Maybe this should have been an email after all
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino stoked controversy around how he communicated his roster decisions to his players, from emails to those rejected, to a group WhatsApp message for those who made the cut.
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Matt Freese looking like a United States starter as the World Cup arrives
Reviewing the United States performance against Germany and previewing their World Cup expectations and their group-stage opener against Paraguay, plus discussion of the Dutch national team practicing at NYCFC's training facility.
First-choice USMNT lineup, Matt Freese included, falls short in final friendly
The result was a 2-1 Germany win, but the United States looked solid after falling behind early, got a world-class goal from Antonee Robinson, and learned some important things about the goalkeeper and center-back positions.
Matt Freese doesn't play for USMNT vs Senegal, but don't call it a goalkeeper controversy
Mauricio Pochettino says he hasn't picked a starting goalkeeper, but Matt Turner and Chris Brady splitting minutes in the 3-2 United States win over Senegal makes them seem like Freese's backups heading into the World Cup.
'I want to be one of the greats': What the World Cup call-up means to Matt Freese
"I'm not going to think about the emotion; I'm going to be focused on winning," Freese said as he shared his reactions to making the United States World Cup squad.
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France Preview: What's standing between Les Bleus and a third straight final
When they open their World Cup in New Jersey, France will need to see Kylian Mbappé click as a center-forward, and they'll hope coach Didier Deschamps can find the right tournament formula one last time in search of another world title.
New York City FC Tracker: All 2026 news and rumors
Strahinja Tanasijević officially departs NYCFC with only months remaining on his contract, with the reserve center-back said to be leaving so the club can gain additional roster flexibility.
The Blueprint: Everything happening around this World Cup
An unpacking of the controversies and off-field issues swirling around the World Cup as it kicks off, like pricing absurdities, attempted water-bottle bans, and US travel and immigration policies impacting fans, referees, and team officials.
Senegal Preview: Lions of Teranga aim to bury AFCON controversy, escape Group of Death
The only team playing twice in New Jersey during the group stage, Senegal will try to shake off lingering feelings from January's controversial AFCON final and make noise in a group with France and Norway.