U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) coach Mauricio Pochettino singled out a glut of fringe players who have staked a strong claim to be included in the roster for the 2026 World Cup.
In the nation’s first outing since losing the Gold Cup final to Mexico, Pochettino oversaw a pair of friendlies against South Korea and Japan. The USMNT were worrying disjointed in a 2–0 defeat to Son Heung-min’s side before delivering a much-improved display against Japan.
A dramatic change of formation to 3-4-2-1 inspired a far more cohesive performance which earned the World Cup co-hosts a deserved 2–0 win. Pochettino cooled tensions with Christian Pulisic to reintegrate the team’s undisputed talisman, but this switch in system saw four lower profile figures shine.






