Pelajaran Besar dalam Kemenangan Fiesty Comeback AS? 'Mereka Mungkin Menyesal Membangunkan Kita'

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — From the moment Mauricio Pochettino named his 26-man squad for the United States’ two World Cup tuneups this month, he repeated variations of the same message.

“Nobody’s place is guaranteed,” the coach said again the day before Tuesday’s come-from-behind win over Australia that concluded the October international window.

Some questioned this approach. The argument against it, Pochettino acknowledged after Haji Wright’s two goals led the Americans past the Socceroos, was that he needed to pick a starting lineup and stick with it to build continuity with just two more training camps left before the Argentine must pick his roster for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the U.S. next summer.      

Tuesday’s victory validated Pochettino’s strategy.

Was Mauricio Pochettino satifised with that performance? (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

The former Chelsea, PSG and Tottenham manager rotated out more than half of his starting lineup from last week’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador, and was rewarded. With star attacker Christian Pulisic forced to the locker room in the first half with what was later revealed to be a hamstring issue, the Americans overcame a 1-0 deficit for their first comeback victory in Pochettino’s tenure.

“That’s not a coincidence,” the coach added.

Reserve midfielder Cristian Roldan set up both goals with beautiful passes to Wright, who was making his first start under Pochettino. Wright took his rare opportunity to start with aplomb. His second goal was particularly classy, and it could go a long way toward helping the big striker make his second consecutive World Cup trip.

“They’ve got fantastic players, and I’m sure these players will keep growing with this manager,” Australian boss Tony Popovic said of the U.S. squad. “And I’m sure they’ll have a large pool of players to choose from. I’d be pretty confident if I was a USA fan at the moment.”

Slowly but surely, belief is growing among the American players, too.

“It gives us confidence knowing that even without one of our best players, we can continue to score goals against top teams,” said U.S. defender Chris Richards.

This month’s opponents were certainly that. Ecuador finished second in South America’s World Cup qualifying tournament. The Aussies arrived riding a 12-game unbeaten streak dating back more than a year. They, too, will be back for the 48-team main event next June.

All three U.S. goals this month came without Pulisic on the field. Pochettino’s side was also minus several other projected starters, including 2022 World Cup captain Tyler Adams and injured fullbacks Sergiño Dest and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson.

Captain Tim Ream was rested on Tuesday. So was Folarin Balogun, who had scored in each of his two previous appearances and eventually came on as a second half substitute.

Christian Pulisic pulled up with a hamstring injury. (Photo by JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)

In the thin air at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the understudies got the job done.

But a perfect performance it wasn’t. The goal the Americans allowed was weak. Richards and Roldan both admitted that they should’ve been quicker to react to the danger.

“In the World Cup, if you start the game in the way that we started and concede a goal like this, then it’s difficult to have another chance,” Pochettino said. “In all areas, we need to improve.”

Still, the response was encouraging.

“After getting scored on, it was kind of like the punch that we needed to wake us up. A lot of teams would crumble, especially because it’s a friendly,”Richards said. “People say they don’t mean anything, but for us, it means everything. 

“Going into a World Cup, we want to win as many games as possible. We had to fight. We just kind of needed that wake-up. I bet they probably regret waking us up like that.”

 Chris Richads wasn’t having it from the Australian players. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/USSF/Getty Images)

Wright was a worthy Man of the Match. But the award could’ve easily gone to Roldan, the 30-year-old Seattle Sounders veteran who had not played for the USMNT in more than two years before being recalled last month. Known as a glue guy, Roldan proved Tuesday that he can help on the field as much as in the meal room.

“I’m a player that doesn’t necessarily get on the stat sheet a whole lot,” said Roldan, who was an unused sub at the last World Cup in Qatar. “To contribute in that way, it’s obviously amazing.”

Cristian Roldan is carving out a spot for the 2026 World Cup squad. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The U.S. will look to build on the win when they reconvene in the Philadelphia area next month for another pair of exhibitions.

“The next two games are going to be very difficult, like Ecuador and Australia,” Pochettino said. “Paraguay and Uruguay are two very good teams, very competitive. And I think they are going to help us to continue growing.”

Who starts those matches is anyone’s guess.

“I think I have to continue to perform, Wright said when asked if he felt he’d helped make his World Cup case with the two goals. “If I just shut off now, chances will probably diminish. But I’m happy that it happened. And I try and build off that.”

That’s the idea.

“I am happy,” Pochettino said. “I am not satisfied.

“I’m pleased, but I wanted more,” he continued. “I wanted to see more. I wanted to perform better. I wanted to see individual players doing better. But that is my competitive blood. Because I always want to win, but I want to play better.”

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

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