COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The U.S. mens national soccer team closed camp here Tuesday night with another encouraging performance and with another striker making a persuasive argument for playing time at the World Cup.
It ended with 17 players receiving starting assignments across two matches and coach Mauricio Pochettinos tactical approach taking hold. Injuries to four players dealt a setback to his plans but opened opportunities for others.
It featured a team growing in confidence, forging partnerships and building strong bonds off the field over the nine days in the stubborn heat of Texas and the welcoming autumn of Colorado.
And as the delegation boarded the team bus following the 2-1 comeback victory over Australia, there was a burgeoning sense that, after a wobbly year, things are beginning to fall into place eight months before the World Cup comes to North America.
Lets take a look at the winners and losers from this nine-day assembly:
After Balogun scored the equalizer against Ecuador and flashed dangerous attacking skills throughout the match Wright topped him with two crisp finishes against Australia. A strikers form will come and go in club competition, but at this juncture, the top two slots on the depth chart are undeniable. Balogun should be No. 1, followed by Wright, who is on a stunning tear: His eight goals in nine matches are first in the English Championship for first-place Coventry City and his two authoritative goals Tuesday came in an 18-minute span.
Patrick Agyemang, who this summer made the leap from MLS to the English Championship, did not get into either U.S. match. Balogun and Wrights performances also spelled trouble for Josh Sargent, who wasnt invited to his camp and, even if he were to pick up the scoring pace at Englands Norwich City, he doesnt seem to be in Pochettinos plans after going five years without an international goal. Dutch-based Ricardo Pepi is also running out of time.
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Until early June, the New York City FC goalkeeper had never played for the national team. He is now on pace to start at the World Cup. The Harvard grad has been in the lineup in 10 straight and 11 of 12 U.S. matches. Hes still acclimating to the international game but seems to have gained the trust of his defenders and his coach. With Freese atop his list, Pochettino recognizes the need to get him as much experience as possible before next summer.
Freeses rise has come at the expense of Turner, who started the 2022 World Cup and returned to MLS this summer to regain his rhythm after playing sparingly in England. Turners experience will keep him on Freeses heels, but at the moment, he is No. 2 at best. And with his MLS team, the New England Revolution, failing to make the playoffs, Turner will go several months without a competitive club match.
With Tyler Adams and Johnny Cardoso unavailable this camp, the 30-year-old defensive midfielder seized his opportunity Tuesday, compensating for his misstep on Australias goal to assist on Wrights tallies. Well-respected for his leadership and camaraderie, Roldan needed to show he is more than a good teammate and locker-room presence.
Pulisics camp was a bust, thanks to an ankle injury that limited him to 17 minutes against Ecuador and a hamstring ailment that drove him from the Australia match in the first half. The latter injury threatens to interrupt his splendid AC Milan campaign. Should he miss extended time in Italy, Pulisic might not be ready for the November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay. After that camp, the U.S. team will not regroup again until late March for the last set of friendlies before the World Cup roster is selected.
Pochettino has used the year to evaluate not only his players, but how they function in his system. Recognizing his team is best suited with three center backs and two wing backs instead of a traditional four-man backline, he began implementing that formation in earnest last month and used it almost exclusively this month. Chris Richards anchored the trio, while Miles Robinson showed well on one side in both starts and Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie logged starts on the other. Curiously, Cameron Carter-Vickers did not play at all. Tim Weah, a forward at the last World Cup, seems comfortable attacking as a wing back on either side.
Aside from Pulisics setback, winger Alex Zendejas left camp without playing a minute because of a knee injury and left back Antonee Robinson continued to have knee problems, extending his absence from the U.S. lineup to almost a year. Midfielder Malik Tillman, who performed well against Ecuador, didnt play Tuesday because of a hamstring issue. Right back Sergiño Dest might return next month.
In the first game, Pochettino paired Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris in defensive midfield and Tillman and Weston McKennie in attacking roles. In the second, he used Roldan and James Sands in defense and McKennie and Pulisic in the attack. Tessmann and Morris were happy to return to the fold after considerable absences. In a more advanced role than usual, McKennie enjoyed the freedom to find space.
It remains unclear why the team was sent to Texas for training camp and one match, then headed to the thin air and cool weather for a game in Denver. (The U.S. team will not play at altitude at the World Cup.) Pochettino wasnt thrilled about the schedule, saying the temperature difference played a part in Tillmans injury before the Australia game and might have affected Pulisic.
Its a massive risk, Pochettino said. That is a thing we need to fix for the future.