USMNT’s lack of depth is even greater for Mauricio Pochettino after Johnny Cardoso injury against Jamaica

The United States may have earned a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals on Thursday over Jamaica, but their depth has taken another hit. Already without Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent, Mauricio Pochettino will now have to make do without two more midfielders.

Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris suffered a knee injury in training that will keep him out of November’s matches during the international break, while Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso left the match against Jamaica with a tendon injury. the crook Cardoso was replaced by Malik Tillman during the match after natural midfielder Yunus Musah started the clash on the wing due to Tim Weah’s suspension for the first leg.

Unlike other players named here, Weah will be available for the second leg and considering the lack of depth the USMNT faces, his return will be welcome. The timing is unfortunate for Morris and Cardoso due to the lack of competitive games the USMNT will face in the coming years. Since they are the host country for the 2026 World Cup, the USMNT will not play in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, so playing in the Concacaf Nations League will be their best opportunity to play meaningful matches against top rivals. High-level friendlies will continue to be scheduled, but things are different when it comes to an official competition. The challenges are tougher, space is tougher to get, and results matter.

For young players who don’t have much experience at the USMNT’s senior levels, their performance in those moments is what can show Pochettino that he can trust them in key positions during the World Cup because he learns that a player doesn’t it’s ready. For bright lights at that point it’s too late. Without the duo, Pochettino will still need to define his midfield ahead of the return match against Jamaica in St. Louis on Monday, and here’s what it could look like.

Expected XI: Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Joe Scally, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Tim Weah

Tanner Tessmann was a surprise midfield inclusion from the first leg, and while he didn’t do much wrong during the match, returning to a more familiar pivot of Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah is good for a critical clash. Musah had to be moved to the wing and can sometimes lose the game when in open positions. One of the best one-on-one dribblers in the entire USMNT group, Musah is someone who needs the ball at his feet to make things happen. His final pass after a dribble may leave a lot to be desired, but these are things that will hopefully improve under a top manager like Pochettino.

In must-win games, Pochettino has to be able to call on players he trusts and Musah’s versatility is something that has seen him rise through the ranks. Next to him, you know what you’re going to get from McKennie and, like Christian Pulisic, he’s someone who when healthy has to play for what he can bring to the field. Malik Tillman is still trying to find his place with the USMNT, but with Jamaica needing a goal, the Reggae Boyz will have to move on. To take advantage of that you need a creative midfielder and without Reyna those are missing.

The 10 may be one of the weakest positions in the entire USMNT, but in games that require one, someone has to play there. This is where questions about when Diego Luna will get a chance start to grow, but at this stage, you can only go with the players on the roster and Tillman is the most creative of them.

Jamaica will be without Mason Holgate in defense for the second leg, providing more opportunities for a USMNT that only took six shots in the first leg. They were outplayed in xG by 1.62 to 0.88, but the penalty saved by Matt Turner was enough to make the difference. Upon returning home, they will want a more complete performance, but the beauty of a knockout competition is that you don’t win by style points, so simply advancing is enough.