Gutiérrez Prepares for “Surreal” USMNT Debut

Brian Gutiérrez has waited years for the opportunity to represent the United States at the senior international level. Today, he could finally get it.

The Chicago Fire homegrown star, who is still just 21, was summoned by new head coach Mauricio Pochettino for his first January camp, comprised almost entirely of MLS players. Gutiérrez was among them and is poised to make his senior debut tonight against Venezuela.

Fittingly, it was Gregg Berhalter – Pochettino’s USMNT predecessor and the Fire’s new boss – who broke the news to “Guti” that he would be joining the national team camp in Florida.

“It was a surreal moment,” Gutiérrez told MIR97 Media. “I was really, really surprised. Gregg was the first one to tell me and to congratulate me, and I was really, really happy.”

“I didn’t get the chance to play at U-20 level and the Olympics, so being able to do this at the senior level is a great feeling and I’m really excited.”

Born in the U.S.A.

Gutiérrez was born in Berwyn, just outside Chicago, and he’s dual-eligible for both the United States and Mexico. Uncertainty over his international future – which still remains an open question from an official standpoint – has naturally put a spotlight on his budding career, especially since the Mexican Federation was in touch with his camp last year. However, for the moment, he’s just focused on the U.S., the team he’s played with for his entire youth career.

Though Guti has lived in the Chicago area his whole life, he maintains strong connections on both sides of the border. He even spent some time in Mexico during the offseason visiting family. Even so, relatives from both countries have been quick to congratulate him on the January call-up, especially given how long he’s been trying to earn it.

“I’ve heard from both,” Guti said. “They’ve just been congratulating me and saying they’re really proud of me. Honestly, it was a great feeling for me and my family, and we’re just blessed that I’m here.”

As the 21-year-old is still yet to appear in any form of official international competition at any level, Guti will remain without a cap tie for now, even if he plays in both matches this week. Nonetheless, all indications are that he’s the Americans’ player to lose, particularly considering that he has been in the U.S. system since he was 15.

Poch Watch

The USMNT‘s new head coach, Pochettino, has been a key talking point since he took over the team in September. Comments suggesting that he would not be afraid to call up MLS players bring a whole new meaning to the January Camp setting that had slowly been fading in relevance over the years.

With top-flight experience at some of the biggest clubs in the world, such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Southampton, Pochettino carries one of the more impressive managerial résumés in world soccer. His players have been quick to compliment his managerial talent, citing that coaching methods and strategies are dramatically different from what they were under previous head coaches.

“It’s been really good, just enjoying and learning from him,” Gutiérrez said of Pochettino, “hearing what he has to offer for the team, what he wants from the team, and what he wants from each individual. And yeah, obviously learning from him because he’s a really, really top coach, which is what you want. At the end of the day I came here to learn and see what he wants and play to the best of my ability.”

Keys to the Midfield?

Given the traditional “Camp Cupcake” nature of the USMNT’s annual January convocation, Gutiérrez has a huge opportunity to make his mark in this pair of fixtures. Officially, only four midfielders were listed on Pochettino’s roster, meaning Gutiérrez could play substantial minutes in his preferred central #10 position. He could also find minutes on the wing, given that he has far more MLS experience than any of the other forwards listed, though the head coach has suggested the idea of using fullbacks in the attack, too.

“I believe that here we have players at this camp like Diego Luna, Matko (Miljević), and Guti, that can play more through the middle,” Pochettino said in his pregame press conference. “Perhaps those players are more central, who prefer to move inside. Then we have other players like Caden Clark or Indy (Vassilev), who are more about staying wide. And maybe when they play in that position, we’ll have a fullback who doesn’t push up as much or who attacks more inside rather than outside.”

It’s possible that Gutiérrez will split minutes with Luna, who is in his second USMNT camp. The Real Salt Lake attacker has played with Guti at the U-20 level, though neither went to the Olympics in France last year; Luna was invited as an alternate but declined. The likes of Caden Clark and Matko Miljević will also compete for minutes out wide, and position out on the left is something Guti is also comfortable playing.

“Surreal” Moment to Come

No active Chicago Fire player has appeared for the U.S. in a senior-level international match since Djordje Mihailović all the way back in 2019. That will change the moment Guti steps on the field for the Stars and Stripes. It will be a moment he’s waited many years for having climbed the youth ranks in the U.S. system since the U-16 age group.

“It’s honestly going to be a really surreal moment,” Gutiérrez said of his looming debut, “but at the same time, it’s a game at the end of the day. I’m just going out there to show my best abilities and what I have to offer to this team, and hopefully, make the most out of my opportunity, which I’m doing.”

With a CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament coming up in the summer and the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil less than 18 months away, Guti doesn’t have a ton of time to waste. The opportunity this January is massive, so if he can prove to be a standout, he could finally break into a senior team pool that is crying out for more attacking depth.

“Obviously, you put (the World Cup) on your list of what you want to do as a player. And that is up there for me.”

Read more:

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