The USMNT are playing some of their best soccer under Pochettino, but the focus stays on the bigger picture as Uruguay offers their toughest test yet on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
TAMPA, Fla. – Vibes are high around the U.S. Men's National Team – and rightly so. Saturday’s win over Paraguay capped a run of three wins in four, the kind of stretch that finally makes Pochettino’s months of “trust the plan” messaging feel real. For the first time in a while, the U.S. look like a team with purpose. Things are, at long last, falling into place.
But Pochettino didn’t craft this plan to peak in a November friendly. He built it for the World Cup. These results are encouraging, sure, but they only represent a small step toward where the U.S. need to be. Even as this group carries real momentum into a showdown with Uruguay, Pochettino is clear: the blueprint stays the course — praise, criticism, and everything in between.
"Now, we are adapting," Pochettino said Monday. "We need to improve a lot. It's not that we are now so good and we are now so happy. No, I think that we have settled. We are changing the mindset, and I think that is working and, for sure, we're going to have time to arrive at the World Cup in the best condition."
Pochettino, funnily enough, continued the wave metaphor on his own.
"You keep going with the project, because it's not easy to change in the middle of it," he said. "You don't change the captain in the middle of the storm. No, you give confidence."
With that confidence, the U.S. are now preparing to face Uruguay, one of the toughest opponents on their schedule. Yes, this fall has been a gauntlet of World Cup-bound teams: South Korea, Japan, Ecuador, Australia, and most recently, Paraguay. Uruguay, though, are a different beast.
"Games are games, and we saw their game in Mexico," Pochettino said. "It was a tight game again between two very good teams. For us, it's another challenge, completely different from Paraguay. It's a good challenge…. All of these teams were playing qualification now, and it's a moment for them to try different things or give an opportunity for different players. We are not playing official games. In the last year, everyone says we've been playing friendly games, but they're not for us."
GOAL takes a look at five keys to Tuesday's match against
Getty ImagesCan Gio go again?
Following the win over Paraguay, Reyna said he was somewhere between "80-85 percent" when asked about his fitness. What does that mean, then, for this game? Is he in a position to play more minutes against Uruguay?
Realistically, it’s unlikely Reyna will play a big role. Given his workload not just over the last few months but the last few years, it would seem a bit risky to start him again, given the turnaround. Managing his workload is key, and overworking him could have major consequences. Because of that, the best move would likely be to give Reyna a cameo, if anything.
So what does that leave? In the attacking midfield spots, Pochettino could turn to Real Salt Lake's Diego Luna, who did well off the bench last game. He could stick with Brenden Aaronson, who, after going through English soccer's meatgrinder, isn't a stranger to short turnarounds. Or he could roll with two strikers, putting either Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright into the fray. There are options there.
Speaking of strikers…
AdvertisementGettyThe No. 9 spot
Folarin Balogun has now scored in three consecutive USMNT starts – will he get a chance to make it four on Tuesday?
Balogun is one of three strikers in the USMNT camp alongside Haji Wright and Ricardo Pepi. What was once a significant weakness for this USMNT is now a significant strength as Pochettino now has three strikers at his disposal with legitimate arguments to start. All three are scoring goals in recent appearances for club and country, so choosing between them isn't particularly easy.
Pochettino has generally rotated, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see a name other than Balogun on the team sheet. Pepi, though, is still building fitness, which is something Pochettino pointed out ahead of the Paraguay game. That didn't stop him from featuring in that game, although he did end up missing a chance that, when fit, he'd bury 100 times out of 100.
As for Wright, he's been the Championship's best striker and is coming off two goals against Australia. He, too, will feel like he's made a good argument to start this game, which will be a significant test and a significant chance to prove himself.
Whoever plays will have to face off with some wily veteran defenders in the Uruguay team, with the team starting Athletico Madrid's José María Giménez and Flamengo's Guillermo Varela against Mexico on Saturday. Because of that, it's the type of match that could see one of these three really shake up the striker picture with a goal or two.
Getty Images SportRevenge game, or just a big test?
Uruguay weren't the reason that the USMNT went out at the Copa America, but they were the final nail in the coffin. That loss doomed the U.S., and the Gregg Berhalter era, last summer, effectively kickstarting the Pochettino era.
So, for those still in the squad, this might feel like something of a revenge game. At the very least, it is a chance to compete against one of the better teams out there.
In the latest FIFA rankings, Uruguay sit 15th in the world, with the USMNT just one spot behind them and in a strong run of form. For those who weren’t part of last summer’s Copa América squad, this still offers a clear measuring stick – a chance to test themselves against a top-tier opponent they could easily see again in a future tournament.
This Uruguay team, like the USMNT, will be missing some key players. Darwin Nunez, Federico Valverde, and Lucas Torreira, all mainstays, are among those out. There are, though, familiar faces, players like Manchester United's Manuel Ugarte, Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur, Gimenez, and Barcelona's Ronald Araujo. This is, unquestionably, a talented team, one managed by an all-time great in Marcelo Bielsa that Pochettino knows well. Tanner Tessmann, who wasn't on last year's Copa America team, is eager to see how the U.S. line up against one of the world's best.
"Ball's ball," said Tessmann. "Playing against everybody, at the end of the day, you have to play to a certain standard, no matter who you're playing against. I've had big wins, but I've had big losses against teams that we should have never lost to, and it's because we didn't go out and compete and play to a certain standard.
"I think the United States can play with any national team and play against anybody, and I think a lot of players in their club teams do the same. They play against top teams and top players, so I think it's just about knowing that you have to bring a certain standard and play against whoever's in front of you."
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Getty Images SportThe Bielsa effect
Bielsa is a legendary figure in the sport – so much so that Pochettino is among the many Argentines who idolize him. The USMNT boss played under Uruguay’s current manager at Newell’s Old Boys from 1990 to 1992, and that admiration has endured ever since.
"I know what it means to play for him and I know what it means to play against him," Pochettino said. "It's going to be tough, for sure. It's going to be a game that is going to be really tough, but at the same time, I want to enjoy it because it's a possibility to see and share time.
"When I was 30 or 35, I don't know who could have told me that I was going to face Marcelo Bielsa with the USA and Uruguay. I think it's fantastic. In some ways, we are going to suffer [in Tuesday's match], but in some ways, we are going to enjoy."
For those unfamiliar with Bielsa, it's important to note that he's nicknamed 'El Loco' for a reason. He's a meticulous planner, one who drives a culture of preparation and, ultimately, loyalty. His teams are always difficult to play against, and when you combine that with the famous Uruguayan spirit, you have a national team that will always fight for every inch.
How will the U.S. combat that? Given their own penchant for scrapping recently, it's clear they won't back down from the challenge. It'll be a fun clash, then, between Bielsa and Pochettino, two of the finest managers Argentina has ever produced.