Just like that, preparation for the World Cup has come to an end, and it’s time to United States the national team of men to pay attention to face them Paraguay on June 12. While the USMNT split its friendship, defeat in Senegal and loss to In Germanyit was a game that provided a valuable insight into how Mauricio Pochettino will set up his team to face Paraguay.
The placement of Sergino Dest was one of the biggest changes for the USMNT, as technically he was listed as a winger, Dest was more active as a winger, pushing the pace of the attack up front. Alex Freeman playing as a right back. It has added strength to the USMNT’s set-up and could create an atmosphere heading into the World Cup that attack is a strength the team must rely on.
With Weston McKennie as number 10 again Malik Tillman in the back, Tyler Adams was supposed to cover the important area, but nobody on the team created more than five opportunities for Tillman during this window. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but when Pochettino said that Tillman can play everywhere, and he was one of the most used players by the USMNT during the break, all signs point to Tillman starting when Paraguay will look for a berth and oppose the United States.
CBS Sports
Haji Wright he is the only player who did not get game time this break, but it is clear that the Coventry City man can change the pace from the bench when needed. With Chris Richards still recovering from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since May 17, even if he is fit enough to face Paraguay, it would make sense to release him back into action. Richards is back to doing team work with his teammates, but if Pochettino isn’t prepared to risk him out of the gate, Mark McKenzie did more than enough to inspire confidence starting the opening game.
Richards is one of the most important players for the USMNT throughout the World Cup, as his consistency and recovery speed close to Adams’ range allows the attack to finish teams, but there is no reason to push too hard in one game. This has become a cohesive unit under Pochettino, and it’s moments like these games where the Argentine’s abilities to create a powerful attacking display shine.
As this is Pochettino’s first foray into international management, he needs time to get the teams up to speed the way he wants to work, and this pre-World Cup camp has allowed that. It is clear that the players know where their teammates are, which will strengthen the squad’s attacking play. Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic will reap the rewards of the same setup, while Ricardo Pepi ready to be an absolute nuisance in the best possible way off the bench.
There are battles for starting places in the team, and no one will be able to remain indifferent while giving Pochettino options on how to rotate. Even Tim Weah, who started in the 2022 World Cup Qatarit doesn’t look like it could be the USMNT’s debut against Paraguay, and that’s a good thing as it shows how far the USMNT’s depth has come since the last World Cup.
While on paper the USMNT will line up in a 3-4-2-1, I expect more of the standard 4-2-3-1, or nitpicking as those are similar formations in practice. This is because Dest does so much of his work in the final third, that I refuse to call him a wingback.
Check out the places where he worked in this camp:
Trumedia
With that good behind me, here is the XI I predict will take the field for Paraguay.
USMNT XI Predictions
USA XI: Matt Freese, Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams, Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun.
