The MLS-heavy squad taking part in the US men’s national team’s January camp in Florida gets one more chance to make an impression on coach Mauricio Pochettino and his staff on Wednesday night, as the Yanks host Costa Rica at Orlando City’s Inter&Co Stadium.

The USMNT have made improvements under Mauricio Pochettino, with the USA recording a victory over Venezuela and now the head coach is setting his sights on a good run at the next World Cup

The USMNT are preparing for their second friendly of the international break against Costa Rica on Wednesday night. The January camp will provide head coach Mauricio Pochettino with valuable insight into his MLS-based players as the games fall outside European international windows.

They could care less about the noise that’s generated across comment sections and online forums that diminish MLS as a pipeline for the national team. The reality, though, is quite simple: January camp is not a collection of the country’s best players.

For the USMNT, these January friendlies are a chance to prove that players based in MLS can be just as good as those plying their trade in Europe.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino humorously yet thoughtfully addressed the possibility of Lionel Messi's sons playing for the American national team.

Mauricio Pochettino had a clear message to players joining up for his USMNT squad camp this month. The former Tottenham head coach is hoping to utilise the meet-up to assess the levels of US-based stars ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League final series in March.

Right from the jump, Mauricio Pochettino made clear to the players he convened for the US men’s national team’s January 2025 camp that their quality and productivity on the pitch, not the league or continent where they ply their club ball,

Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentine coach tasked with leading the U.S. national team through the 2026 World Cup, said he and his staff have been quite impressed with the level of play from the MLS players at camp in Fort Lauderdale this week.

The arrival of Lionel Messi has changed the game in the United States and Pochettino is eager to capitalise on the boost in publicity for soccer.

United States coach Mauricio Pochettino emphasized that the January camp cannot be categorized as an "alternative" team, serving instead as an opportunity for newcomers to fight for a spot in the organization's overall player pool.

Getting an extended look at depth options during January camp, Mauricio Pochettino named his youngest ever squad as manager of the United States men's national team and they rolled to a 3-1 victory over Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.