Mauricio Pochettino says this will be the final camp for experimentation before the USMNT turn towards the World Cup
So long summer, hello fall, and welcome back, U.S. men's national team. The page has been turned on the Gold Cup and fall friendlies have begun and, if you've been following along, there's no shortage of storylines heading into them.
Christian Pulisic is back, and Mauricio Pochettino is eager to put a summer of controversy behind, saying, "This is in the past." A number of other stars are back in the fold, too, after missing out on this summer's Gold Cup, which makes this an important window. Pochettino says this will be the final camp for experimentation before the USMNT turn the page towards the World Cup.
Heading into Saturday's game against South Korea, Pochettino has a mixed squad – Gold Cup participants, familiar superstars and inexperienced newcomers desperate for a chance. The South Korea game has turned into a measuring stick, albeit an imperfect one. This isn't a full-strength USMNT and, at this point in the cycle, Pochettino says it doesn't have to be.
He's looking for individuals, moments and trends that will dictate the squads to come – and, ultimately, the one that takes the field next summer.
"I think the objective is to try and add players and new faces that can really start to buy the idea that we start to build to the World Cup and these games before," Pocehttino said. "I think that's why I'm so relaxed, because the main group is starting to understand what we want. And, if we want to arrive in the competition, the World Cup, in the best condition, they need to know each other.
"At some point, we need to start to cut and define the players that we believe will be at the World Cup. But it's about always keeping that mentality and, that, for me, is what it means to be successful in the next two games."
What will Pochettino be looking for on Saturday? What will determine success or failure?
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Reintegrating Pulisic
There's no hiding this storyline. Pulisic is back after a controversial summer. As much as this is about everything else going on at camp, you can't ignore the spotlight on Pulisic. The question now is how he handles it.
Pulisic seems determined to let his play do the talking. From the moment he decided to skip the Gold Cup, the pressure was put on his shoulders. Heading into this game, that pressure will be intense as he looks to show why he was right to take this summer to rest and recharge. Theoretically, he should be more than ready to go in this game, both physically and mentally.
"For me, in the past, when these types of things happened, we all make mistakes sometimes because we read situations in different ways," Pochettino said of the controversy. "The most important thing is, when you are intelligent people, we want to move on and do the right things. It's about being intelligent, and I think it's easier to understand and solve future problems.
"Like I said, this is in the past, and we can now see all of the different players. Of course, Christian is happy to be here, and he's an important player for us as we build our journey towards the World Cup."
For the USMNT, a superstar performance out of Pulisic would ease concerns. He wasn't as game-changing as many hoped he'd be during the Nations League in the spring and, with the U.S. needing just a single goal in that loss to Panama, Pulisic was relatively anonymous. That happens, of course, even to the very best, but, when it does, the best tend to respond.
How does Pulisic manage that? There's a fine line between stepping up and trying too hard, and finding that line will be key for him not just in this game, but in the matches to come. This game, this first since the Gold Cup, represents a significant opportunity for the AC Milan winger.
"It's been the same as it was in March," said midfielder Jack McGlynn. "I think he's the same kind of leader. He's an amazing player, a great guy off the field, always trying to make conversation. He's just a great guy."
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Scouting Sonny
Son Heung-Min won't be any sort of mystery to the USMNT. Pochettino coached him for years at Spurs, so he'll know exactly the type of opponent the U.S. will have to contain on Saturday. That doesn't mean they'll be contain him, though. Few in the world can.
The South Korean star, admittedly, isn't the player that Pochettino helped turn into a world-class winger. Now 33 and having moved from Tottenham to LAFC, Son has likely lost a step. But as South Korea's talisman up top, he remains extremely dangerous. When facing Korea, the first point in the game plan no doubt reads "Stop Son."
"He's obviously a top player," said Tyler Adams. "I've had the opportunity to play against him on numerous occasions with Tottenham. We know the quality that he possesses and he's one of those players who can change a game in an instant. I think the impact of going to MLS is huge for the league, the growth of the sport and bringing fans to the U.S. from all over the place. He's a global brand and a global player. He's highly talented and we're going to try and minimize it on Saturday."
Easier said than done. It remains to be seen if Son lines up out on the left, which would make him Sergino Dest or Alex Freeman's problem, or down the middle against two Premier League veterans in Tim Ream and Chris Richards. No matter where, though, he's the first guy you have to watch. He has a supporting cast, sure, but Son will give the USMNT a challenge unlike any they've faced this year.
Again, Pochettino knows that better than anyone.
"It's going to be an amazing opportunity to see each other, " Pochettino said. "We really love each other. He was one of the most important players in my period at Tottenham. I was always chasing him. When I was with Southampton, I tried to sign him, but he moved to Leverkusen. And then, when I was at Tottenham, I chased him again and convinced him. I think now, after 10 years, he is one of the best players in the world. An amazing player and an amazing person. Unbelievable."
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Gold Cup vibes
All summer, the USMNT's Gold Cup squad talked about chemistry . A brotherhood was being built and a culture was being refined. The hope, then, was that the culture would extend into the fall, when some of the missing veterans return to the squad.
And here we are. Exactly half of the 24-man squad assembled is from this summer's Gold Cup. The other half, of course, isn't. How does it mesh? Does culture carry over and, more importantly, does on-field performance?
"We have a culture that's very hard to change," said winger Tim Weah. "Even when you're out, like myself, I was following and making sure I was with everyone so that, when I'm back, I'm on that same line with them and in that same culture. I think we're building off of that. The group is looking lovely right now. The quality of training has been amazing."
Culture is important, but ultimately, this is about results. How does Pochettino achieve them? Does he stick with some of the Gold Cup players, looking to set a tone and send a reminder to the rest of the pool that hard work will be rewarded? Or does he lean on his returning stars, who are, ultimately, the guys that will be leading the charge next summer?
It's a balancing act, one that Pochettino is navigating this window. It makes his lineup decisions all the more interesting as he, essentially, looks to combine squads for these two matches.
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The striker situation
It looked as if this camp would be the one for Josh Sargent. Joined by just Damion Downs as striker options, Sargent seemed to be the No. 9. Then Folarin Balogun was called in, turning this camp into a big-time competition.
Both Sargent and Balogun have points to prove. Sargent, fantastic on the club level, has struggled to score for the USMNT. He's failed to do so since 2019. That drought has hung over all of the success he's had at Norwich City and, heading into this camp, he knows the narrative. He also knows how important it is to change it.
"I completely understand it," Sargent told GOAL in an interview at USMNT camp. "Fans are like, 'He's doing so well at the club, but why isn't he scoring here? It doesn't make sense!' Clearly, I'm doing my best. I want to score here. I think I just care so much sometimes that I overthink it a bit too much. Obviously, it's a goal of mine to be the striker for this team and I want to do the best I can here. I want to score goals here and help this team.
"Maybe it's just about relaxing and believing in myself a little bit more. It'll happen. I do believe. I know I can score goals and I know it'll happen. It's just a matter of time, so I'll just try not to put so much pressure on myself."
Balogun, meanwhile, has largely been absent due to injury. He has yet to appear under Pochettino, making these upcoming matches his potential debuts for the new coach. Having already watched Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang largely take their chances, Balogn is now desperate to seize his and show why he could be the No. 9.
“With Mauricio coming in, the objective was clear: that he wanted to bring the group forward," Balogun said this week. "So as players, it's no surprise for us to be competing for places and positions. I think it's something we've done all our careers. Everyone wants to make an impression. That's just natural. With such a big competition coming in 10 months, it’s important to leave your mark.”
Downs, too, will be looking to do the same, having earned his first USMNT caps at the Gold Cup this summer. The pool, at the moment, is crowded and, for the three in camp, the South Korea match is a chance to stand out against a legitimate World Cup opponent.