SEATTLE — It’s a position that the U.S. men’s national team could scarcely dream about heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After winning its first two matches, the USMNT has already qualified for the knockout stages and clinched the top spot in Group D. When the Americans face Türkiye, which is already eliminated, in their final group stage match, the game will have no bearing on the group standings or the USMNT’s opponents in the round of 32.
So, if you’re U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, how do you approach the match? Do you make wholesale changes and give playing time to those who have seen little of it in the World Cup? Or do you stick to the same core group to maintain consistency?
Granted, Pochettino has never coached a game that he didn’t want to win. At his postgame news conference Friday, he made that much clear, insisting that his side needed to maintain its momentum from the first two matches.
“We need to go for the next one and to be sure that we are going to arrive in good condition, like we arrive in the last two games,” he said.
To be clear, that was said before Paraguay’s 1-0 over Türkiye, a result that guaranteed the Crescent-Stars can’t advance in the tournament and ensured the U.S. would win Group D. The U.S. players were saying much the same.
But it’s up to Pochettino to think about the big picture, and logic dictates that he will shade things more toward almost a completely different lineup.
There are four U.S. players — midfielder Tyler Adams, forward Folarin Balogun, defender Chris Richards and left back Antonee Robinson — who have yellow cards. If they were to pick up another against Türkiye, they would be suspended for the USMNT’s round of 32 match July 1.
Yellow cards are erased after the group stage. Until the knockout round begins, however, another yellow card is a risk.
For those reasons, it would be coaching malpractice for Pochettino to take that risk and put them on the field in a match with nonexistent stakes.
That points toward players such as Cristian Roldan, Mark McKenzie and Max Arfsten getting on the field, while Ricardo Pepi keeps his spot, this time as a lone striker.
“The versatility of this team is insane, to be honest, because there’s guys that aren’t playing right now that can play a major role as well. Do you know what I mean?” Adams told reporters Friday. “That’s obviously a sign of guys playing well when other guys aren’t getting that opportunity necessarily. But it also just shows the willingness of the group to be able to step in.”
2:03
Can USMNT go all the way in the World Cup?
A slightly different calculus involves Christian Pulisic. The AC Milan attacker sat out the match against Australia because of a left calf injury. There will no doubt be a temptation to put Pulisic on the field to help him regain some match sharpness ahead of the round of 32.
He doesn’t need to start the match. Pulisic could come on for a cameo just to get him some game action.
But the risk isn’t worth it. The good vibes are flowing now, and to keep them going, it’s imperative that the U.S. be at its healthiest when the knockout stages start.
The USMNT can’t trip up at the first knockout round hurdle, which would evaporate the feel-good factor the USMNT has generated at this World Cup. Resting Pulisic will maximize the team’s odds of success.
About the only usual starter who arguably should keep his spot is goalkeeper Matt Freese. He started the first two games of this tournament, but that’s still two fewer World Cup appearances than presumed backup Matt Turner has in his career. Freese could benefit from a little more World Cup experience.
The rest of the lineup should be rested, including midfielders Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie, winger Sergiño Dest, as well as defenders Tim Ream and Alex Freeman.
Not only can Pochettino put a competitive lineup on the field, but there will also likely come a time during the knockout stage when Pochettino will need one of his bench players to make an instant impact.
That is more likely to happen if players such as Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna, Tim Weah and Alejandro Zendejas have some playing time. Ditto for players such as Joe Scally and Auston Trusty, who both made late cameos last Friday.
Sebastian Berhalter, a likely replacement for McKennie, has gotten a bit more playing time, but similar to Freese, could benefit from more World Cup experience.
One of the memorable sights of this World Cup so far is the players’ exuberance on the bench. Goal celebrations have become a 26-man scrum. Now, it’s time for some role reversals, while maintaining the positive vibes.
“I think the camaraderie of the group is really, really strong right now. And we have a sense of belief, which is important,” Adams said.
For now, that’s the case no matter who is on the field.
