The competition for roster spots under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is officially underway for the U.S. men’s national team, with this month’s pivotal Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal tie against Jamaica offering several players an opportunity to impress.
The USMNT will be without several key players through injury, including forwards Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent, while winger Timothy Weah will miss Thursday’s clash in Jamaica with suspension. Those openings alone mean Pochettino will have some big calls to make in the home-and-away tie against Jamaica, but the head coach has also expressed interest in some new tactical ideas that could produce two new-look 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 drop – against Jamaica.
Ricardo Pepi
Balogun may still have a hold on the USMNT’s starting spot up top but without him and Sargent in the mix, November’s games feel as good a chance as any for Ricardo Pepi to step up to the plate. Pepi has always been an inconsistent performer for club and country but is in fairly good form 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 up top for both games against Jamaica. It feels like an ideal setup for Pepi to rise up the USMNT’s striker 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’s camp but he was arguably the most impressive fringe player in last month’s friendlies, especially as he outperformed Sargent in the USMNT’s 2-0 loss at Mexico. With several vacancies in the lineup this month, it will be worth seeing if Vazquez will find himself winning more minutes this time around after playing just 27 minutes in October. It helps that Pochettino values his tactical profile, too.
“I was really happy with him in Austin and in Mexico,” Pochettino said in a Sunday press conference. “He suffered some problem during the camp and I think it’s true that maybe he didn’t play all that we expect in Monterrey in the last month but I think he has the profile to help us and I think I was very happy. I was very happy, even if he played a little bit against Mexico but I think he can add to the team, different perspective of the game. He’s a player that can start from the beginning and then we can use different alternatives during the game and I think I really want to give another opportunity … because I think his profile is different to another striker.”
Joe Scally
Joe Scally has been a de facto starter since Sergino Dest tore his ACL in the spring and is one of only two natural fullbacks in this month’s roster. Yet, Scally has yet to truly impress while playing for the national team and the apparent lack of competition may not guarantee him a starting spot. Pochettino noted on Sunday that he’s willing to experiment by playing others like center back Tim Ream and midfielder Yunus Musah in similar roles, noting the sport’s recent tactical trends and those players’ experience at the club level. It creates a new level of competition for spots in defense over the next week, a period in time that could offer a real conclusion on Scally’s current status with the USMNT.
Johnny Cardoso
Johnny Cardoso has long been the understudy to Tyler Adams during an injury-ridden two-year spell, but Cardoso’s own injury issues continue to get in the way. He will now have a first chance to work with Pochettino after missing October’s camp, all while he charts a fascinating upward trajectory at the club level that could include a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. Minutes could be up for grabs in midfield, too – Pochettino’s talk of fullbacks suggests that Musah might leave a spot open, but the new head coach is not exactly short on options. Pochettino handed a lot of minutes to Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio in his first games in charge, signaling another competitive race for starting spots.
Matt Turner
Personnel changes are the expectation under new coaches, but few starting spots feel more uncertain than Matt Turner’s in goal. He started Pochettino’s first two games but a string of unimpressive performances, coupled with an inability to land a starting role at the club level, have raised serious questions about Turner’s longevity in the role. That’s especially true considering Pochettino’s October comments that he values playing time over the perceived competitiveness of the team or league that a player competes in. The 30-year-old will need to prove he’s still up for the task despite sitting on Crystal Palace’s bench, especially with heir apparent Patrick Schulte in the mix for the role.
