The dust has settled on another international break for the United States men’s national team and it couldn’t have come with more disappointment than losing to Panama and Canada while only scoring a goal. With the World Cup looming, the list of questions for Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT is growing, but most of them center around one thing. How good is the depth around this team?
Things could’ve been different with Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest, and Antonee Robinson in the squad, but when the USMNT has entered most major tournaments with at least one core player injured, not enough members of that 12-18 range on the roster have shown that they can be suitable replacements. It’s only magnified when talented players like Gio Reyna can’t get playing time for their squads, hurting depth even more.
It’s not all bad, as some players did show flashes during this camp, but some of the concern of what this team’s ceiling is will be warranted with opportunities for competitive games dwindling. Next up will be friendlies facing Türkiye and Switzerland in June ahead of the Gold Cup, but even then, Pochettino may not have his full roster due to the Club World Cup which Juventus and Borussia Dortmund will be taking part in.
Ahead of all of that, let’s take a look at who may have improved their standing following this international break:
USMNT player ratings: Key pieces not doing enough as USA soccer lose to Canada in Concacaf Nations League
Chuck Booth
Stock up: Diego Luna
With Gio Reyna struggling for playing time, Diego Luna did show that he can bring a spark to midfield and that he isn’t afraid to try things in a central position. It would’ve been a good challenge to see him against Panama, but the Real Salt Lake man made his chances count with an assist against Canada and a few audacious passes that other members of the midfield may not even attempt. Without wing-backs, creativity needed to come from somewhere and Luna was able to provide it. There’s more room to grow and a crowded midfield picture to break into, but there’s no reason why Luna shouldn’t be on the Gold Cup roster as long as he’s healthy enough to do it.
Stock down: Weston McKennie
Used as a 10 against Panama and then pushed deeper into midfield to face Canada, it wasn’t a great window for McKennie. His defensive challenges were fine but with the ball he didn’t do enough. Teams were more compact against the USMNT midfield than what he would normally face, but it’s a bit of the knock-on effect that this team suffers when they aren’t at their best. So many things need to go right for the USMNT to win in adverse conditions and when looking at McKennie, since his position can shuffle so much depending on what a coach needs him to do, his poorer performances usually go alongside ones for the whole team. There’s no quick fix for this, but with limited midfield options, it’s concerning.
Stock up: Chris Richards and Tim Ream in defense
Until further notice, we know who the top pairing for the USMNT is in defense. While that sounds great, the fact that it’s a 37-year-old center back and an oft-injured one is a concern. But when the USMNT is at full strength, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards and Sergino Dest has to be the first choice defense in front of Matt Turner. Joe Scally has done well as a stand in, but he doesn’t bring enough going forward. Ream is so calm and collected in his movement that everything breaks down when he’s not on the pitch and while Richards can make mistakes, he’s fast enough to make up for them while also having a short memory where they don’t stick during the remainder of the game. This is something that, again, is an indictment of the depth that Pochettino has available to him, but as we draw closer to the World Cup, all he can do is play his best players which includes Richards and Ream.
Stock down: Christian Pulisic
This team will go as far as Christian Pulisic can take him and during the Nations League that wasn’t very far. It was one of the worst international breaks for Pulisic in a USMNT shirt. He’ll bounce back from this, but when you’re the star of the national team, it’s hard to win without performing at the highest level constantly. Pressure is extremely high on Pulisic, but unless someone else can step up to be a match winner when he has off days, it will continue to be at this level, or only get higher as the World Cup approaches.
Stock up: Patrick Agyemang
When Patrick Agyemang is on the ball, a feeling comes across that hasn’t been seen since prime Jozy Altidore that the USMNT nine will run through whatever is in his path to score a goal. Now with three goals in four caps for the USMNT, Agyemang is firmly in the crowded forward pool. His finish against Canada wasn’t even a great one, but when you get enough shots from good positions, goals usually follow. With Ricardo Pepi already able to bring speed off the bench, Agyemang can bring a different look for USMNT forwards to be able to torture defenses late in matches.
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