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The competition for roster spots under new coach Mauricio Pochettino is officially underway for the US men’s national team, and this month’s important Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal match against Jamaica will offer several players the chance to impress.
The USMNT will be without several key players due to injury, including forwards Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent, while winger Timothy Weah will miss Thursday’s clash in Jamaica due to suspension. Those openings alone mean Pochettino will have big decisions to make in the home-and-away game against Jamaica, but the head coach has also expressed interest in some new tactical ideas that could produce two revamped lineups over the next week.
With preparation underway for the first leg of the quarterfinals on Thursday, here’s a look at the players whose stock could rise – or fall – against Jamaica.
ricardo pepi
Balogun may still have the starting job atop the USMNT, but without him and Sargent in the mix, the November games seem as good an opportunity as any for Ricardo Pepi to step up. Pepi has always been an inconsistent performer for club and country, but is in pretty good shape coming into camp. He has six goals in 15 games for PSV this season and scored in Pochettino’s first USMNT game, a 2-0 win over Panama last month, making him the de facto choice for both games against Jamaica. It feels like an ideal setup for Pepi to rise through the USMNT forward ranks, and it will be worth waiting to see if he seizes the moment.
Brandon Vazquez
Brandon Vazquez may have been a late invite to October camp, but he was arguably the most impressive fringe player in last month’s friendlies, especially as he outplayed Sargent in the USMNT’s 2-0 loss in Mexico. With several vacancies in the lineup this month, it will be worth seeing if Vázquez will earn more minutes this time around after playing just 27 minutes in October. It helps that Pochettino also values his tactical profile.
“I was very happy with him in Austin and in Mexico,” Pochettino said at a news conference on Sunday. “He suffered some problems during the camp and I think it’s true that maybe he didn’t play as much as we expected in Monterrey in the last month, but I think he has the profile to help us and I think I’m very happy. I’m very happy, even if he played a little against Mexico, but I think he can bring a different perspective to the game to the team. He is a player who can start from the beginning and then we can use different alternatives during the game. I really want to give him another chance… because I think his El. profile is different from that of any other forward.”
Joe Scally
Joe Scally has been the de facto starter since Sergino Dest tore his ACL in the spring and is one of only two natural full-backs on this month’s roster. However, Scally has yet to really impress while playing for the national team and the apparent lack of competition may not guarantee him a starting spot. Pochettino signaled on Sunday that he is willing to experiment with playing with others such as central defender Tim Ream and midfielder Yunus Musah in similar roles, highlighting the sport’s recent tactical trends and those players’ experience at club level. It creates a new level of competition for spots in defense over the next week, a period that could offer real conclusion to Scally’s current status with the USMNT.
Johnny Cardoso
Johnny Cardoso has long been Tyler Adams’ backup during an injury-plagued two-year period, but Cardoso’s own injury problems continue to get in the way. He will now get a first chance to work with Pochettino after missing the October camp, as he charts a fascinating upward trajectory at club level that could include a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. There could also be minutes up for grabs in midfield – Pochettino’s talk of full-backs suggests Musah could leave a spot open – but the new head coach isn’t exactly short of options. Pochettino gave plenty of minutes to Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio in his first games in charge, marking another competitive race for starting spots.
Matt Turner
Personnel changes are the expectation under new coaches, but few starting positions feel more uncertain than Matt Turner’s in goal. He started Pochettino’s first two games, but a series of lackluster performances, coupled with an inability to secure a starting spot at club level, have raised serious doubts over Turner’s longevity in the role. That’s especially true considering Pochettino’s comments in October that he values playing time over the perceived competitiveness of the team or league in which a player competes. The 30-year-old will have to prove that he is still up to the task despite sitting on the Crystal Palace bench. especially with heir apparent Patrick Schulte in the mix for the role.
