can double as additional defensive midfielders, or guys that have a ton of range and can help the team lock up defensively down the stretch are desired.

The main thing for the defensive unit as a whole is to remain healthy. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the rest of the season for Celtic with an Achilles injury, so his chances of making the World Cup roster are all but done. Antonee Robinson has battled through injuries and has missed out on national team camps for over a year. The worry has to be there with Pochettino that he will not be able to get a full strength Jedi for the World Cup, but there is still time for him to work his way back. Sergiño Dest looks like he’s finally back after recovering from his ACL injury, and his return to the field for the USMNT in November brought a new dynamic to the wingback position.

Ultimately, it may come down to preference for Mauricio Pochettino. He has some guys that he trusts right now to play the way he wants his defense to operate, and the others just have to continue to elevate their game in an effort to impress the coach down the stretch. The unit as a whole needs to be ready to defend against some top athletes in the 2026 World Cup. As the old saying goes: offense wins games, defense wins championships. And the USMNT needs to be elite defensively if they want to make a deep run.