Pochettino faces USMNT midfield shortage crisis
Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT manager, faces midfield depth issues ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The first-choice trio of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah has few adequately tested alternatives. The coach must experiment in the position he considers most important.
The toughest cuts for the World Cup roster will likely come at the position the US manager considers to be the most important on the fieldThroughout his tenure as US men’s national team manager, Mauricio Pochettino has needed to be experimental in the heart of the park. The player pool he inherited had a first-choice midfield trio – Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah – with few adequately tested alternatives. There has since been ample rotation, testing partnerships and combinations.Today one thing has become clear: this World Cup squad’s harshest cuts will come in midfield. Continue reading...