USMNT stock watch: Berhalter, Freeman surge after Uruguay rout | OneFootball

By Matthew Doyle

If there’s one thing US men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has accomplished during his 14 months in charge, it’s this: he’s made the player pool feel bigger without making it feel softer.

For years, the conversation around the USMNT has been about marrying the perceived top-end talent – the Badge FC guys – to the perceived classic ethos of grit ‘n’ grind. But the actual on-field product rarely matched the theoretical upside. Too often, the US looked like a team waiting to be something instead of actually… being something.

That’s what’s changed over the last five-and-a-half friendlies as the US finally pulled themselves out of a year-long malaise, and what was certainly the defining characteristic of this window’s wins over Paraguay and Uruguay. Beating Paraguay was nice, especially with the way the US literally out-fought them at the end of that one on Saturday. Rinsing Uruguay, though? With a US lineup that had maaaaybe three of the likely 2026 FIFA World Cup starters in the XI? That was the kind of performance you circle and revisit in six months when you’re trying to understand where the inflection point was.

Across both games, what stood out wasn’t just that everyone showed up, but that almost everyone showed up willing to scrap. It was gritty, it was physical, it was Uruguay committing a handful of “this actually is not a friendly” fouls in the first 10 minutes (just like Australia did last window, it should be noted). It was the US answering back instead of wilting.

Boil it all down to its essence, and what we’re talking about here is culture. And that’s not a surprise because Pochettino has been talking about culture – both obliquely and at length, depending upon the day – basically from the moment he got the job.

Part of that culture is being up for the scrap. Another part is making it clear that if the 40th guy in the pool scraps, he’s not going to be 40th for much longer. And another part is letting the Badge FC guys know they’d better bring the same type of xDAWG in March if they want to be on the roster in June:

So now, with five unbeaten against World Cup competition, a run that culminated in a record win over a top-15 team, Pochettino’s got himself a healthy problem: the depth is real. Across defense, midfield, and attack, he’s got options where, three months ago, he had only questions.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST…

Ok, a quick little tactical refresher:

I wanted to note that in an easily digestible format because I think there’s been some confusion about how exactly the US play and what the roles are.

This was exacerbated by the fact that it seemed like the US were playing more four at the back against Uruguay than Paraguay, or against Australia and Ecuador last month. But that was just the game state playing out: the US had less of the ball on Saturday, so they were in that 4-2-3-1 mid-block shape much more often than we’ve seen since the Concacaf Gold Cup.

So don’t think of it as a tactical change. Think of it, instead, as the system’s flexible core principles playing out in real time.

Ok, in we go:

STOCK WAY UP

Alex Freeman

Defender · United States

We’ll start with Freeman, who had his first two USMNT goals – one a towering back-post header, one a mazy run through the defense that would’ve done prime Franck Ribéry proud – against Uruguay, and very likely has moved himself into “roster lock” territory.

It’s not just that performance, or the other strong ones he’s logged this year, but also the positional and tactical flexibility he’s shown throughout 2025. Freeman is an attacking fullback first and foremost in MLS, remember. He did not defend a whole ton for Orlando City.

For the US, he’s more often been that third center back in build-out and attacking play, only rarely playing his preferred club role. The fact that he can clearly do either job at a very high level… gang, barring some sort of catastrophe, his ticket’s punched.

Sebastian Berhalter

Midfielder · United States

I’d written Berhalter off after what I’d thought was a pretty bad 79 minutes against South Korea back in September. He then didn’t play in the next game against Japan, and wasn’t called for the October friendlies before subbing on for the final 10 minutes against Paraguay.

That, of course, meant he was on the field for the fight at the end of that game, when the whole Paraguay bench (more or less) jumped Freeman. Guess who was the first US player into the scrap to defend him?

I think that matters A LOT to Pochettino. And then Berhalter came out on Thursday and scored a Toni Kroos goal, once again showcasing his literally world-class set-piece delivery, and launched himself into one brave challenge after another until he finally drew a red card.

It was a brilliant all-around performance first as a No. 8 and then as a wide midfielder down the stretch. “Fearless vibes guy with elite set piece delivery” is a really nice player archetype to have at your disposal if you’re a coach.

Gio Reyna

Midfielder · United States

I wasn’t sure we’d see Reyna again this cycle, given his health history, his relative lack of form (or even playing time) with Borussia Mönchengladbach, and his off-field issues (which had clearly rubbed Poch the wrong way back in March).

So I was delighted when he was called in, and I am equally delighted that he had a hand in three goals (one goal, one assist, one he created but won’t get credited with an assist for) during his 105-ish minutes of action this week.

My stance on Reyna has never wavered: he’s the most talented guy in the pool, and maybe the most talented US player ever. Any team that intends to make a deep run needs someone who can elevate the players around him, and a healthy Reyna’s got the best chance to be that guy for the US.

For now, at least, he’s clearly back in the pool in a big way. Let’s hope his hamstrings stay intact and his head stays on straight for the next eight months.

STOCK DOWN

Ricardo Pepi

Forward · United States

We’ve all been waiting a long time for Pepi to get healthy and get his shot. When he got it, he took 87 touches and flubbed maybe the best chance of the entire window.

That is both a literal and a metaphorical thing that happened. And I think it says quite a bit about where Pochettino sees Pepi that the kid got just 15 minutes in this camp – his first in a year.

I don’t think the door’s entirely shut, but he’s got to win the starting job for PSV, and he’s got to stay healthy and score goals, and then he’s got to do the same when (if?) that March call-up comes. Because that’s Last Chance Saloon for real.

Joe Scally

Defender · United States

Scally doesn't move the ball as well as other options at his spot, and he doesn’t make up for it with especially noteworthy defensive chops.

Aidan Morris

Midfielder · United States

I don’t think Morris was bad, per se, and he’s certainly got the fight in him that Pochettino likes. But he got pretzeled pretty badly defending in space at the end of the Paraguay game, and then it was his sloppy play (along with the sloppy play of Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie, who both probably deserve a mention here as well) that let Uruguay come up for air near the end of the first half.

So it’s just a numbers game. Given what Cristian Roldan’s done over the past three camps, how effective Tyler Adams has generally been, what we’ve seen from the likes of Berhalter and Tanner Tessmann, and the incipient return (I hope) of Weston McKennie, I think Morris needed to show more. He needed a “Roldan vs. Australia” kind of performance and didn’t deliver.

OTHER STOCK RISERS

John Tolkin

Defender · United States

Tolkin had easily his best USMNT performance on Tuesday night, and with Jedi Robinson still out injured, the left back/wingback depth chart is… iffy behind Arfsten. There was a chance to make a mark here, and he took it.

Diego Luna

Midfielder · United States

Luna continues to solidify himself as a two-way asset, with his pressure (along with Roldan) leading to the game-winner against Paraguay, and then grabbing a goal of his own vs. Uruguay.

I still want to see him get cleaner on the ball – there’s definitely another level he can hit if he does that. But this was clearly a good camp for him.

Tanner Tessmann

Midfielder · United States

This was clearly a good camp for Tessmann as well, and I think it’s telling that he’s played in each of the past four friendlies, with two starts.

He brings a very different look from the rest of the central midfield group, and that clearly matters.

Sergiño Dest

Defender · United States

Dest was solid if unspectacular (save for a failed rabona early vs. Uruguay in the second half), and I think it’s fair to read into how he started both games.

'TIL NEXT TIME

Ok, that’s it for now. I’ll have more US thoughts as the 2025 MLS season comes to a close and we head into deep, dark winter.

Bottom line, though, is Pochettino has used this series of friendlies to ensure this team is about something no matter who’s on the field, and has made clear that when the perceived starters get back, they’d better be about it, too. Because if they’re not, the axe will fall.

One more camp to trim the roster before the big show next summer. Can’t wait to see who makes the cut in March.