Gio Reyna has finally left Dortmund, but not Germany, as his career revival will take place at Borussia Monchengladbach. Patrick Smith - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
One of the keys to a successful World Cup next year for the U.S. men's national team will be maintaining a modicum of health.
Last weekend, the U.S. could fully celebrate the fact that this is trending in the right direction. Fulham defender Antonee Robinson, AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun and PSV Eindhoven forward Ricardo Pepi all made returns to the starting lineup for their respective clubs. Finding steady playing time is another key factor, so the sight of Gio Reyna moving to Borussia Mönchengladbach was also most welcome.
Not that these developments resulted in a USMNT call-up for the September window in every case, but the news is trending positively nonetheless.
Throughout the season, ESPN will be monitoring the progress of the U.S. player pool, delivering insights into those whose form or fitness has made them particularly intriguing. We call it the USMNT's Countdown to the World Cup.
ESPN will count down to June 11 every week so that way, when the U.S. team is announced for this highly anticipated World Cup on home soil, no names on that 26-man roster will come as a surprise.
Welcome to the USMNT's Countdown to the World Cup. Only 288 days to go.
- USMNT roster omissions might hamper World Cup preparations - After skipping Gold Cup, Musah has big plans for USMNT in a World Cup year - Is Gladbach the place to revive Reyna's beleaguered career?
Gio Reyna | Attacker | Borussia Mönchengladbach
2025-26 minutes: 0 2025-26 FotMob rating: 0.0
Reyna completed his long-anticipated -- and long-hoped-for -- move out of Borussia Dortmund, and landed with another Borussia, that being Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The move makes sense on a variety of levels. Reyna will remain in Germany, where he has played professionally since 2020, so there won't be any cultural adaptation with which to contend. And he'll be alongside childhood friend Joe Scally, with whom he was teammates when the two came up through the New York City FC academy.
Now comes the hard part: getting on the field and avoiding the kind of injuries that have plagued him the past few seasons.
Antoinee Robinson | Fullback | Fulham
2025-26 minutes: 45 2025-26 FotMob rating: 6.7
Just call it the Return of the "Jedi." Robinson made his long-awaited return to the field last weekend against Manchester United, putting in a 28-minute shift. The appearance came a bit too late for Robinson to help the USMNT in the September window, as he was left off Mauricio Pochettino's roster.
The decision makes sense, however, as it will allow Robinson to build upon his base of fitness so that he can log even more minutes with Fulham when league play resumes this weekend against Chelsea.
Folarin Balogun | Forward | AS Monaco
2025-26 minutes: 90 2025-26 FotMob rating: 6.0
Balogun went the distance in Monaco's 1-0 loss to Lille, logging his first minutes of the season after recovering from a calf injury.
It was a frustrating afternoon, registering just one shot on goal, but the hope is that it's not a one-and-done situation for Balogun and he continues to see the field. He also proved himself enough to be a late call-up to the USMNT for the September window. His last appearance came on Sept. 10, 2024, against New Zealand, under interim manager Mikey Varas, just days after Pochettino was introduced.
His ability to stretch defenses is unique within the U.S. pool of strikers, but he'll face stiff competition for playing time from the in-form Josh Sargent.
The in-form XI
Pochettino clearly has no time for this week's in-form starting XI.
Four of the choices were not called up for the September window, although Robinson's absence is understandable. The midfield is the area that draws the most scrutiny, and goes deeper than Weston McKennie's exclusion.
Johnny Cardoso has seen his playing time with Atlético Madrid increase, pointing to a steady role under manager Diego Simeone. Tanner Tessmann is off to a strong start in his second season at Lyon.
Then there's Middlesbrough's Aidan Morris, who earned Man of the Match honors in Boro's past two league games. Tessmann gets the nod here in place of McKennie to line up alongside Tyler Adams and Cardoso, but already eyes are beginning to shift to the October window.
If Tessmann and Morris don't get called in, then it will be apparent just how far down Pochettino's depth chart they've sunk.
Toulouse defender Mark McKenzie was another surprise omission, as he was viewed as the prime backup behind Tim Ream and Chris Richards in the center of the U.S. defense. Instead, the Vancouver Whitecaps' Tristan Blackmon and FC Augsburg prospect Noahkai Banks were selected. McKenzie has struggled with consistency when wearing a U.S. shirt, but he's started strong with the French club. While the sample size is small, he's been part of a Toulouse defense that has yet to concede.
One other aspect that Robinson's exclusion makes clear is that the Columbus Crew's Max Arfsten has the inside track to be the Fulham defender's backup. That's a rough development for John Tolkin.
In addition to starting every game so far for Holstein Kiel, he's now scored in his past two games, although the last one against Greuther Fürth came on a fast break with the opposition way upfield for a corner kick.
There is one item to consider when it comes to the left back position. Dest started in that role for PSV in last weekend's 4-2 win over Groningen. If, for some reason, Robinson isn't available, it may be that Pochettino opts to slide Dest over and utilize one of his other right back options.
Big Board 1.0 update
ESPN's USMNT Big Board 1.0 went live earlier this month, and each Big Board will provide the foundation for weekly player updates. Below are the minutes and player ratings for each of those 35 players.
All of ESPN. All in one place.
Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
Matt Turner, goalkeeper, New England Revolution: 270 minutes in 2025; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025.
Matt Freese, goalkeeper, New York City FC: 2,340 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.
Zack Steffen, goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids: 1,890 minutes in 2025; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025.
Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper, Columbus Crew: 2,070 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.
Chris Richards, center back, Crystal Palace: 270 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Tim Ream, center back, Charlotte FC: 1,892 minutes in 2025; 6.6 FotMob rating in 2025.
Mark McKenzie, center back, Toulouse: 180 minutes in 2025-26; 7.3 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, center back, Celtic: 390 minutes in 2025-26; 7.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Miles Robinson, center back, FC Cincinnati: 2,258 minutes in 2025; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025.
Robinson just can't catch a break. While it may be that Pochettino had his heart set on bringing in Blackmon and Banks, now it's a calf injury that saw Robinson miss the past two games, giving him no chance. For a player who missed the 2022 World Cup due to a torn Achilles, it's another blow in his bid to make a World Cup squad.
Auston Trusty, center back, Celtic: 152 minutes in 2025-26; 6.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
STREAM FUTBOL AMERICAS ON ESPN+
Herculez Gomez and Cristina Alexander debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
Sergiño Dest, fullback, PSV Eindhoven: 352 minutes in 2025-26; 8.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham: 28 minutes in 2025-26; 6.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Joe Scally, fullback, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 180 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Caleb Wiley, fullback, Watford: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Max Arfsten, fullback, Columbus Crew: 2,330 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.
Alex Freeman, fullback, Orlando City SC: 2,352 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.
Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth: 194 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus: 1 minute in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid: 113 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Luca de la Torre, midfielder, San Diego FC: 2,077 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.
Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Lyon: 180 minutes in 2025-26; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Yunus Musah, midfielder, AC Milan: 25 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Will he stay or will he go? Musah was an unused sub in Milan's shock 2-1 home defeat to Cremonese, which did nothing to quell the reports that he might be on the move to Atalanta, Napoli or Nottingham Forest. Musah told ESPN he very much wants to stay in Milan, but we'll see if manager Max Allegri rewards that attitude and keeps Musah around.
Yunus Musah joins "The Football Reporters" podcast to explain why he chose not to be a part of the USMNT's 2025 Gold Cup squad.
Sebastian Berhalter, midfielder, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,560 minutes in 2025; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025.
Christian Pulisic, attacker, AC Milan: 156 minutes in 2025-26; 7.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Tim Weah, attacker, Marseille: 108 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Malik Tillman, attacker, Bayer Leverkusen: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Diego Luna, attacker, Real Salt Lake: 2,005 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.
Alejandro Zendejas, attacker, América: 461 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Giovanni Reyna, attacker, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Folarin Balogun, forward, AS Monaco: 90 minutes in 2025-26; 6.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV Eindhoven: 33 minutes in 2025-26; 6.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Pepi's season debut against Groningen may have only lasted four minutes, but it was important nonetheless. It marked his first appearance since injuring his knee last January. With Pepi's longtime competition, Luuk de Jong, having moved onto pastures new, the time is now for Pepi to stake his claim to the starting spot.
Josh Sargent, forward, Norwich City: 317 minutes in 2025-26; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Patrick Agyemang, forward, Derby County: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Haji Wright, forward, Coventry City: 276 minutes in 2025-26; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Wright's omission from the USMNT roster flew under the radar a bit, given some of the big names that were excluded, but it was one that definitely fell into the head-scratcher category. Wright has four goals in his past three appearances, including two in last weekend's 7-1 demolition of Queens Park Rangers.
Damion Downs, forward, Southampton: 156 minutes in 2025-26; 6.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
