With just two weeks left until their tournament opener versus Paraguay, excitement is building as the USMNT prepare to kick off their World Cup campaign on home soil.
However, there is also cause for concern for Mauricio Pochettino's squad going into the tournament.
For the first time in a while, center forward will be an area of fortitude rather than an Achilles heel, with Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun hitting their stride in recent months for PSV and Monaco. Haji Wright, meanwhile, is an effective 'break-glass-in-case-of emergency' striker that should prove an intriguing bench option.
Pochettino's World Cup squad has raised a few eyebrows
It's around the No. 9 where the doubts begin to emerge, namely, the lack of dynamism and verticality. With Pochettino snubbing Real Salt Lake's teenage phenom Zavier Gozo, the USMNT only has one natural winger: Timothy Weah, who has spent the season playing at right-back for Marseille.
Despite scoring twice as many goals (4) since the start of April as Giovanni Reyna, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic and Brendan Aaronson combined, Diego Luna has been left out of the squad after playing a pivotal role in their run to the 2025 Gold Cup Final. All things considered, it seems that Pochettino is prioritizing experience over form - especially World Cup experience. However, unless Pulisic can shake off the worst scoring form of his career, it remains to be seen where the goals are coming from outside the No. 9.
Those looking to accuse Pochettino of having a bias against MLS should look at midfield, where Tanner Tessmann has missed out after leading Lyon to a top-four finish, whilst Aidan Morris has also been snubbed after spurring Middlesbrough to the verge of promotion.
Instead, it will be Vancouver's Sebastian Berhalter and Seattle's Cristian Roldán who will have the task of backing up Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams. Roldán hasn't played a competitive match for the U.S. since the 2023 Gold Cup, and it's unclear if he provides an upgrade in quality over Tessmann or Morris.
By picking just four central midfielders (in contrast to 10 defenders), and by choosing two incredibly similar profiles in Roldán and Berhalter, Pochettino runs the risk of having no true defensive midfielder in case Adams goes down with injury. It's yet another area where going for the safe option could end up being quite perilous for the co-hosts.
It remains to be seen whether Pochettino will go with a back four or a back five, as he continues to search for a defensive solution that brings the best out of his side. Whilst Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson are set to start on the flanks, the center of defense is far more indecipherable.
Moreover, Chris Richards will be in a race against time to return to full fitness after missing the Conference League Final with torn ankle ligaments. The USA don't have a single center back that is remotely close to Richards' level, with Miles Robinson and Tim Ream in particular suffering difficult starts to the 2026 MLS season.
Here to chase legacy on home soil. Mauricio Pochettino has selected the 26 players to represent the United States this summer. pic.twitter.com/S8sF7l0PMiMay 26, 2026
Ultimately, though, it seems this group's biggest issue could be their lack of chemistry. They've been playing under Pochettino for less than two years, and with the bulk of their XI skipping the 2025 Gold Cup, they haven't yet had the chance to gel as a team.
"They've played at some big clubs, they've played big games, but the potential Achilles heel is that it's a group of individuals and not a team," stated Fox Sports' Stu Holden to FourFourTwo.
"Togetherness is the superpower: the core values of the successful teams that we've had in the past were teams that understood that what we were about to do in a World Cup is something bigger than you."
If the United States are to win multiple knockout matches for the first time ever and reach the quarter-final, they'll need each of their 26 players to be rowing in the same direction. Can the Stars and Stripes find its footing under Pochettino, or will his selection choices come back to bite them?
