Chris Pontius, center standing to left of trophy, was elated over the U.S.'s win
in the Gold Cup final Wednesday, a special moment in his career
no matter what comes next for him in the national team picture.  (AP)

CHESTER >> To many in the media, the biennial CONCACAF Gold Cup is often portrayed as a means to an end – toward individual placement on the squad for the next World Cup, for national entrée to the FIFA Confederations Cup.

But for players, the scope is necessarily more granular, about one practice or game at a time. And when there’s reason to celebrate, it’s about savoring the moment.

That’s how the Union’s Chris Pontius relished in the U.S.’s victory in the tournament, sealed by a dramatic 2-1 finale Wednesday night over Jamaica at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

“It’s pretty special,” Pontius said Friday at Union training, his first full day back with the club. “With the national team, a lot of the guys were talking, even the guys that have been around the national team a long time, there’s not many times you get a chance to win trophies. So you enjoy it. That’s my second (trophy) now, with the 2013 Open Cup (with D.C. United), and I’ve lost in the finals of the Open Cup and been close to getting into the finals in other things.

“It’s special to raise silverware in something and when you’re done, I think that’s what you look back on, those moments, in the locker room after and enjoying it with the guys.”

Pontius appeared in three of the U.S.’s six games, added as an injury replacement for Kenny Saief. He started one group stage game and was a late sub in the quarterfinal win over El Salvador at Lincoln Financial Fried. He played no part in the 2-0 win over Costa Rica in the semifinal and the triumph over Jamaica, sealed by a Jordan Morris bolt into the top corner in the 88th minute.

Pontius is up to five career caps, all earned in 2017.

For many fringe players, particularly those based in MLS, the Gold Cup was a chance to impress Bruce Arena in the absence of many mainstays ramping up in the European preseason. Read more »

His third cap in four Gold Cup games was extra special for Chris Pontius,
right, in Philadelphia Wednesday. (AP)

PHILADELPHIA >> The roar was pronounced as Chris Pontius readied on the sidelines.

The other two U.S. subs Wednesday night in a 2-0 win over El Salvador in the Gold Cup quarterfinals at Lincoln Financial Field were greeted warmly, for sure. But the passion behind the reception for the Philadelphia Union midfielder was something he noticed right away.

“It was great,” Pontius said. “I had some chants going up for me, too, which was nice as well. It was special for me.”

Wednesday’s appearance was a short cameo, Pontius entering in the 87th minute for Darlington Nagbe, the U.S. well on its way to salting away the win and a berth in the semis. But as Pontius has cemented a spot in the rotation under manager Bruce Arena, this appearance brought something special.

Not that Pontius, who scored 12 goals for the Union last year and is second on the team this season with six assists despite still being in search of his first goal, needed reinforcement that he’s arrived in Philly. He played at an all-star caliber level last year, his first with the Union after seven with D.C. United, the last several blighted by recurrent leg injuries. It helped him return to the U.S. fold after six years in the wilderness.

Wednesday’s rousing welcome reinforced the point.

“That was nice,” he said. “It was definitely special for me. Just to have it here in Philly, it was a great. … I think I settled in pretty well last year. I think you saw that in my play last year. I always said it was credit to the staff and credit to the guys around me because they made me feel at home right away and it was my first time in a professional environment moving teams, so it was tough for me. Philly has welcomed me with open arms.”

Pontius has also settled into a role under Arena. He’s made five appearances this year, two in January friendlies after the offseason camp and now three in four Gold Cup games. He might not yet be at first-choice status for World Cup qualifiers, but he’s an important role player in a tournament like this that requires depth and a certain tactical flexibility.

And he’s got reason to believe his role with the team in the competition isn’t done.

“We did what we needed to do, and still we weren’t as clean as we know we needed to be,” he said. “We just need to improve on all the little things. The name of the game in this is win and move on, and we’ve done that.”

The powers that be over at MLS headquarters put together an article Friday that divulged this impressive fact: The CONCACAF Gold Cup features 32 players from MLS rosters, tied for the most all-time at the biennial tournament. With that many pieces gone, it’s worth exploring the impact on a playoff race that has the makings of a good one. So team-by-team, here’s who is missing.  

Los Angeles' Landon Donovan headlines
the U.S. team for the Gold Cup. (Associated Press)

Eastern Conference

Montreal: None.
Talk about the rich staying richer. That’s what happens when the Eastern Conference leaders have just five players hailing from Canada, only one of whom sees regular time. They dodge a bullet with the somewhat surprising exclusion of Patrice Bernier, the guy who directs their midfield, but that’s really the only close call.

Union: M Keon Daniel (Trinidad and Tobago), F Jack McInerney (USA).
Losing the co-leading scorer in MLS for up to five games is a big blow, as is Daniel’s absence given a rash of injuries in the midfield. But they get it paid forward from their opposition. Of the five games McInerney would miss, four are against Western Conference teams. And as we’ll see shortly, Real Salt Lake, Houston, Portland and Vancouver all face significant losses. (The other game is Chivas, so there’s that.)

New York: D Roy Miller (Costa Rica).
A few months ago, losing Miller wouldn’t have seemed like such a big deal. But Friday’s news that Heath Pearce could be done for the year with hip surgery leaves the Red Bulls shorthanded at the back. All this for a team that has given up seven goals in its last three matches – the latest installment a pretty memorable one for Union fans in which the other healthy fullback, Brandon Barklage, was absolutely torched in the first half – and faces visit from Houston and Montreal book-ending a trip to Colorado. That’s tough.

Kansas City: D Mechack Jerome (Haiti), F Peterson Joseph (Haiti).
Sporting KC loses a pair of guys who’ve played well recently. But Jerome’s exit is mitigated by the return of Matt Besler (even if Jerome is technically a right back). As far as Peterson, Peter Vermes is already searching for ways to re-integrate Kei Kamara (back on loan from Norwich) and Teal Bunbury (back from a knee injury) into the side, plus there are high hopes for Dom Dwyer after he scored 328 goals for Orlando City this year. And there’s the fact that Graham Zusi, Besler and Benny Feilhaber were among the 12 players from the preliminary 35-man squad left off the final roster. With home games against Columbus, Vancouver, Toronto and a trip to Chicago, SKC could be poised for a run.

Houston: D Corey Ashe (USA), F Will Bruin (USA).
On paper, the Dynamo lose two key players. But it’s not that bad because, A) They get Oscar Boniek Garcia and Brad Davis back from World Cup qualifiers; B) Bruin has been struggling up top and may have been headed for more time on the bench anyway (paging Omar Cummings), and C) It could’ve been worse had Tally Hall not ended up as the odd goalkeeper out and been called up just to sit the bench. Plus, after injuries forestalled it, Ashe really deserves his first cap. Oh yeah, and a bye week means the Dynamo only play three matches during the Gold Cup.

New England: None.
This really couldn’t come at a better time for the Revs. Not only are they 3-1-2 in their last six, there really were few choices for possible call-ups. Juan Agudelo has played just once in 20 months for the U.S., and Jerry Bengston is persona non grata in his native Honduras. With games against San Jose, Colorado, Columbus and D.C., all weakened by the Gold Cup, there's a chance at some serious points.

Columbus: F Jairo Arrieta (Costa Rica).
You could say that Arrieta is a big loss for the Crew. But the reality is that the forward has played just four games since the beginning of May. In those games, Columbus is 0-3-1, having scored just two goals. With LA, Portland and New England looming, they’ll need to figure something out quickly.

Chicago: GK Sean Johnson (USA).
The Fire are undefeated in their last five matches and finally starting to make up ground in the East, making this a bad time to lose their goalkeeper. We’ll see what Paolo Tornaghi, he of four MLS matches worth of experience, has to bring to the table.

Toronto: D Ashtone Morgan (Canada), D Doneil Henry (Canada), M Kyle Bekker (Canada), M Jonathan Osorio (Canada).
The four youngsters have combined to play 30 matches for two-win Toronto, a team that has had 25 different players start a game this season (by comparison, the Union have had just 16). If you’re in the Toronto area, I’d beware: Just about any able-bodied male is being drafted into the side these days.

D.C. United: GK Bill Hamid (USA).
Hamid is a loss, but he hasn’t exactly had the best of seasons (as the Union demonstrated back in April). The bigger story is that D.C., an anemic offensive team, gets to hang onto Dwayne De Rosario and Kyle Porter. Plus, with Joe Willis filing in, maybe the defense will get it together finally.

Western Conference

Portland: M Will Johnson (Canada), F Frederic Piquionne (Martinique), M Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica).
The West-leading Timbers have no doubt been the story of the season. So what does Caleb Porter’s brand of beautiful soccer lose? Try six goals and an assist from Johnson, four and five from Wallace and one and three from super sub Piquionne. The team that travels to PPL Park July 20 will have plenty of options left, but it won’t exactly be full strength.

Real Salt Lake: F Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake), GK Nick Rimando (USA), D Tony Beltran (USA), M Kyle Beckerman (USA).
Is there a team harder hit than the second-place squad in the West? When the Union come to town July 3, they’ll face a team whose depth will be severely tested. Gone is one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, who started 16 games this season, and Beckerman, a strong candidate for U.S. captain and the fulcrum of the RSL attack (not to mention the only MLS midfielder called up). Beltran, seen as a rising defensive star, has started 15 matches, and despite playing just eight matches, Saborio is the co-leading scorer with four goals. At least they get Luis Gil back from the U-20 World Cup.

Dallas: F Blas Perez (Panama).
The conundrum this year for Dallas – if a team with three losses in 16 matches can be said to have one – has been regularly getting Perez and Kenny Cooper in the same starting XI. Cooper should step right in for the Panamanian.

Los Angeles: F Landon Donovan (USA).
Lando’s return from Jurgen Klinsmann's wilderness is the story of this Gold Cup squad at the outset. For the Galaxy, the news may hasten the search for another designated player. But with Robbie Rogers playing regularly, Pablo Mastroeni providing midfield depth and Jose Villareal back from the U-20 World Cup, there’s ample cover. Plus they get to keep Omar Gonzalez away from international duty.

Vancouver: GK Simon Thomas (Canada), M Russell Teibert (Canada), D Carlyle Mitchell (Trinidad and Tobago).
For the next month, the Union turn into fans of Canada. If Canada can make it to the quarterfinals July 21 – a daunting task given a group with Mexico and Panama, and the fact that they have to finish as one of the top two third-place teams – it would rule out Portland’s Johnson from the trip to Philly. Should they make the semis, Teibert, a sudden revelation for the Whitecaps, would be in doubt for when the Union travel to British Columbia July 27. Mitchell (two starts this season) and Thomas (third stringer) aren’t big losses.

Seattle: M Mario Martinez (Honduras).
The surprising call-up of Martinez has cast doubt upon his loan arrangement with the Sounders. But when you consider that Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson were on the preliminary American roster, it could’ve been a lot worse for Sigi Schmid.

Colorado: None.
Like the Rapids need more guys missing for one reason or another. And they get Shane O’Neill back from the U-20 World Cup.

San Jose: D Nana Attakora (Canada), M Martin Chavez (Honduras), D Clarence Goodson (USA), F Chris Wondolowski (USA).

Nothing’s gone to plan for the Earthquakes this season. So what’s a little extra? Now the challenge of climbing out of the lower reaches of the Western table must proceed without MLS MVP Wondolowski. Even the well-meaning acquisition of Goodson will have to be delayed until at least August. They'll also miss Attakora and Chavez, who played significant time this season. For a team desperately looking for someone to step up, it’ll have to be some unusual suspects rising to the occasion in the next month.

Chivas USA: D Steve Purdy (El Salvador).
Purdy’s most illustrious qualification is that he’s played only three games for a Chivas USA team quickly going down the tubes, having picked up one point from the last 30 available. Hard to dig deeper into the bedrock they’ve hit.

So, Jack McInerney is on the Gold Cup roster, a development that has been hinted and speculated at for months.

That’s part one of the equation. Now the inevitable follow-up: How much will he play?

It will take a while to fully answer that question. It stands to reason that for a young player like McInerney, Jurgen Klinsmann wouldn’t deprive him of games in the league not to have him see at least some time. With all due respect to the national team, games in MLS are far more valuable than sitting on the bench and watching the Stars and Stripes beat up on Cuba, and you’d hope that is implicit in that selection.

Positionally, McInerney will face a battle for time. Luckily, he provides a little something different than the other forwards in camp. Much of it will depend on what type of formation Klinsmann chooses to use, and that starts well behind where McInerney figures to play. Read more »

Union forward Jack McInerney was named to the 35-player short list for the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer.

The 20-year-old striker was one of eight forwards named to the preliminary list. The roster must be trimmed to 23 players 10 days prior to competition, which opens July 7. The continental championship will be hosted by the United States, with the Stars and Stripes due to play its group-stage matches in Portland, Salt Lake City and Hartford.

Usually an opportunity to develop domestic talent and send less then the full A team, the Gold Cup roster is mainly composed of MLS players (19 from nine different clubs). Rather than exclusively being young players, several veteran names that have found themselves unable to get into the first team lately are included, most notably Landon Donovan. Europe-based veterans Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson and Oguchi Oneywu are also included.


McInerney has been capped at the U17, U20 and U23 levels. Should he make the roster and play, he would be the first Union player to appear for the U.S. National team.
Read more »