How to Save Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT | OneFootball

After the USMNT put in two more stinkers in a long line of dead performances just before the 2025 Gold Cup, we take a look at who can be Mauricio Pochettino’s backbone heading into the World Cup, and how to finally get those pieces to play together in the lead-up to the tournament.

Things could not be more negative around the United States men’s national team. A year out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, morale, expectations, and interest in the team are at an all-time low. The recent friendlies, leading up to a CONCACAF Gold Cup in which Mauricio Pochettino will field a third-string team, have done little to help the program. The USMNT lost both games and was embarrassed by Switzerland, conceding four goals in the first half.

To make matters worse, the public relations nightmare surrounding the absence of star player Christian Pulisic from the roster has only become murkier. The AC Milan winger stated on the Call It What You Want podcast that he wanted to play in the friendlies but skip the Gold Cup due to fatigue from a long European season. However, Pochettino insisted on going with one roster for both the friendlies and the tournament.

Whatever the dumpster fire that has led to the sad state of the USMNT and the U.S. Soccer program in general, one thing is for certain: all parties involved must turn things around. It’s time to stop handing out caps to players who don’t deserve them, and it’s time for the players who can serve as the main backbone of the team to lead by example.

Here is the backbone of the USMNT. These are the players Pochettino needs to build around, because the notion that this team has 20 or 30 international-level players is now clearly an afterthought. These are the players who need to step up in order to save this program and finally make this national team live up to all their undeserved hype.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Backbone

With the goalkeeper position as open as it’s ever been, everything now depends on having a solid defense. Especially as opponents become better and harder to beat, the U.S. may need to revert to their old bunker-down tactics. The defense, which has never been steady since the “Golden Generation” began their time on the USMNT, will need to hold firm.

Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson will be major pieces on both the attacking and defensive ends. With Jedi being a bit more solid in defense, Dest’s defensive skills were steadily improving at PSV until his ACL injury. The wing backs will be key to the team’s success come the summer of 2026.

Chris Richards must become the leader of the backline. Richards is the U.S. defender who has improved the most over the last two seasons. While his defensive partner remains a mystery, Richards needs to continue honing his skills and become a more vocal presence at the back.

In the midfield, Tyler Adams should become the full-time captain of the team—based on merit and his natural leadership on the field. Weston McKennie must also bring his Juventus form to the national team. McKennie is an outstanding player who hasn’t performed well for the U.S. since the Copa América. His box-to-box attributes are second to none in Serie A, and he should realistically be one of the top three players in all of CONCACAF.

On the wings, it’s a no-brainer: Pulisic and Tim Weah. Pulisic is a prime-time player who has never shied away from the big moment or the big chance. But can he bring those attributes against truly elite opponents? Maybe the best American player of all time, Pulisic has scored plenty against Mexico, and goals against Brazil, Germany, and one World Cup strike against Iran. Those are his only goals against top-tier nations or in World Cup competition.

Then we truly focus on the USMNT’s ace in the hole. After trying various No. 9s and different strikers, can the spotlight finally shine on Ricardo Pepi? Pepi has an impressive strike rate, especially given his off-the-bench contributions at PSV. For the USMNT, Pepi saved Gregg Berhalter’s job on more than one occasion with his goals.

A striker who can find the net off the bench, as a starter, or in the run of play, the team needs to build around a player with a proven track record like Pepi. While many pundits focus on the attributes of Folarin Balogun, it’s Pepi who simply has the killer instinct more suited to this national team than any other striker in the pool.

Pepi lives and dies for goals. Not hold-up play, goals. And Pulisic, Weah, and company need to be able to play off a striker who poses a real threat.

Wildcards

With the backbone in place, the USMNT is not short on a few wildcards. Diego Luna has emerged as a Pochettino guy and has been the lone bright spot during a four-game losing streak.

Malik Tillman has shown improvement when playing for the USMNT, but he has yet to deliver a truly meaningful performance.

Then there’s Gio Reyna. It’s truly up to Reyna to play his way back onto the national team. If he lives up to his potential, he’s a starter — hands down.

And that’s it. No more depth charts, no more swiping, mixing, and matching. These are the main guys to help move the USMNT as far as they can in the 2026 World Cup.

The rest of the players are fighting for roster spots and should be viewed as filler or role players. Can they help the cause? Yes. Are they major solutions? Players like Tanner Tessmann, Gianluca Busio, and Brian White are there to support, not to lead. The leaders have been identified.

Now all they need to do is get on the same page as Pochettino, stop making excuses, and actually play together.

Easier said than done in the zany world of U.S. Soccer.