Back in November, amidst a never-ending list of international friendlies for the United States, Mauricio Pochettino took an abnormal approach. Rather than prioritise the scoreline for a co-host keen to build momentum for a first home World Cup in 32 years, the USA boss fully rotated for a clash against Uruguay, completely changing the outfit that defeated Paraguay three days earlier.
The priority was group harmony and squad unity. Pochettino saw his second-string players perform against high-ranked opposition with an impressive World Cup heritage. In a standout result of his reign, the USA won 5-1 in Tampa with Alex Freeman – son of Super Bowl-winner Antonio Freeman and a breakout World Cup star after his goalscoring display against Australia – scoring twice.
