USMNT’s Three Best Players of the Week: Is Pulisic Back on Track?

When the final whistles blew on the latest weekend of club soccer around the world, many players rushed to the airport to join their national teams ahead of the two-match March international window.

For 27 American players, this means heading to Atlanta for friendlies against UEFA powerhouses, Belgium and Portugal, with the aim of making a last impression on manager Mauricio Pochettino ahead of his 2026 World Cup squad announcement.

Here, Sports Illustrated takes a look at three of the most impressive player performances from the weekend, as well as where these stars could fit into Pochettino’s setup in the upcoming friendlies—and potentially the World Cup.

Christian Pulisic’s Anticipatory Movements

Christian Pulisic has gone 12-straight AC Milan matches without scoring a goal, but he secured his first goal contribution of the calendar year with an assist in a 3–2 victory over Torino on Saturday. It was his first assist since Sept. 28, bringing him to eight goals and three assists in 23 Serie A matches this season.

The win also cut Inter Milan’s deficit in the Scudetto race to six points, now sitting second behind Internazionale with 63 points.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC ASSIST 🚨

Put on a plate for Adrien Rabiot, and everyone can relax 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/G1alfMMcHu
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) March 21, 2026

While the USMNT attacker’s offensive contributions in the simple stats have plateaued, he has consistently put in strong performances as of late and has been a regular starter in the front two of manager Massimiliano Allegri’s 3-5-2, often pairing up with Rafael Leão.

His assist on Adrien Rabiot’s goal showed his full breadth of soccer IQ as well. It came in a second spell of possession after Milan regained the ball with players already in attacking positions. Pulisic, floating by the top of the penalty area, drifted in from the left side to open up options on the right, as seen from his initial positioning below.

Once the ball crossed over, the U.S. star began directing traffic. He saw the options for Youssouf Fofana, and given he was facing his own defensive end, could see an on-running Luka Modrić, before signaling to Fofana to make the inside pass. Pulisic then made the run onto the Croatian’s perfectly weighted through ball. Look at his arm, here—that made the goal.

As a non-striker playing forward and without a threatening physical presence, Pulisic relies on his tactical smarts to deliver, and his anticipation of the play pattern was vital to his eventual assist to Rabiot.

Folarin Balogun Scores Seventh Goal in Seven Games

With Pulisic back among the assists, the potential for him and Folarin Balogun to create stellar connections against Belgium and Portugal is tantalizing, especially if Pochettino opts to play Pulisic in his AC Milan position, instead of on the wing.

Balogun netted his seventh goal in as many games this weekend, helping AS Monaco to a 2–1 win over Lyon with a perfect finish on a penalty kick. The goal brought his season total to nine goals and four assists in 23 Ligue 1 matches, while the win puts Monaco at 46 points, two short of the UEFA Champions League spots in the French top flight.

Balogun coming into the national team in a form like this is good news for Pochettino’s group. In November, when he showed some flashes of success with Pulisic, USMNT defender Tim Ream called it the “perfect example” of how Balogun’s movement can elevate Pulisic’s impact.

While Balogun plays in a front three with Monaco and would have to adapt to the two-striker system when in possession, his ability to find runs and work with wingers should translate well to a mobile attacker like Pulisic, as well as with the heavy involvement of wingbacks that Pochettino often turns to.

Nearly two dozen strikers have rotated through the USMNT’s starting role since previous manager Gregg Berhalter took charge in 2019, but few have been as impressive for club or country as Balogun—and a good striker that elevates the team’s most talented player could be the key to a successful summer.

Max Arfsten’s Defensive Transition

Max Arfsten was one of the darlings of Pochettino’s roster recalibration efforts through 2025 and stands to make a big impact at the upcoming friendlies, as he battles for minutes at left wingback with Fulham’s Antonee Robinson.

While club stature would assume that Robinson starts, Arfsten’s play through the tail end of 2025 with the USMNT and currently with Columbus Crew could see him take on more responsibilities, despite some inevitable quibbling from the USMNT fanbase.

Playing on a struggling Columbus side, Arfsten started this weekend well, stretching the field before taking a small dribble and serving up striker Wessam Abou Ali for the headed finish against Toronto FC.

Wessam Abou Ali puts @ColumbusCrew ahead in the opening minutes!

📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/BQFf6UteDD pic.twitter.com/eao3vckB8n
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 21, 2026

The most intriguing piece of his 2026 season so far has been his role on the left side of midfield in Columbus’s 4-4-2 and how he has adapted his skillset to the position, while also maintaining a solid presence in defensive efforts, almost like a wingback in a formation that doesn’t feature them.

Coming into the USMNT and playing as a left wingback will be a test, especially given the level of opponents both Portugal and Belgium offer. Still, his commitment to and familiarity with Pochettino’s systems could give him an advantage over Robinson, if he can handle the talent level.

Christian Pulisic’s Anticipatory Movements

Folarin Balogun Scores Seventh Goal in Seven Games

Max Arfsten’s Defensive Transition

READ THE LATEST USMNT NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC