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From the start, it was clear that September’s U.S. men’s national team friendlies doubled as an audition.
Mauricio Pochettino would be watching and the U.S. players were fully aware that, if they wanted to make a great impression on their new coach, they had to show out in September.
Ahem.
An ugly 2-1 loss to Canada last Saturday was followed up by a frustrating 1-1 draw with New Zealand on Tuesday night – a match that kicked off less than 30 minutes after U.S. Soccer officially installed Pochettino as team manager – as the U.S. conceded late to throw away a win. All camp long, there was talk of a lack of intensity, a lack of poise and persistance, and, ultimately, it showed in the results.
Collectively, the U.S. didn’t make the best impression. There were few real positives to take away on a team-wide basis. Several individuals, though, helped their cases, particularly with a new coach coming in. Others, though, may have played their way out of the picture with a rough window.
Whose stock rose and whose fell? GOAL takes a look.
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GettySTOCK UP: Aidan Morris
Whenever you have a young midfielder, all you can ask is for him to step into the team and inject life. That’s what Aidan Morris did this camp. That’s why his stock is rising.
After the USMNT’s dismal first half against Canada, Morris came in during the second and added much-needed energy. He was credited with an assist, although he didn’t know much about it, to be fair. It was his work rate and effort that stood out, especially considering how poor everyone else around him was in that game.
It earned him a start against New Zealand, and he showed well there, too. While his midfield partner Yunus Musah struggled, Morris was composed and calm in a performance that showed that his Canada effort was no fluke
“I love the pressure,” Morris said. “I think that’s what makes me who I am. I love big games. I love big opportunities and every game is my next biggest game. I just try to embrace it. I don’t let it drown me. It was a fun week to integrate myself with this group and show a little bit.”
Morris is making waves at Middlesbrough and interim coach Mike Varas talked plenty about how much the former Columbus Crew star impressed him. Now, the question is if he can impress Pochettino. In this form, it feels like he can.
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GettySTOCK DOWN: Johnny Cardoso
This appeared to be Johnny Cardoso’s big chance. No Tyler Adams. No Weston McKennie. He was handed a start against a good team and a new coach coming in. This was an opportunity to make a case.
Instead, Cardoso may have played himself right out of USMNT contention. His performance against Canada was that rough.
Bad touches, misplaced passes, poor decisions – it was a rough outing all around. There was nothing in Cardoso’s performance that will have left Pochettino impressed, nothing that proved he should be looked at in the same tier as McKennie or Adams. When you factor in his performance against Colombia earlier this summer, both of Cardoso’s last two USMNT appearances have been concerning. It’s tough to come back from that.
Still don’t write him off just yet. Particularly with a new coach coming in, things can change in a hurry. Cardoso, though, did not put his best foot forward. Instead, he tripped backwards in a way that will be tough to come back from.
“Johnny now needs to take that step,” Varas said after the Canada loss. “He needs to take that step in terms of improving speed of play and processing…Johnny will be disappointed, I think, with his game at the end of the day, Johnny tried to do what I asked him to do, and I take part of the responsibility for that as well.”
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USA Today SportsSTOCK UP: Patrick Schulte
The goalkeeping race feels wide open, and Patrick Schulte is certainly right in the mix.
It’s generally hard to praise a goalkeeper after a 2-1 loss, but Schulte certainly earned that against Canada. The Crew shot-stopper made five saves on the day and left Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City as one of few Americans who could keep their head held high.
Veteran Matt Turner started against New Zealand, putting in a good shift himself. The competition is just beginning, though. Schulte is the newcomer, the rising star. He’s been a monster in MLS and, despite a tough Olympic run, his performance against Canada validated his candidacy.
We have no idea what direction Pochettino will go with his goalkeeper but, after this camp, Schulte has made himself an option, which is a positive start.
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Getty ImagesSTOCK DOWN: Tim Ream
The last two years have been magical for Tim Ream. A surprising addition to the World Cup roster, Ream seized a starting place by force, and he hasn’t relinquished it since.
At least, not until now. He faces a big fight to hold off the younger contenders in the centerback race.
His performance against Canada won’t help matters as Ream’s mishap in the box led to Jonathan David’s damaging goal for Canada. It was an inexcusable mistake from a rookie, let alone a veteran like Ream. It was so unlike him.
With Pochettino coming in now, everything is reset. If Ream was still playing at a high level at Fulham, perhaps his starting case would be more clear-cut. Now in MLS and fresh off a rough USMNT performance, he at least has a fight on his hands.
Can Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty or Cameron Carter-Vickers knock down that door and replace him or can he hold them off for just a little while longer? We’ll find out.
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GettySTOCK UP: Marlon Fossey
Talk about a tough situation to be thrown into. Five-and-a-half years away after his first and only USMNT camp, Fossey finally made his USMNT debut against New Zealand with the shadow of Pochettino hanging over everything.
And he crushed it. Really, he did.
The Standard Liege defender went a full 90 on Tuesday, showing no fear in his first USMNT cap. He bombed forward early in often, proving he belonged with this group almost immediately in his first senior national team game.
“I think he’s a testament to the fact that you got to keep going always,” Varas said. “The last time he was in with the group was a pre-Gold Cup camp in 2019. He’s just put his head down and worked really hard at his club. We’re watching all the players all the time, And frankly, he came in with a lot of confidence and it’s not fake confidence. He’s a really good guy. You can see he’s sure of himself.”
Fossey can now look ahead to more USMNT opportunities. He’s certainly earned them. We’ll see if he can get them in these first camps under Pochettino, but the defender certainly made the right sort of impression during what was a memorable perormance.
“To make it back here, to see some familiar faces, to see some new faces, I’ve just been soaking it all in all week,” Fossey said. “To step out there today, it was a little bit emotional. When the national anthem was playing, I was just taking everything in. I just tried to be energetic, tried to make the most of the opportunity, and I had fun.”
And after biding his time, he was eager to make an impression.
“There were definitely years where I had itchy feet and I wanted to be here, but to be honest, there were a lot of times where I just had to get my body back fit,” he said. “Even thinking about the US was too far ahead of me… When I heard they were looking around, it came as a surprise. I’m just grateful to be here. I soaked it up all week and I’m so proud.”
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(C)Getty ImagesSTOCK DOWN: Josh Sargent
The injury bug strikes again, and it always seems to come the most inopportune times at for Sargent.
He’s hardly played for the USMNT since the 2022 World Cup, totaling fewer than 30 minutes since departing Qatar. That’s despite his success on the club level, which, on its own, is enough to have him in the starting No. 9 race.
The problem is that we haven’t actually see him enter that race. Every time there’s a proper moment for him to really start a game, something ends up happening on the injury front. His ankles have really held him back, which has been unfortunate.
He may get another chance soon but, at the moment, he just hasn’t been reliable enough when it comes to his health. He deserves a chance but this camp was just another possibility that passed him by due to fitness issues.
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