Galaxy’s Sebastian Lletget called up to USMNT for CONCACAF Nations League
Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget is one of four MLS players called up to a European-heavy national team roster ahead of next month’s CONCACAF Nations League Final Four in Denver.
The 23-man roster coach Gregg Berhalther named Monday was one of the most diverse and most decorated in U.S. Soccer history, boasting players from 11 countries. Nine of the players selected made 30 or more appearances for clubs in top-flight European leagues in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal and Belgium in 2020-21.
Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget is one of 3 players called up by the men’s national team ahead of friendlies with Jamaica and Northern Ireland.
And that list doesn’t include forward Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffen, whose English Premier League teams will meet in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final. Pulisic appeared in 27 EPL games and 42 matches in all competition for Chelsea while Steffen made one Premier League start for Manchester City but started 12 times overall.
Five players — Steffen; forwards Brenden Aaronson of Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg, Jordan Siebatcheu of Switzerland’s Young Boys and Tim Weah of France’s Lille; and goalkeeper Ethan Horvath of Belgium’s Club Brugge — also helped their team win league titles this season, while four others won domestic cups.
“It’s been a great year for our player pool and the unprecedented successes of winning multiple leagues and cup championships,” Berhalter said. “Our focus now becomes continuing this success with the national team.”
The U.S. will meet No. 13 Switzerland on Sunday in St. Gallen before decamping for Denver and the June 3 Nations League semifinal with Honduras. If the Americans win that game, they will meet the winner of the other semifinal between Mexico and Costa in the final on June 6.
The U.S. once again will not have a men’s soccer team competing at the Olympics, but the best the United States has to offer isn’t allowed on the pitch.
The U.S. is unbeaten in nine matches, going 8-0-1, dating to an October 2019 Nations League loss to Canada.
But although Berhalter’s roster is deep in European experience and success, it is young and relatively inexperienced internationally, averaging less than 24 years of age and just 17 international caps. Ten players have yet to appear in a competitive game for the U.S.
Defender Tim Ream, who is 33, is the only player older than 28, and defender DeAndre Yedlin — the only player other than center back John Brooks with World Cup experience — has the most international appearances with 62 caps.
Lletget, who will miss the Galaxy’s Saturday home game with the San Jose Earthquakes because of his call-up, is the only player to have appeared in the last seven games for the U.S. national team.
Angel City and new technical director Eniola Aluko offer an exclusive inside look at why she was hired to build the team’s roster and shape its future.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG)
Defenders: John Brooks (Wolfsburg/GER), Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona/ESP), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht/BEL), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR)
Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER), Sebastian Lletget (Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP), Jackson Yueill (San Jose Earthquakes)
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen/GER), Jordan Siebatcheu (Young Boys/SUI), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA)
