CHESTER, Pa. – Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure as the U.S. men’s national team head coach has almost exclusively been defined by his embrace of a spirit of experimentation, both in terms of tactical ideas and fresh faces. The team is firmly focusing on experimentation, and new names are joining the growing list. Gio Reyna is the latest, who may be getting a fresh lease of life in the USMNT. Although he was no stranger to the team before their 2-1 victory over Paraguay seven months ago, Reyna made a strong statement in his return against Paraguay by scoring the opening goal. The goal was not the only good thing that came out of a game in which the U.S. survived many ups and downs. Both teams enjoyed a quick start, the game level by the 10th minute, before things took a grittier turn and eventually ending in a fight that saw Paraguay’s Gustavo Gomez place the USMNT’s Alex Freeman in a headlock and the visitors’ Omar Alderete pick up a red card.Call it What You Want: A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. The show is broadcast live on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday, at 10 am ET.
Stock up: Gio ReynaHis goal was the highlight of Reyna’s first start with Pochettino, but that wasn’t even the beginning for the 22-year old. The USMNT’s attacking play was almost exclusively on the right, with Ryena and Sergino Dest moving the ball forward and creating most of the team’s meaningful chances. They almost compensated for the lack activity on the other side of the field. Reyna created two more chances in his 75-minute stint, a performance that reaffirmed the promise he has always displayed. The 22-year old has had a difficult time following his plan. However, the improved focus that his teammates noticed this week could be seen by the crowd on Saturday. He made the most of an opportunity.
How do I feel in terms of my fitness? [Borussia Monchengladbach, his club team]Reyna stated after the match, “I feel really, really great.” “I’m feeling valued, I feel important and I feel ready to play. I feel great. I’m happy, but I have to work harder now.Reyna’s performance made it easier for teammates to join in, particularly fellow goalscorer Folarin.
“He’s an extremely creative player and intelligent,” Balogun stated about Reyna. “I spoke with him during certain moments in the game because it was a more difficult game for me, with both centerbacks being so close to my side. So I told Gio to make runs behind me and other stuff like that. It’s much easier to play with someone intelligent like Gio. He can read the signals and understand the messages.”Pochettino took a victory lap, not only because he gave Reyna his first start but also because another experiment went well for him. The head coach did offer a reminder that performances with club teams will hold increased importance until the World Cup, something that is especially pertinent for Reyna – he essentially dropped out of the player pool because of a lack of playing time at Borussia Dortmund, but seems to have found an ideal landing spot with ‘Gladbach.Pochettino was happy to have him. “He scored, and I thought he did a good job,” he said. “He showed his true colours as a starter”[ed] He’s confirmed to be a player who needs to be coached. [to] It’s true that he could improve as he needs more time to play for his club, but today we saw that he did a great job. He was a scorer and an assister and he showed that he can always read the game well and find the open space between the lines. “I think that was an absolute nightmare for Paraguay, and I thought he did a great job.”
Stock down on strikers who don’t name Folarin BalogunBalogun scored the game-winning goal on Saturday, joining Reyna. He now has four goals in his last four starts. Balogun is off to a flying start after a year of injury. He has scored four goals in the interim between the October international break and the current match. It is perhaps more impressive, though, that he extended his streak despite an imperfect outing – he had just 14 touches over 90 minutes, the result of Paraguay’s center backs marking him to the point that he was nearly invisible.
Balogun explained that today was a different game. “I only had a few touches, but it was hard. The most important thing on days like today was to remain focused, to stay concentrated. In the end, I got a chance to score, so I’m just taking it game-by-game.”Yet his ability to pass this test is a testimony to his overall capabilities. It has been a long-held belief that the No. Since his return to the national team in September, Balogun has lived up to expectations. Haji Pepi, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright are all contenders for this role. Pochettino is in trouble if both of those players are not in top form and fit for the World Cup.
Pochettino described Balogun as “decisive” at the end. “He scored the winning goal … He was fantastic because it wasn’t easy to find the game. The two center backs with Paraguay were very good and really competitive and you know South American center backs – I was one many years ago – we know our way to defend is difficult and I think it’s a massive lesson for him and the players that played today against Paraguay.”Stock up: USMNT’s versatilityPochettino’s tactical stamp for the team is becoming clearer with each game, especially so after a switch in September to a back three. The first time he used it was in the second-half of a 2-0 defeat against South Korea, two months ago. Since then, the team is undefeated. Pochettino has continued to tweak the formation according to each game. He values fluidity, flexibility and adaptability that seem to suit his team.”Today I think that what we like to do is to build with three players. That doesn’t necessarily mean [it’s] Pochettino stated that “because Joe is our center back, we have three centre backs.” [Scally] Sergino, I believe, is a better fullback than a center back. [Dest] Max [Arfsten]Play with two midfielders. [Roldan] You can also find out more about the following: [Tanner] Tessman and then five in front using the half space in the pocket, which sometimes we use Tessman a little bit higher using the free pocket, always trying to find the third man free in this situation that always will appear – Brenden Aaronson or Gio Ryena or Tessman. I don’t think Paraguay could match our superiority, especially in the midfield and the middle of the field.[ed] More in the other half than our own. The picture is clear.
“If you notice, whenever we are in the opposing half, we always defend in another phase. It’s always a four-man back with two midfielders, 1-4-2-3-1. It is the primary system or shape. We start looking for different options in our dynamics when we don’t possess the ball. How we build the form and how we use the space. This is what we wanted to achieve, and to be able to use different players and different spaces to do so.”The familiarity of the gameplan seems to be taking hold with the player pool as a whole – Pochettino is working with 12 players this month who were not involved in October’s friendlies but the roster turnover seems not to have impacted the understanding of the USMNT’s approach.Balogun stated, “I felt that the boys who aren’t usually here or haven’t played together in a long time did a good job stepping into the team. “As Poch has told us, sometimes the most important aspect is brotherhood. This can be what gets you through a game. He says that sometimes feeling together is more crucial than tactics, so it was important to us to stick together. We also spoke before the match about being a good team and fighting for each other as brothers. I thought we achieved this.
Stock down: Defensive formA month ago Pochettino claimed that the USMNT was struggling to perform a full 90 minutes. This problem was repeated on Saturday. The hosts were able to gain control of the game, but they had an early lapse. They barely had time to celebrate Reyna’s goal in the fourth minute before they conceded in the ninth. Paraguay scored because the U.S. failed to exert pressure on the midfield. Miguel Almiron was able to beat Scally, and then pass the ball Alex Arce.
I think we are all in agreement [can] We cannot accept this goal type because [was] Pochettino added, “It’s so simple.” We were working on this concept, and we knew that the long ball, or direct, could put us in a position that they excel in. I don’t think we didn’t know, but it is my responsibility. I don’t fault the players. Maybe I need a bit more work and to try to give the player the option to behave or perform in a different manner in this type of situation but it’s true it was a a goal that should not be conceded.”
2025-11-16 21:25:06
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