Mauricio Pochettino continues prioritizing roster evaluation over on-field chemistry as the United States men\'s national team\'s World Cup picture gradually takes shape. The manager insisted after Tuesday\'s 2-1 victory over Australia that assessing player profiles remains more important than building combinations with just four friendlies remaining before next June\'s pre-tournament camp.
Pochettino has used recent international windows to identify emerging contributors beyond established stars. Cristian Roldan earned high praise after recording two assists against Australia, with the coach calling him close to \"your perfect player\" for possessing diverse qualities.
Matt Freese has positioned himself as a potential number one goalkeeper after earning his first cap in June. Malik Tillman, cut from the 2022 World Cup squad, has evolved into a likely starter. Youngsters Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman and Diego Luna have become regulars as the system incorporated wingbacks more frequently.
Tanner Tessmann returned to camp after last appearing in March and made a positive impression. The Lyon midfielder forced his way back into consideration alongside established veterans like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream.
“We still (have a) long time to the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “And I think we can assess (the group), and it’s open. It’s open for every single USA player that is playing here or outside of this country. … The thing that is important (is) they need to feel the confidence and trust (from) us. And when they come, it is because we are going to provide the possibility to play and show (their) quality.
The Argentine emphasized character evaluation alongside technical ability in finalizing his 26-player roster.
“When you need to decide the 26 players next summer, (you want) to be sure that you know which type of profile, of characteristics you need. Because not only do you need good players, but also you need good teammates, good people, people that can put the interest of our national team (higher) than their own interests.”
The United States faces World Cup-bound Paraguay and Uruguay in November. Both CONMEBOL sides finished qualification with 28 points, providing significant tests before a four-month break until March friendlies.
The team has shown forward momentum after a comprehensive defeat to South Korea last month. Center back Chris Richards emphasized the importance of building winning habits despite the friendly nature of recent fixtures.
“Sometimes [it] is difficult to explain how that magic happens,” Pochettino said of a team starting to come together and believe. “But this is about to work every day, every time that we work together, is to put the seed and start to be very consistent in our decision, in the way that we communicate and in how the message arrives to the team, to the staff, to everyone.
“And I think when that starts to grow inside the team, that is why this type of thing starts to happen. And for sure, more positive things will happen.”