Three Questions Facing Mauricio Pochettino Ahead of USMNT’s World Cup Opener

The U.S. men’s national team manager has questions to address before the team’s World Cup opener on Friday against Paraguay.

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT has several lingering questions heading into the World Cup. | Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The U.S. men’s national team wrapped up its pre-World Cup friendlies and has all eyes on the tournament’s Group D action against Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye, which begins this Friday. 

After a confidence-building 3–2 win over Senegal last week and a positive performance against Germany on Saturday—despite the 2–1 loss, the USMNT can feel pretty good about itself heading into soccer’s grandest showcase on home soil. 

For manager Mauricio Pochettino, it means answering any last minute questions about the state of the team. Here, Sports Illustrated takes a look at the three most important.  

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Where Should Weston McKennie Play?

Weston McKennie is anticipated to be a major factor in any USMNT success this summer. | Robin Alam/ISI Photos via Getty Images

Weston McKennie is the most versatile player for the USMNT, but where he plays in Pochettino’s setup remains a significant question. In the friendly against Germany, the 27-year-old played higher up the pitch as a pseudo No. 10, but that allowed Germany to largely control the pace of play, as the U.S. midfield at times let the UEFA giants play through at a high tempo, including on Leroy Sané’s second goal. 

Playing the savvy McKennie in a deeper role could be the answer, allowing him to form a partnership with Tyler Adams in the center of the pitch while potentially allowing him to play through to more talented, attack-focused players. At the same time, it does not look as though McKennie would be best suited for the right fullback role, considering the brilliance Sergiño Dest and Tim Weah have been able to produce on that side throughout the friendlies.

The Juventus star man played in nine different positions at the club level over the past year and will need a locked-down role with the USMNT in the biggest moments this summer.

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Is Chris Richards Reliable Yet?

Chris Richards last played May 17. | Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

When asked by Sports Illustrated last week if he’d be ready for the World Cup opener, USMNT star center back Chris Richards was confident in his return from injury, despite sitting out of the bout against Germany. Five days away from the first game, updates have fallen relatively silent on the Crystal Palace defender, who looked to be in good spirits sitting on the bench on Saturday. 

If the 26-year-old is ready to go—or at least at a point where he could push through the pain with the help of tape, painkillers, etc.—is it worth it?

After nearly four weeks out of matchplay and having missed Crystal Palace’s most important game of the season—the Europa Conference League Final at the end of last month—he could be out of rhythm, and putting him in the spotlight of the World Cup opener could be a true gamble.

There are several options Pochettino could pursue, but he will have to decide which is the smartest. He can either throw Richards right into the fire and hope he succeeds in lasting the majority of the match; hold him out for another few days for extra rest; or put him into the game as a late substitute to get reps, hopefully after the USMNT has already secured a sizable lead.

None of the options are perfect for one of the most important players on the roster—and definitely on the backline— but the way he could be reintroduced remains a key question, alongside which defender could slide in for him at the back if he’s not ready to go.

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Who Are the Impact Players Off the Bench?

Can Gio Reyna be a legitimate impact player off the bench at the World Cup? | Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images

For every team at the World Cup, there is a clear plan off the bench. Some players can truly break a game open in the later stages, taking advantage of opponents who are withering away after a battle in the summer sun. Who exactly are those players for Pochettino? What’s the plan if the U.S. needs a late goal or to secure a narrow lead, and how does that player adapt tactically?

Before the friendlies, it appeared as though the Argentine manager had rostered Gio Reyna for that role. Yet in both games, the 23-year-old midfielder looked a step behind the action, as if the game was too fast for him to truly make an impact—a glaring issue in his minutes against Germany specifically. Otherwise, can Ricardo Pepi come off the bench and partner up with Folarin Balogun up top, or is the shift to a two-striker system too challenging for the waning minutes of a World Cup game?

While Pochettino seems to have narrowed down the best lineup for the World Cup, the way he approaches his substitutions remains a mystery. He must now answer his game-management questions in the most critical moments of the sport.

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