Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT just delivered its best camp yet – but the emergence of new standouts has created a real selection dilemma ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino was angry. Not childish angry or stroppy angry.
Instead, Pochettino was egotistically angry. He was sports angry. He sat before the U.S. press pool after beating Uruguay, 5-1, and unleashed the kind of rant that coaches who know they have done a good job go on. He talked about respect. He snapped at a question. He declared, defiantly, that "it’s the U.S. men’s national team playing." The basic premise? People shouldn't question the fact that most of the starting XI on Tuesday night aren't in what most would consider his strongest team. This was, instead, the backups getting it done. Except, don't you call them backups.
The best part, for him at least? Pochettino was right. This was the kind of victory that coaches love, that they can hang their hat on. Pochettino went out there, made nine changes, played a slightly different system, and saw his side absolutely batter a top 15 team in the world. Wins, albeit in a friendly, don't come much better than this. All of the right bits were here: goals from set pieces, crunching tackles, constant running, guys coming off the bench, and making an impact. You wanted a hit? Well, here's a doing what squads do – 15 men deep and immensely effective throughout.
And, let's face it, this is exactly what Pochettino needed. There has been some serious back and forth on what constitutes success in these matches. The reality is that there is nothing material on the line. But winning is good. Winning curates a vibe. Winning changes perception. And winning, like this, is even better.
Yet there’s a caveat. Pochettino can show off his tactical nous and coaching chops all he wants- and he should. But he now has a real problem. It was the newer faces who delivered. At some point, he’ll need the same level from the players long viewed as the more talented options from afar. And the question now is whether he can actually trust them to do it, or if he’ll keep leaning into his approach.
Getty Images SportCalling in 71 players to change culture…
This wasn’t quite the Pochettino everyone imagined. A lot of assumptions were made early, and understandably so. The resume was impressive: Tottenham, PSG, Chelsea. Miracles at Southampton. Success everywhere – even if not always measured in trophies. He managed egos in Paris. He reached a Champions League final with Spurs while missing Harry Kane for key stretches. Those are the things that grab attention.
And then came his introductory press conference – tucked away in a secret room in New York, all theatrical buildup and “legion-of-doom” energy. But the man who walked in wasn’t ominous at all: sharp haircut, scruffy beard, smiling, joking. He didn’t promise a World Cup quarterfinal, but he did say he’d to be there.
Those were simpler times – full of optimism and possibility. Since then, the mood has shifted. Pochettino’s tactics have been mixed, leaning heavily into counter-attacking. He’s dipped deep into the player pool – sometimes by choice, often out of necessity. Calling up 71 players is good for the long-term health of the program. Whether wanted to do that so aggressively is another story. He also picked a high-profile fight, benching Christian Pulisic once it became clear the star wanted to save his legs during the Gold Cup (he got injured anyway – a twist that felt a bit like football karma).
That approach works in club football, especially with the talent-rich sides Pochettino once led. But with the USMNT, it just looked bad – particularly when paired with a Gold Cup final loss. The one upside? He got to position himself as a culture-builder. “Not a mannequin,” as he put it. This was his program now.
AdvertisementImagnSigns of growth
And that all set the table very nicely for this fall. The U.S. have improved camp by camp since the Gold Cup. And this November one was unquestionably Pochettino's best yet. You could make a pretty good XI out of the absentees, among them: Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson. In that group, there are, conservatively, four starters when the World Cup kicks off.
Pochettino went with his strongest side, given the circumstances. Sergino Dest, now fully fit, got a nod. Folarin Balogun played up front. Gio Reyna received a surprise start in an attacking midfield role. But Pochettino's MLS-heavy imprint was also there. Cristian Roldan started in the middle. Max Arfsten turned in a fine shift on the left. Miles Robinson went all 90 at right center back.
The U.S. were far from perfect, but the 2-1 win was agreeable. It was another example of how Pochettino's three-in-the-back system might work out. It was also a fine tryout for Reyna after a lengthy absence from both the U.S. and the very concept of playing soccer for more than 15 minutes. Paraguay weren't great. Neither were the U.S. in truth. With the benefit of hindsight, this was, effectively, the Reyna show, 80 minutes of him being very good at football while everyone around him made the right movements. But they all count.
GettyWhat the Uruguay thrashing meant
And then, Tuesday. You could make a pretty compelling argument that Pochettino had always been building to this. He made nine changes, and went for what looked like an entirely backup XI. Only Matt Freese and Dest retained their spots in the side. This was the kind of team that, just 12 months ago, was every U.S. fan's worst nightmare.
You could imagine the skeptics sitting around, heads in their hands.
On paper, in abstract, with no context and a fair bit of uninformed snobbery, it looked like suicide.
But this is Pochettino's U.S., or, at least, the version he likes to brag about. And here, they were magnificent. They scored five good goals, conceded one cheap one, yet completely smothered a top opponent. They were remarkably fluid on the break, tidy when they had the ball, and dangerous from set pieces.
Sebastian Berhalter, known really for being the son of Gregg Berhalter, whipped in an audacious free kick. Alex Freeman, a , and MLS Young Player of the Year, nodded a header in and then put Barcelona's Ronald Araujo on skates to complete a lovely brace. The camera panned to Pochettino after the third U.S. goal. The Argentine was sitting on the bench in shock. This was the performance of his wildest dreams.
GettyVindication, finally
And this was the evidence he needed to quiet the doubters. This, he implied, was what all the pain was for. This is why he lost four straight, and five of his first 10. This is why they couldn’t beat Mexico and were hammered by South Korea. All the setbacks, all the uninspiring performances – they funneled into one emphatic response.
The vibes, the anger, the resilience: they all culminated here. There’s a clear line from the Gold Cup final loss, to a meaningless dust-up with Paraguay – essentially just childish petulance not worth overthinking – to a 5–1 demolition of the No. 15 team in the world. Pochettino’s players were fired up. And they played like it.
Inside the locker room, that message has landed.
"I think he's good at giving players confidence, which I definitely like and think is very important," Miles Robinson told GOAL. "We need to fight like our lives depend on it. Some of these players [who we play against], who come from other countries, this is their way out; they had nothing. He recognizes, 'Hey, that's not how most of you guys grew up, but we're going to have to beat them with our hearts, our minds, and other ways.' He's super truthful. His philosophy on life is something that I relate to."
His rant, then, touched on all of the right things. It cultivated the aura of the USMNT of old. You could imagine the patriotic music swelling up behind him as he spoke, picture famous victories at the World Cup in 2002, and dream of Tim Howard's performance against Belgium in 2014. It was suggested a year ago that this team was unlikeable and soft. Now they are competitive heroes, full of energy and verve, yet a real nightmare to play against.
Freeman knows it.
"It’s good to build our chemistry and confidence. In the past two games, not only did we play good, but we also dominated. So being able to get those wins in those situations is great for the team," he said after the Uruguay win.