Following a recent 2-0 defeat to South Korea, the U.S. Men`s National Team, under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, faces Japan in a crucial friendly. With the World Cup countdown underway, the focus shifts from mere results to tangible improvements in performance and team cohesion.
While Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino emphasized the importance of performance over results in this month`s friendly matches, Saturday`s 2-0 loss to South Korea highlighted a clear need for improvement in both areas, particularly in on-field execution. An experimental lineup, featuring a mix of established players and new faces, displayed a noticeable lack of cohesion, contributing to a disjointed performance. Defensive lapses proved costly for the USMNT, conceding two goals in the first half and allowing South Korea to comfortably control the game. Although the visitors eased off, permitting the U.S. to outshoot them 17 to five and achieve a superior expected goals (xG) ratio of 2.27 to 0.74, it was ultimately too little, too late. Pochettino now boasts just one win in his last seven encounters against FIFA top-30 opponents, and the USMNT has been outscored 11-2 in first halves against top-25 rivals.
Consequently, Tuesday`s fixture against Japan presents a vital opportunity to reset and demonstrate that the team is indeed on the right trajectory, as Pochettino claims. Even if Saturday`s coaching decisions were solely for experimental purposes, the trial run yielded few truly new or impactful insights. Regardless of the outcome, the USMNT must address key questions in Columbus to alleviate growing concerns, with only nine months remaining until the World Cup.
The Contested No. 9 Striker Role
Among the numerous uncertainties surrounding the USMNT`s starting lineup, the quest for a reliable primary forward remains a significant, years-long challenge that predates Pochettino`s arrival. With Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang sidelined by fitness issues this month, the competition for this crucial position narrows to Josh Sargent and Folarin Balogun. However, their trajectories might already be diverging.
Sargent was given the start against South Korea, a reward for his impressive start to the Championship season with Norwich City, where he scored five goals in four games. This presented a perfect chance to end his international goal drought, which dates back to November 2019. Yet, Sargent`s opportunity in New Jersey passed largely unnoticed; he registered only 17 touches in 62 minutes and managed zero shots. This performance echoed his recent national team appearances, where he has not exceeded 19 touches in a match and has taken just four shots overall in his last six games.
Conversely, Sargent`s struggles could pave the way for Balogun to reassert himself as the preferred choice at striker following an injury-plagued year. Balogun managed 22 touches and four shots in just 28 minutes on Saturday, indicating a more aggressive attacking approach by the USMNT when he was on the field. This suggests Balogun might be a more fitting tactical option for the role than Sargent.
Tactical Flexibility: Back Four or Back Three?
The dynamic of the game significantly shifted in the second half, primarily because South Korea had already established a comfortable lead. This change in tempo was particularly noticeable as both teams made multiple substitutions around the hour mark. A key tactical adjustment by Pochettino was bringing in Chris Richards and deploying a back three – a formation seldom utilized since the Argentine took charge last year.
Richards, who was unavailable to start due to a minor issue, lined up alongside debutant Tristan Blackmon and veteran Tim Ream. This switch to a back three notably enhanced defensive stability, with the USMNT conceding only one shot on target in the second half. Pochettino acknowledged the potential for reusing this tactic in future games.
“It was a good opportunity for us, to start, to approach with a back four and how we are going to create the dynamics to play in the opposite half and how we will be with our fullbacks and other aspects in the game,” Pochettino commented on Monday. “Maybe we can use during the game or maybe we can start. We will see. We know but we cannot tell you. … Sometimes, you need to take some risks.”
Final Opportunity for Newcomers
Pochettino designated the September friendlies as the concluding phase of his player pool expansion project. This ongoing experimentation, however, is now consuming valuable time that could otherwise be spent building team chemistry, especially with approximately 10 matches remaining before the World Cup. The USMNT appeared to suffer from a lack of cohesion against South Korea, a potential consequence of Pochettino employing 14 different lineups across 17 matches. Despite this, he staunchly defended his squad selection during a Monday press conference.
“Also, we need to understand, too, that we need to have quite a roster and players that we need to know and give the possibility to play,” he explained. “Because if we only work with a few players, but the moment after they arrive on the roster and some guys arrive with injuries and cannot play, cannot be in the roster… At the World Cup, it’s not a moment to make tests or to give the possibility to get experience. That is why you cannot be surprised.”
Pochettino also indicated that some squad decisions are influenced by players` varying fitness levels, citing Malik Tillman as an example. Tillman, who had a breakout performance during the Concacaf Gold Cup and subsequently moved to Bayer Leverkusen, had his preseason disrupted by an injury. Even though he played 61 minutes for Leverkusen on August 30, Pochettino deemed his inclusion in the friendly too risky.
Such circumstances further motivate Pochettino to assess new players. Rotation is anticipated for Tuesday`s match against Japan, with Pochettino hinting that players who had limited roles against South Korea could feature more prominently in this final friendly of the international window. The coach`s overarching hope is that less experienced players will rise to the occasion and exert pressure on the more established members of the squad.
“Of course I want to win, but also, we need to think in the process and to give the possibility to players to perform and put in a very difficult situation, the coaching staff,” he concluded. “Because Tillman needs to know there’s another guy in behind pushing, okay?”
