The United States men's national team roster is locked in. Emails have been sent, WhatsApp videos have circulated, and with two friendlies on the horizon, Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup campaign shifts from preparation into something far more tangible.
The road ahead includes matches against Senegal on Sunday in Charlotte and Germany on June 6 in Chicago. But don't expect the manager to deploy his full first-choice lineup in both games. Pochettino has been circumspect about his plans, telling reporters Thursday that while he's had his starting XI in mind since March, watching players train can change his thinking. More importantly, he has no incentive to tip his entire hand before the group stage opener against Paraguay on June 12.
The timing matters because these friendlies serve dual purposes: they're crucial for building momentum and testing rotations. For a squad that bypassed qualifying entirely by virtue of co-hosting the tournament, these are among the last chances to answer lingering questions.
Breaking the Pulisic spell
The most pressing puzzle is Christian Pulisic's scoring drought. The Milan winger hasn't found the net in 1,164 consecutive minutes across club and country since January 1. That's six shots without a goal in the USMNT's March friendlies, and 38 blank attempts for AC Milan before that. He's approaching 13 full matches without a goal.
Pochettino has dabbled with unconventional deployments. Last time out, he moved Pulisic to center forward in the Portugal match, yanking him at halftime after a disappointing performance. That experiment shouldn't be repeated.
The good news is Pulisic has a natural home. He's scored 32 of his international goals playing left wing, and since joining Milan, he's thrived as a right-sided attacking midfielder where he gets cleaner looks without needing elaborate setup play. Pochettino's system accommodates both roles comfortably. A goal against Senegal could help reset his confidence before the tournament proper. If he delivers, rest becomes the priority.
Alex Freeman presents a different kind of puzzle. US Soccer's squad list included 10 defenders, sparking speculation about a three-center-back formation. The reality is more fluid. Pochettino switches between a back four and a back three depending on the situation, using the same defensive personnel in both shapes.
The exception is Freeman. The uncapped defender a year ago has become one of Pochettino's trusted options, appearing in all eight post-Gold Cup friendlies. At the Gold Cup last summer, Freeman worked the overlap on the right side. He's also proven dependable in transition. The question these friendlies must answer: is he Sergio Dest's understudy at right wing-back, or is he being groomed as another wide center-back option that could squeeze Joe Scally's minutes?
Freeman started three of Villareal's final La Liga matches at right-back and arrives in good form. How Pochettino uses him will signal his depth chart thinking.
Who steps in when the game is tight?
The expanded 26-man World Cup squad creates room for specialists who won't log 90 minutes. These friendlies should reveal who's primed as a super-sub.
Gio Reyna is the obvious candidate. His summer move to Borussia Monchengladbach hasn't unlocked playing time. He's managed just 520 Bundesliga minutes across 19 games, barely more than his 350 minutes at Dortmund last season. His last season exceeding 625 minutes came in 2020-21 when he shared the field with Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho. In a tournament with 32 teams in the group stage, Reyna could potentially see more minutes in a quarter-final run than he will in his club season. More likely, he's a go-to option off the bench against tired defenses.
Striker is another spot to monitor. Folarin Balogun should start when available, bringing quick-turn-and-shoot accuracy and transition pace. Without Patrick Agyemang, who logged the most striker minutes under Pochettino before an Achilles injury derailed his World Cup hopes, the backup role falls to Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright.
Wright has been the busier option recently, logging 132 minutes after the Gold Cup compared to Pepi's 37, though Pepi's pressing created a goal against Belgium. Wright carries seven goals from 20 caps. Pepi has 13 international goals from 35 appearances. Neither is unproven. A timely goal or consistent buildup work in these games could determine who gets the early-game trust when it matters most.
Author James Rodriguez: "These aren't just warmups anymore. For a team that didn't earn its way here through qualifying, these friendlies are the difference between walking in sharp and walking in hoping things click."
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