What McKennie, Musah and Reyna need is simple

There was a time when Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna would have all been considered automatic call-ups to the USMNT.

But in addition to the exceptional circumstances of the annual September window (players just starting seasons, dealing with transfer issues) that explain their absences, McKennie, Musah and Reyna have some issues to resolve if they are to get invites to the all-important October games against Ecuador (Oct. 10 in Austin) and Australia (Oct. 14 in Commerce City, Colorado).

• Weston McKennie (Juventus, 2+ minutes, 2-0 vs. Parma): Pochettino downplayed Wes absence. “We already know Weston, it’s not necessary to call him. He’s in a situation where he arrived with no preseason because he was involved in the Club World Cup. He started the season last week in Italy. We wanted to give him the possibility to be more settled in his club and have the possibility to be in his best form.”

“The possibility” is what has to happen. McKennie will have to pull another hat out of the bag if he is to get the playing time he needs to stay in USMNT contention. He went from unwanted in the summers of 2023 and 2024 to key contributor within moves. He has appeared set to stay at Juve until June 30, 2026, after which he is a free agent. (A new contract did not happen.) Could a move by Monday, Deadline Day for transfer registrations in the big European leagues, happen?

• Yunus Musah (AC Milan, 0 minutes, 1-2 vs. Cremonese). His appearance on ESPN FC’s The Football Reporterspodcast touched on the buzz around the World Cup. “It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be big. Everyone is going to want to be part of it.” The regular playing time he needs will likely have to come from somewhere other than Milan.

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