There were undoubtedly some close calls in the group stage, but American men’s national team Has worked so far Golden bowlWinning their group with three wins against Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti, head coach Maurisio Pocheto and his title contenders raised speed and saved from a devastating early exhaust in the competition.
In the race for the preparation of Sunday quarterfinal against Costa Rica in Miniapolis and still in the eighth title because they have managed to have a swairning temperature, there is a scorching warm thing that is not yet dipped in the American football circle: Where are the best players of Americans?
For many reasons, from injuries, comfort and Club World Cup Duty, USMNT are currently without a long list of marquee names, including Sergino Dest, Antony Robinson, Weston McCeni And Christian,
Because Gold Cup is played every other year, it is not out of normal that there are alternative squads that America is fielding in this summer, but out of a year FIFA World CupIt is appropriate to ask if it will harm the ongoing development of the national team under Pchethino. Especially given how these big names have adapted with each other since last year.
“You never know what players are available after six months from now, who is hurting, who is playing in their club … I don’t think that [time] The more important people can think, the more important it is. I think you can put the team together in the end, “Tab Ramos, who played for USMNT and coaching within the national team structure, told ESPN.
,[But] We are probably going to the World Cup, not actually with pochethino, not actually 100 percent what his roster can do because he is not able to use the roster in various situations. ,
Dest, Robinson, McCeni, Police and Tyler adams (Which is on the Gold Cup roster), not all were on the field at the same time at the same time, since the Concacaf Nations League on the final win Mexico In March 2024. Under Pochathino, he has also played with restraint, in which the police is the only member of the above quintage to earn more than 350 minutes under the coach as he was hired last September.
Digging deeply, it is easy to start feeling worried when you find more examples. Fullback Robinson and Dest have not shared the ground in the last one year, and during the same time limit, midfielders Adams and McCeni have played just 294 minutes together.
Will this familiar lack of familiarity will harm the team on the world’s largest platform in a year? Ramos is uncertain.
“We are clearly giving ourselves a chance. There is no question,” he said. “When you do not have a team together, you give yourself a chance to succeed because you do not know the response as a head coach. You do not understand the reaction of the players and the response to various combinations in a certain game against a certain opponent. This is the place where you are going to disappear.”
The reality is that there may be differences between those less possibilities winning or losing a knockout game. Given the record of USMNT in such matches – just one knockout game win in his entire World Cup history, spread in 10 tournaments – this is a factor that is to be considered, although Ramos still feels that it is more as players.
“In terms of keeping the team together, it is actually going to play excellent till May of next year,” he said. “It really matters.”
Summer roster, looking at defender Mark mcenzi Ever since it was asked if there is enough time to find harmony before the World Cup, there was no sign of concern.
During the Gold Cup group stage, he told the media, “Chemistry is a relative thing. I think when you come to the camp, I think we all understand about a goal that is in our mind. We get in every camp, there is an opportunity to continue construction on it,” he asked the media during the Gold Cup group stage. “It doesn’t matter whether it is now, whether it is in a few months, and each match will have its own challenges.”
Hugo Perez, a former USMNT midfielder, who granted coaching to players like Police, McCeni and Adams during the days of his young national team, also played alarm.
“Pochathino knows what the players’ nuclei are … It’s good for Pochtino whether to see what to see [Gold Cup] From the player Of mls , [are] At that level, “East El Salvador The manager asked ESPN. “Do you remember [the stars] Being here and perhaps with a group, but I don’t see it as a big thing in the end. ,
While chatting with Perez, it became clear that he was more busy to find a way to get the best among the top players in America through a more diverse strategic approach, and not the need for an extended period to gel together.
“I still believe that America lacks an identity in the style of playing, where they are going to introduce it [up]”He said.” We know that we walk, we know we attack by flakes, but I still think they can improve in small places, maintain the ball more and then, boom, explode large space. I think we need to add that kind of game to compete.
“I know these players: When they were 14 and 15 years old, I gave them coaching. They are capable of playing that type of football, but again, the coach will have to make this decision. For me, every time it is more important for them to come to FIFA every time. [international] Dates.”
However, those opportunities are limited.
In the last 12 months, the US has played only nine competitive matches. In the same deadline, South American Champion Argentina And European Champion Spain Each has played 14.
The US situation was given as a co-genre due to no qualifiers on the schedule for next year’s World Cup, the opportunity to test and analyze a large sample size has not been just the same. And in some high pressure situations, Americans have played, things are tarnished: exit a group in 2024 Kopa Amrika And ConcacAF finished fourth in the Nations League.
Ramos said, “Developing chemistry on the field is really, I think, need.” “To develop it, you need some games where you struggle together and see how you get out of it.
“And I think if you look at something – I don’t want to say failures because they do not fail, but if you look at the time where we have not been as successful with this team because expectations are so high, we have not done a lot of tests, which have made the circumstances difficult. It is a little worry for me.”
Does this concern extend some players to give priority to its club career abroad? When considering high levels of European game intensity, should something be said about the investigation of the balance of players of the club vs. country?
Perez does not believe so. He also does not believe that it prevents any type of on-field chemistry.
“These children are playing in very competitive leagues, and when you play in the league English Premier League, Siri aIn FranceYou are surrounded by some of the world’s best players in your team, “He said.” Second, when you are surrounded by players who are some of the best players in your club, it is helping you to develop as a player personally.
“When they come here, we also have to be honest. I mean, these children have played together first … they know each other. I mean, they are in contact with each other in Europe. I don’t think this is the issue.”
For Ramos, there is enough time to develop a good team, but with the warning that there will be a “loss of knowing” due to not having sufficient answer from in-game tests. For Perez, he also believes that there is enough time, especially if there is a long summer camp next year, but it is said that the true test lies in the capacity of pochtino which is still the best of its stars.
,[That’s] The most difficult task that is a coach, “said Perce.
Even with an alternative roster, things look promising for USMNT in gold cups. Before the tournament, after some wake-up calls and four-game losing streak, they have since avoided a nightmare at the group stage and have been qualified for a knockout round.
Does the competition help to answer some questions about the depth of the roster, or highlight the need to rely on familiar faces, the vomiting count of the World Cup will actually begin with just five FIFA windows in September and next June. This will be the only time when Pochtino will have to make a final adjustment through favorable matches.
Is this an enough runway to re -organize America’s largest stars? With each passing month, we will get a clear idea of whether the USMNT is actually ready for 2026.
“I think there is a lot of time before the World Cup, there are many games,” Brandon aronsonWhich is part of the Gold Cup squad. “I think people don’t really understand: yes, it’s friendship that is coming up, but still friendship, you behave as they are international sports. They are going to be really good games and it’s not something like we are something [just] Are going there. We want to win these games.
“We are going to behave them like World Cup Games.”
If Aaronson & Company is going to be ready for the World Cup in less than 12 months, then they have to do it.
