Neil Pierre's USMNT rise comes with a family twist as Haiti awaits in Nations League

Neil Pierre’s second call-up to the U.S. men’s national team at age 18 is tied to both performance and a personal story. Coach Mauricio Pochettino is looking to shore up a thin central defense, and Pierre—described as tall with scoring ability in the air—has earned another chance. This week’s training in the U.S. near Atlanta also comes as the U.S. faces Haiti in a Nations League quarterfinal: the first leg is Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, TBS) in Miami, with the return leg on Nov. 17 in Cincinnati. Pierre is the son of Haitian immigrants and his older brother Nelson, 21, has played for Haiti’s youth team. Their parents hope both sons do well.