GOAL US writers break down the USMNT squad that will face Ecuador and Australia in a pair of October friendlies
Let's debate. The USMNT have a roster now. They have friendlies to play. And the squad for the October matches is interesting, even verging on full strength. This is what we all wanted. Can't we just be happy?
Pochettino has selected a roster that seems to be closer to what we can expect for next year's World Cup. There are some selections here that are perhaps a little forgiving. Weston McKennie is back in the fold, even if he's been frozen out at time with Juventus. Antonee Robinson has been named despite not being quite fully fit. There were also several notable omissions.
Those decisions, Pochettino reminded reporters, were his, and the asked-for explanations, in truth, didn't matter. What matters now is getting the 26-player group together and going from there.
"That is a different question: what we expect,” Pochettino said after the roster was announced on Thursday. “If players not in the squad call us and say, 'What do you expect from us coach?' that is a different question. I can speak for over an hour, two hours, and we can have videos and everything. But that's different from 'Why am I not here?' That is a different question."
But maybe it's fine to just be grateful that Christian Pulisic is in the form of his life for AC Milan and the U.S.might actually win a couple games as they continue World Cup preparations.
GOAL US writers discuss the USMNT roster choices in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
Getty Images SportDid Pochettino get this USMNT roster right?
Tom Hindle: It's not perfect, but it's close. Sure, you've got a few injuries to work with, but aside from one of two odd inclusions, there are few reasons to be critical. McKennie seems like a weird call, especially given his rough start with Juve. It's also hard to see a USMNT future for Max Arfsten that isn't "never seeing the field." But this is what friendlies are for, and even if he's brought in the big guns, one or two experiments are (just about) forgivable. Also, perfect rosters are boring and leaves us with nothing to talk about.
Ryan Tolmich: As close to right as he possibly can, given the circumstances. It would be nice to have Tyler Adams, Sergino Dest and Ricardo Pepi in, of course, but they have to miss out due to external circumstances. Are there omissions worth arguing about? Sure, but by and large, this roster is just about as close to full strength as it could be, which shows that Pochettino is really zeroing in on ahead of the World Cup.
Alex Labidou: Yes. There weren’t many surprises on this squad, as it is a good mix of players who have established themselves in Europe and MLS standouts who stepped up during the team’s Gold Cup run. Now the exciting part will be to see how the well-established guard and the emerging talent all blend.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWho's the biggest omission?
TH: Yunus Musah. He's a real contender to start at the World Cup, and it's odd to not see him here – especially given he was solid in Poch's early days as manager. Something isn't adding up. A word, too, for Joe Scally, who would seem to add depth at both a right back and right center back in a back three. Then again, Pochettino is the manager, and not this guy with a laptop.
RT: Scally, largely because of what it means. Musah was left out because there were other options in midfield, sure. Scally was looked over on a roster that carried just one natural right-back. That indicates that Pochettino doesn't see Scally as the type of player that fits in his team, even if the Gladbach star is fresh off a good attacking performance last week. It might not be enough, as Scally is very clearly the third right-back on the depth chart right now, and it's a distant third at that. This omission confirms it.
AL: Wouldn’t say it was unexpected, but you do have to feel sympathy for both Scally, who is one of the best right backs in the Bundesliga, and Zack Steffen, who has been in and out of camps due to injury. Scally’s style of play appears not to mesh with Pochettino’s style. Steffen – who was impressive in his one outing for Pochettino – appears to have fallen down the pecking order after injuries have held him back. For a player who told GOAL he was devastated by being left out of the 2022 World Cup and had something to prove this cycle, his window appears to be closing.
Getty ImagesWho's the biggest surprise addition?
TH: McKennie. He's not been anywhere near good enough to be included. If form matters – it should, sort of – his presence here is puzzling. You can also make a thinly-veiled argument that Malik Tillman hasn't been good enough, but anyone would want to get the hell away from that Bayer Leverkusen team at the moment.
RT: Robinson, but not because he's not good enough. We all know he is a locked-in starter, so no worries there. The thing is that Poch has largely been careful with injured players, preferring to leave them with their clubs to build towards returns. Robinson, meanwhile, has played 90 minutes just once this season, and it came in a cup game against lower-league opposition. Pochettino says the USMNT and Fulham are on the same page, and Robinson is surely close to full fitness. But it shows just how important the staff feels it is to have Robinson in. Given his current status, they wouldn't have called him in otherwise.
AL: Aidan Morris. His inclusion makes sense because of his impressive form in the Championship, but he has been out of Poch’s plans for so long, it felt seemed as ifwas in the same boat as Scally – a talented player who doesn’t fit the Argentine’s style. It will be intriguing to see if he actually gets playing time in the two October friendlies.
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Getty Images SportWhat formation should the USMNT deploy?
TH: Something three-at-the-back adjacent. The center back selections here suggests that Poch rates that set up, but it's important to remember that versatility is everything. Tim Ream is a centerback who can play on the left. McKennie can play a variety of positions. No team plays 3-4-2-1 on both sides of the ball. It's about having the guys who know how – and when – to switch it up. As long as Balogun is your nine, and Pulisic gets on the ball near the goal, things should be alright.
RT: Back three until the World Cup, please! This group, in particular, is seemingly designed for it with Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson, two defenders who play in this system on the club level, back in the fold. Give the fullbacks – or Tim Weah – room to roam, find two midfielders that can help Adams when he returns and let Pulisic cook alongside Folarin Balogun and Tillman. It all makes sense, particularly after what we saw against Japan in last month's USMNT win.
AL: Pochettino won’t do it, but he should strongly consider mirroring what Max Allegri has done with Milan. Pulisic is in the form of his life, and you want to utilize tactics that bring out the best in him. Allegri uses a 5-3-2 and, if Pochettino were to do the same, it would look like this: Matt Freese, Robinson, Chris Richards, Ream, McKenzie, Weah, McKennie, Tanner Tessmann (filling in for Adams), Tillman, Pulisic and Balogun.