USMNT countdown to the World Cup: Does McKennie have Juve future?

The opening weeks of the European club season have seen some auspicious starts. Norwich City's Josh Sargent continues to bang in the goals, with his tally against Portsmouth already giving him three on the young season. Chris Richards and Crystal Palace secured an impressive road shutout at Chelsea, and Sergiño Dest continued his fine form for PSV Eindhoven.

The most notable performances of the weekend came from players in Christian Pulisic and Johnny Cardoso who have had some attention around them -- not all of it positive.

Throughout the season, ESPN will be monitoring the progress of the U.S. men's national team player pool, delivering insights into those whose form or fitness has made them particularly intriguing. We call it the USMNT's Countdown to the men's 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 295 days to go.

Christian Pulisic | Attacker | AC Milan

2025-26 minutes: 66
2025-26 FotMob rating: 8.6

Finally letting his football do the talking

Pulisic's summer of discontent -- complete with deciding to skip the Gold Cup, some subtle sniping with U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, and then a not-so-subtle war-of-words with former USMNT players over his decision -- finally got back to focusing on his actual performances. And after shaking off an ankle injury, Pulisic delivered for his club, scoring Milan's second goal from a sharp reception and finish on the turn in what was a 2-0 win over Bari in the Coppa Italia.

The 66-minute performance reinforced a truism about Pulisic and his USMNT teammates: If he plays well, he'll be praised. If he doesn't, he'll be criticized. Might some of that criticism be over the top? Possibly. But like it or not, this is what he signed up for, and using his docuseries as a platform to complain about said criticism won't change that. With next summer's World Cup now only 10 months away, the scrutiny on Pulisic and his play is only bound to increase. His start to the season is nonetheless encouraging.

Johnny Cardoso | Midfielder | Atlético Madrid

2025-26 minutes: 45
2025-26 FotMob rating: 6.7

Already invaluable at Atléti

There has been plenty of head-scratching when it comes to Cardoso and the USMNT. Namely, why doesn't he replicate his club form at international level? Cardoso's debut for Atléti on Sunday against Espanyol elicited a very different type of question. Why was he subbed out at halftime by manager Diego Simeone?

It's a decision made all the more puzzling given how Cardoso performed. He completed 87.5% of his passes and won 71.4% of his duels. Atlético were up 1-0 when he departed, only to lose the match 3-2 when Espanyol rallied for two goals. Simeone even praised Cardoso for his play and acknowledged he needed to reexamine his decisions.

"I think I learned a lesson," he told reporters afterward. "I'll take something away from that. There's a lesson for me."

Given that Cardoso earned compliments, it's a start that bodes well for continued playing time on a very competitive squad. Now the challenge for Pochettino is to find a way to get the best out of Cardoso when he dons a different red, white and blue jersey.

Weston McKennie | Midfielder | Juventus

2025-26 minutes: 0
2025-26 FotMob rating: 0.0

An annual tradition: Asking whether McKennie has a future at Juve

There's always a danger in reading too much into preseason. There are youngsters to try out, fitness levels to manage, and in the case of Juventus, there's recovery from a packed summer that included the FIFA Club World Cup. All of that said, when it comes to McKennie, how big of a role will he end up playing for Juve this season? It seems to be an annual query.

Last season, McKennie was ever-present, making a total of 48 league and cup appearances. But if the past three friendlies are anything to go by, the U.S. midfielder will be hard-pressed to repeat that level of activity. As the Serie A opener against Genoa nears this weekend, and with manager Igor Tudor opting for a 3-4-3 formation, McKennie has seen his playing time steadily decrease, with him entering last weekend's friendly against Atalanta in second-half stoppage time. There have also been reports he might be headed to AS Roma.

If McKennie remains with Juve as a squad player, the team's presence in the UEFA Champions League figures to result in plenty of player rotation, but it's a less-than-ideal scenario for McKennie and the USMNT; it also might open the door for a fringe player or two. Middlesbrough's Aidan Morris has impressed in the opening weeks of the season.

The in-form XI

If the World Cup started tomorrow, who would make up Pochettino's starting XI? Each week we take our best attempt to name a starting lineup based on form and fitness, which means there's no room for injured players.

Even as Dest returns to health, a competition is brewing for the remaining outside back slots. Antonee Robinson, when healthy, is the presumed starter at left back, but he has yet to even make the gameday roster in recent weeks for Fulham as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. One possible option on the left side, Watford's Caleb Wiley, is in a similar situation with a back injury.

The hope is that both players return to the field soon, but in the meantime, Pochettino has plenty of options in an attempt to fill the void. Joe Scally has played on either flank for both club and country, and has been a steady presence on the backline for Borussia Mönchengladbach, making more than 30 appearances in each of the past four seasons. However, Pochettino has shown a clear preference for outside backs who can contribute to the attack, whereas Scally's strengths lie more on the defensive end of the field. Last season, in 32 league appearances, he had no goals or assists, and created only 11 chances.

That has led Pochettino to look at other options. Both Max Arfsten of the Columbus Crew and Orlando City SC's Alex Freeman logged the majority of minutes available at outside back during the Gold Cup. Arfsten showed some vulnerabilities in his defending, but improved as the tournament progressed and chipped in with a goal in the quarterfinal win against Costa Rica. Holstein Kiel's John Tolkin got time in the Gold Cup as well, and started the club season in dream fashion, scoring Kiel's opener in the 2-0 victory over Homburg in the DFB-Pokal. The sequence showed off Tolkin's passing, mobility and finishing ability. His edge in defending means he cracks this week's in-form XI.

That is by no means the extent of Pochettino's options when it comes to outside backs. Tim Weah's debut for Marseille last weekend came as a wing back, and Yunus Musah's early days under new Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri have seen him play in a similar role. Weah has shown flexibility in the past at club level in terms of playing on either flank, although for the USMNT, his value lies farther upfield given his ability to stretch and get behind defenses. The September window should reveal plenty.

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.

Matt Turner, goalkeeper, New England Revolution: 180 minutes in 2025; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025.

Matt Freese, goalkeeper, New York City FC: 2,250 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Zack Steffen, goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids: 1,800 minutes in 2025; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025.

Turner might get the nod in the in-form XI, but Steffen is doing all he can to push for more consideration from Pochettino. Steffen's goals prevented mark of 6.33 is the third highest in MLS, showing a level of consistency that was absent last season. The big challenge for Steffen is simply staying healthy. If he does, he should get a chance to battle for the starting goalkeeping spot.

Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper, Columbus Crew: 1,980 minutes in 2025; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025.

Chris Richards, center back, Crystal Palace: 180 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tim Ream, center back, Charlotte FC: 1,802 minutes in 2025; 6.6 FotMob rating in 2025.

Mark McKenzie, center back, Toulouse: 90 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

McKenzie remains the leading contender to push for Ream's spot in the center of the USMNT defense, and he delivered a composed performance in Toulouse's season-opening 1-0 win over Nice, completing 93% of his passes and winning 67% of his duels. Consistency with the USMNT has been an issue, but he's off to the right kind of start with his club.

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USMNT's Chris Richards reacts to Community Shield win with Palace

Chris Richards speaks after Crystal Palace's penalty shootout win over Liverpool in the Community Shield.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, center back, Celtic: 180 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.

Auston Trusty, center back, Celtic: 138 minutes in 2025-26; 6.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Sergiño Dest, fullback, PSV Eindhoven: 262 minutes in 2025-26; 8.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Joe Scally, fullback, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 90 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: 2,240 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alex Freeman, fullback, Orlando City SC: 2,320 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth: 90 minutes in 2025-26; 6.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid: 45 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Luca de la Torre, midfielder, San Diego FC: 1,995 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Lyon: 90 minutes in 2025-26; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Yunus Musah, midfielder, AC Milan: 24 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Sebastian Berhalter, midfielder, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,470 minutes in 2025; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025.

Christian Pulisic, attacker, AC Milan: 66 minutes in 2025-26; 8.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tim Weah, attacker, Marseille: 45 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 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.

Luna sat out last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Charlotte as he was suspended because of a red card he picked up against the New York Red Bulls. Luna now has seven yellow cards and two ejections on the season. He's obviously getting more attention from opponents, but he'll need to find a way to keep his composure as well as the edge with which he plays. Not at all easy, but a trait he'll need to refine.

Alejandro Zendejas, attacker, América: 380 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Zendejas looks to be cooling off a bit ... or is he? During the two tournaments that comprised the 2024-25 Liga MX season, Zendejas had 11 goals from 7.07 xG across 40 matches. So far this season, Zendejas has one goal from 1.36 xG in five matches. So his goals/game are down, but his xG/game is up. Still early days yet, but if Zendejas continues to get chances, his goal scoring should round into form.

Giovanni Reyna, attacker, Borussia Dortmund: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Folarin Balogun, forward, AS Monaco: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV Eindhoven: 28 minutes in 2025-26; 6.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Josh Sargent, forward, Norwich City: 227 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 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: 176 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Damion Downs, forward, Southampton: 93 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.