Doug McIntyre
Soccer Journalist
Folarin Balogun is the latest projected United States men’s national team starter to withdraw from Concacaf Gold Cup duty this summer, joining the likes of Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah.
Monaco striker Balogun was unable to recover in time from the ankle ailment he suffered last month playing for the French Ligue 1 club and will be replaced on USMNT coach’s 27-man training camp roster by Eintracht Frankfurt winger Paxten Aaronson.
Two other players were also dropped from the squad on Sunday because of injury, U.S. Soccer announced. San Jose Earthquakes fullback DeJaun Jones has what the federation called a “lower body injury,” while midfielder Sean Zawadzki of the Columbus Crew has a knee problem. The changes come two days after Crew keeper Patrick Schulte (oblique) was forced out of camp in favor of Chicago Fire backstop Chris Brady.
Philadelphia Union defender Nathan Harriel and center back Walker Zimmerman, who started three of the Americans’ four games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, were summoned to replace Jones and Zawadzki. With 43 career caps, Zimmerman becomes the third-most experienced player in camp after Tim Ream and Matt Turner. Zimmerman, who plays for Nashville SC in MLS, helped the U.S. win its most recent Gold Cup title back in 2021.
World Cup veterans Tim Ream and Walker Zimmerman will reunite at the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. (Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF).
Aaronson is the younger brother of USMNT vet Brenden Aaronson. The 21-year-old had six goals and four assists in 28 games for Dutch Eredivisie side Utrecht last season while on loan from Frankfurt. He, Harriel and Zimmerman were teammates on the 2024 U.S. Olympic squad that reached the second round at last summer’s Games in Paris.
The U.S. plays the first of its two Gold Cup tuneups on Saturday against Türkiye in East Hartford, Connecticut, then travels west to face Switzerland three days later in Nashville, Tennnessee.
Pochettino’s team opens the tournament proper on June 15 against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, California, then closes out group play with matches against Haiti and guest nation Saudi Arabia.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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