The U.S. Men’s National Team’s youth movement is in full swing and Neil Pierre is just one of several young players relishing the ride. Pierre was called up to Mauricio Pochettino’s 25-player roster for a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal series with Haiti. The 19-year-old defender has enjoyed a productive 2026, helping Danish side Lyngby earn promotion to the top-flight last spring before jumping into a starting role with his parent club, the Philadelphia Union. Pierre has logged 33 appearances this calendar year for club and country, which also included his USMNT debut back in the September-October window. He’s earned three caps under Pochettino to date and could very well add to that number by camp’s end. Veteran defender Mark McKenzie, who also came up through the Union ranks and has since remained a key figure in the USMNT squad, praised Pierre’s maturity and abilities as his breakout year continues. “He’s a player who’s shown for his age just a lot of maturity,” McKenzie told reporters during a conference call Monday. “I think that’s something that sticks out: his poise, his understanding, reading of the game. We talk about a player who has the belief in himself, the confidence in himself to go and play at the highest levels, and he’s shown that he’s gone abroad to Europe.“He’s come back. He’s performed extremely well with the Union this season,” McKenzie added. “He has all the tools to be a top defender, not just in MLS, but he can do it abroad as well and at the international level.”This month’s pair of showdowns with Haiti will not only be important for the USMNT but also for Pierre. Both Pierre’s parents were born in Haiti while his brother, and former Union academy player, Nelson has played in the Caribbean nation’s youth system. A single appearance for Pierre this window would officially cap-tie him to the USMNT, which is the same case for several other players such as Santiago Castãneda and Julian Hall. Pierre is simply just excited to represent his country and also play against Haiti, the country of his parents’ birth. “I’ve always been focused on [the] U.S. and representing the USA from Under-15 all the way to now, and if I were able to step on the field, I would be focusing on playing the game and trying to do my best to win the game and support my teammates,” Pierre said. “Not really focused on dual nationality and being cap-tied. I’m just happy to represent my nation.“I have spoken to my parents about the game, and they’re very, very happy and excited to have the country they were born from, and then having their son play against that country, at the highest level, they’re very, very excited,” Pierre added.Both McKenzie and Pierre will fight for minutes alongside Chris Richards and Auston Trusty in the USMNT backline.