USMNT have something special brewing at FIFA World Cup | OneFootball

By Alejandro Bedoya

I've said it before, and I’ll stand by it: I'm a little jealous about what this USA team is experiencing. These guys are playing in a World Cup on home soil!

For any soccer player, the World Cup is the pinnacle. It's the biggest stage in the sport. But when it unfolds in your own country, that experience takes on another level. The support pushes you to dig deeper and gives you more confidence. You want to reward the fans and feed off that energy.

That’s what I’ve enjoyed most about traveling around while covering the US for Telemundo: seeing the fan excitement.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be in Los Angeles and Seattle, to visit these incredible stadiums and experience the buildup around the matches. I love walking through the Fan Fest areas, checking out watch parties and seeing the excitement grow as kickoff approaches.

That was especially true in Seattle, maybe even more than Los Angeles, because everything is so concentrated downtown and you could really feel it. You walk from the stadium to the waterfront, and you see American fans everywhere. And what struck me most was where people were coming from. I stopped and talked to fans from Maine, Florida, Texas and California. I even met a group that had traveled from North Dakota!

That's pretty cool, and it’s one of the beautiful things about hosting a World Cup. The sport enters the mainstream conversation in a way it rarely does. More people are paying attention. More people are invested.

Playing for each other

Yes, I'm a player. But I'm a fan of the game first, and I really think there's something special brewing with this team. You can sense the unity. You can feel the camaraderie these players have with one another. As a player, that's something you immediately recognize.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, I thought we had a very special group. But from the outside looking in, this team somehow seems even closer, even more tight-knit. That matters, and it affects the way players compete for one another. It affects the sacrifices they're willing to make for each other on the field.

It translates into on-field performances, and I’ve been especially impressed with the team’s counter-pressing. We all know Mauricio Pochettino is a demanding coach. He asks for a high level of intensity and aggressiveness from his teams. People always want to talk about tactics – formations, systems, all of that stuff – but one thing that's always been central to his philosophy is building a culture where players leave everything out on the field.

For me, that's been the key to this team playing so well. Their ability to swarm opponents as soon as they receive the ball, anticipate plays and win possession back as quickly as possible has been one of the biggest reasons for their success. Every time they lose the ball, there's an immediate reaction to go get it back. That's been awesome to watch.

Defending starts at the top. People think about defenders when they talk about defending, but it begins with the strikers. I've been really impressed with Flo Balogun. If you go back and watch that first game, his willingness to track back, put defenders under pressure and help win the ball back was outstanding. Ricardo Pepi did the same thing against Australia. Those two strikers have worked really well together in setting the tone defensively.

Then, in possession, what has impressed me most is the fluidity of their movement.

It’s been so difficult for opponents to deal with players like Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie making runs from midfield into the space behind the defense. Those runs stretch teams and force defenders into tough decisions. Sometimes it's not even about receiving the ball yourself. We call them decoy runs or sacrificial runs. You make the run to pull defenders away and create space for somebody else. Maybe that opens a lane for Sergiño Dest or Antonee Robinson to drive inside. Maybe it creates room for one of the forwards to operate.

That's what I loved about the first game vs. Paraguay. You could see there was a lot of freedom within the attack. The movement off the ball was dynamic, and the players seemed to have a real understanding of where the spaces would open up. That freedom has helped them become more dangerous in possession and allowed guys to express themselves a little more.

Test vs. Türkiye

It’s all set up the USMNT for a final Group D game against Türkiye on Thursday in Los Angeles (10 pm ET | FOX, Telemundo, Peacock). They have the luxury of already winning the group, courtesy of a 4-1 win over Paraguay and a 2-0 win over Australia. That’s alleviated some of the pressure as the Group Stage winds down, and it’s raised questions about how much Pochettino rotates the team.

Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Flo Balogun are all on yellows. From that group, I would consider resting Adams, Richards and Robinson. Defenders are naturally more likely to pick up another booking because they're constantly involved in tackles and duels. At the same time, I'm a big believer in momentum and continuity.

One thing that's different about this World Cup, because of the expanded format, is that there are more rest days than usual. There's more recovery time between matches, so physically, the players should be in a good place. Because of that, I wouldn't make wholesale changes. I'd keep as much continuity as possible while protecting players who are at risk of suspension.

I also wouldn't play Christian Pulisic. I'd use this opportunity to let him fully recover from his calf injury. He's been around the game long enough. He's a professional. I'm not worried about his sharpness or his form. If anything, that first half against Paraguay reminded everyone that he's still the most important player on this team.

Give Pulisic another week to get back to full strength. The last thing you want is for him to aggravate it and then miss the knockout rounds.

And then Balogun, I'd keep him involved. He's playing too well to completely take him out of the rhythm he's found. Maybe he doesn't need to play 90 minutes. Maybe he only plays a half. But I'd like to see him maintain that momentum.

Making believers

Quickly, the uncertainty surrounding the USMNT before the tournament has faded. They've put together two very, very good performances. Now, Paraguay and Australia were opponents that most expected the US to beat. But the manner in which they've won has really impressed people, and we’re seeing this team win over a lot of fans.

If they take care of business against Türkiye, it only adds to the momentum for the knockout rounds. Then, you’re waiting to see who you get in the Round of 32 and mapping out the bracket.

Fans have the right to start dreaming big. I can’t wait to see what this group accomplishes in the weeks ahead.

Why the 2026 World Cup feels different for USMNT