Berhalter Reflects on His Role Amidst a Young National Team

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — At just 25 years old, Sebastian Berhalter is undeniably young. If he were pursuing a career outside of soccer, he’d still be at the beginning stages of his professional journey.

Over the last year, however, his career has really taken off. He’s joined the ranks of the United States men’s national team, participated in the World Cup, and secured a transfer to Middlesbrough in England. Yet, in the current squad called up by Mauricio Pochettino for the first camp following the World Cup, Berhalter feels positively ancient. With many players on the 28-man roster still too young to legally buy alcohol, maybe it’s better to think of it as Camp Cavan, named after the 16-year-old standout.

It’s a strange contrast. Berhalter and teammate Gio Reyna found themselves sitting at a news conference together as two of the older, more experienced players. “I think ‘older guy’ is actually a good way to put it,” Berhalter remarked. “I’ve only been part of the team for a year now, but it feels like I’m an older guy, which is crazy. It’s good. I take that in stride.”

Reyna, at 23, seems to embody a wealth of experience already. He found it oddly surreal when 19-year-old striker Justin Ellis, who was there to speak with reporters, mentioned Reyna as his favorite player growing up.

Despite being only four years apart in age, Ellis was still in middle school when Reyna made a name for himself with Borussia Dortmund and the national team. Their first encounter happened after Ellis arrived for his first senior U.S. camp, where he aims to make his national team debut against Peru this Saturday.

“He’s a great kid,” Reyna said of Ellis. “Getting to know him has been nice. It makes me feel a little old, but it’s great to see so many young guys here. I’m looking forward to bonding with them, both on and off the field. I’m just here to offer support and show them what we’ve built and continue building. There’s a ton of talent among them.”

Looking ahead, while it’s premature to speculate about the roster for next summer’s Gold Cup or even the 2030 World Cup, it’s clear that it won’t just be a repeat of the 26-man group that made it to the Round of 16 over the summer. The next generation of players will have ample opportunities to earn their spot. Those who made the last roster will now need to compete not only against the young players but also against those they previously outperformed.

Sullivan is certainly under the spotlight and carrying high expectations, but every player in camp has earned their call-up for a reason. Following Ricardo Pepi’s injury, three strikers—Ellis, Julian Hall, and Damion Downs—joined the squad, although Downs has some senior caps to his name unlike the others.

The focus, going forward, will be on the younger players proving they can contribute, while the young veterans must demonstrate they can guide their less experienced teammates. “They need to understand that the young players will observe everything—your movements, speech, and conduct, both on and off the pitch,” Pochettino noted. “That’s why this period is crucial for us, to see if senior players can set the right example. If anyone falls short of our expectations in their behavior, it will have consequences.”