THE MAURICIO POCHETTINO era of the United States national team began on Saturday night in Austin, TX with a 2-0 win over Panama. The new-look U.S. team got off to a slow start with both teams even in the first half, but the second half saw improvement as Yunus Musah opened the scoring in the 49^th minute and Ricardo Pepi put the game away in stoppage time.

Pochettino was limited by a few injuries with his starting lineup. Weston McKennie wasn’t able to go and was subsequently released from camp along with Zack Steffen and Marlon Fossey, all of whom did not play against Panama. But Pochettino started a few usual suspects with Christian Pulisic on the wing, Antonee Robinson at left back, captain Tim Ream in central defense, and Yunus Musah in midfield. Also, Joe Scally continued to start at right back in the absence of Sergino Dest.

That still left Pochettino with some important decisions. With Tim Weah out, Breden Aaronson got the nod over Haji Wright to play opposite Pulisic on the wings. Josh Sargent has struggled to see the field with the USMNT due to injuries over the past year, but he was given the start over Ricardo Pepi and Brandon Vazquez. Mark McKenzie started alongside Tim Ream in central defense. Matt Turner started in goal over Patrick Schulte.

The biggest decision for Pochettino was in central midfield as Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio were paired together. The duo had been part of the recent Olympic cycle before Morris transferred in the summer and was ultimately not released.

The first half resembled how the team performed over the past year. The U.S. team had some chances but the attack was toothless, and Panama grew into the game.

But the second half saw some more quality and Musah put the U.S. team ahead on a really nice team goal. Antonee Robinson controlled the ball wide left but then played it to Pulisic for a combination with Aaronson that then put Pulisic into a dangerous position in the box. He then found Musah at the doorstep for a close range finish.

The second goal was a nice counterattack that saw substitute Wright find Pepi for a nice finish.

Haji to Pepi.. 2-0 for the #USMNT
- not a great performance for Pochettino’s debut, but a win is a win pic.twitter.com/0IPSNOtMQ2

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 13, 2024

Here are some thoughts on this game. Typically you look at the good and bad, but no one was bad. Some were better than others, but no one really hurt their stock too much.

The Good

Christian Pulisic: The USMNT star is having an exceptional start to the season for Milan and he delivered for Pochettino. His work on the first goal was class. It’s those moments of top quality that will give the USMNT an edge.

Joe Scally: The U.S. national team has had a tough year, but Scally’s performances filling in for Sergino Dest have been admirable and he was one of the few players to escape blame for the disappointment this past summer. Against Panama, Scally was very steady defensively and limited Panama’s attack on his side of the field.

Tim Ream: wearing the armband, Ream had a good day at the office both defensively and in his distribution from the back.

Aidan Morris: The midfielder continues to grow as a player. He’s had a great year at the club level starting with Columbus and now Middlesbrough. That growth has continued to the national team and he looks like a very promising addition. He helps in possession and in defense but he also can create chances. With the ongoing injury uncertainties of Tyler Adams and also with Johnny Cardoso still looking to translate club success to national team success, players like Morris and Tanner Tessmann are important.

Matt Turner: the USMNT goalkeeper has questions surrounding his standing within this squad given his lack of playing time over the past two years in England. It wasn’t the busiest of days for Turner, but his saves in the 53^rd minute off Barcenas and then the rebound shot from Martinez were impressive and they should give him some confidence.

Yunus Musah: Everyone knows Musah has talent, but the issue with him as always been the final product. Against Panama, Musah didn’t have the best first half, but he came to life in the second half to score the opening goal. The finish was nice, but the run and the instincts to attack in the box when he did was something we haven’t really seen from him before with the U.S. team or even Milan.

Gianluca Busio: Is Busio a playmaker, or is he another central midfielder to aid in possession? Those are important questions and Busio needs to find an identity. Against Panama, he was useful both in possession and in creating chances – his past to Josh Sargent in the 42^nd should have been an assist. The game showed Busio is a good player, but is exact role is still not clear.

Haji Wright: It was a nice shift off the bench for Wright who entered in the 67^th minute and stretched Panama’s defense. He was rewarded for his efforts with an assist to Pepi late in the game.

The Mixed

Josh Sargent: of all the U.S. players, Sargent had the closest to an off day. This also came at a bad time as he was finally healthy enough to contribute to the U.S. team and with a new head coach along with an unsettled striker pecking order, Sargent didn’t stand out. He had chances to score, and in the 42^nd minute he skied a ball over the goal.

Ricardo Pepi: Yes, he had the goal. But was invisible up to that point.

Mark McKenzie: It was a huge opportunity for McKenzie to step into central defense, which is unsettled, and make a case. The results were okay. He had some good moments with his passing, but also a few giveaways and an avoidable foul late. He still should be in the plans moving forwards, but he didn’t boost his case tremendously against Panama.

Musah’s Role

One of the big takeaways from the game was Musah’s role, where he was moved to the outside. It’s one of the first big decisions made by Pochettino in terms of a role with a key player. Pochettino was never going to make drastic changes to everything right away, but Musah’s positioning required the Argentine to get involved. Musah has been tough to define, even at the club level. He likes to play centrally, but club managers often eventually move him outside.

Pochettino believed this was best, to take him out of the buildup to plays but also give him the freedom (and hopefully the confidence) to get involved at the end of plays. Musah has always been smooth on the ball, but his end product was lacking. In Pochettino’s first game, Musah delivered his first international goal.

Really nice work from the #USMNT.. Musah with the finish, but it’s a team goal. Aaronson & Pulisic key pic.twitter.com/UD1cXUFbl7

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) October 13, 2024

“I think it was an important moment for him, to trust in him,” Pochettino said about Musah. “But maybe not to give too much responsibility in the buildup. It’s only to be in a position that can help the team.”

“Fantastic for him, fantastic for the team,” he added.

While Musah does prefer to play centrally, will he embrace playing on the wing and look to find ways to be more productive? The jury is still out. Musah has played plenty on the wing for the club level and his goals/assists aren’t terrific. Also, Panama is improving but is still not a high level opponent. But he’s still a month short of his 22^nd birthday and maybe now he will be wiser with the way he plays the position.

“And now maybe he’ll start to perform and behave in a different way, full of confidence,” Pochettino said. “That is the important [reason] in our decision, is trying to help. We are here to help the player to find their best.”

Looking ahead

There are a lot more points I would like to make about the big picture for the USMNT – such as central midfield and central defense. But those should come after the Mexico game which will be a big test coming away in Guadalajara and with the team shorthanded given the departure of several players.

But the absence of players like Pulisic, McKennie, Fossey, Steffen, and Pepi will only give other players a chance to impress. U.S. Soccer indicated that Pulisic was leaving the team to manage his workload (something Pochettino said concerned him), but the other four players were leaving due to minor injuries.

USMNT roster vs. Mexico

(CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)

GOALKEEPERS (3):?Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 46/0)

DEFENDERS (7):?Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 6/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 15/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 63/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 47/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 29/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 13/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6):?Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 45/8), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 14/1), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 8/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 42/1), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyonnais/FRA; 3/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 15/0)

FORWARDS (4):?Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 26/5), Brandon Vazquez (Mon

A few observations about this depleted roster:

Center forward is again up for grabs. Vazquez should be heavily motivated to play against Mexico in Mexico. This is the opportunity that has eluded him. He might not start, but I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play.

It’s hard to see Malik Tillman not getting a start as Pochettino sorts through his options. He’s another player that has struggled to translate club success to success with the USMNT. He will be a very interesting player to watch. If Tillman doesn’t start this game, a big question postgame will be how Tillman trained during the week?

Tessmann and Morris are players looking to take big steps forward from the U-23 level to the USMNT level. The team has always looked vulnerable without a healthy Tyler Adams and backup plans have never really solidified. Pochettino has a chance to look at young options who can realistically help. Morris impressed against Panama, but Mexico would be another level. Both Tessmann and Morris have had good years.

Pochettino might also continue to experiment in central defense. Ream’s age makes it difficult to have his name in the XI written in stone. Miles Robinson and Auston Trusty might get the nod.

Finally, goalkeeper is a big question. Matt Turner’s club problems aren’t going away. The same is true for Ethan Horvath. It’s easy to see Patrick Schulte getting the start. He’s had success in Mexico this past year in big club games and his regular starting job makes him an option that is impossible to ignore.