Strong United States performance against Senegal offers some answers to looming World Cup questions

Several questions were raised when coach Mauricio Pochettino announced the US World Cup roster last week. Christian Pulisic’s scoring slump, Pochettino predicted, would end during the World Cup. Center back Tim Ream, 38, would be “a great captain” despite being among the oldest starting candidates when the tournament starts in less than two weeks. Reports of Pochettino himself making plans to bail could, maybe, be traced to his agent talking to prospective employers such as AC Milan; that’s what agents are paid to do.

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Two questions answered out of three is not bad, and a 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday proved Pochettino right. About his players, anyway.

Pulisic converted and set up a goal against the Teranga Lions. Meanwhile, Ream kept the defense composed and on the same page for most of the first half, before chaos set in with 11 substitutes entering after halftime.

Otherwise, both Pochettino and Senegal coach Pape Thiaw used the match to give nearly everyone playing time. Hopefully, when the United States meets Germany in a final tuneup in Chicago on Saturday, the lineup will be settled.

A look at the US roster.

Matt Turner went into the last World Cup as the certain starter, and ended up with two shutouts, the best total for a US keeper since another New Jerseyan — Jimmy Douglas — in 1930. Turner played a half against Senegal, showing the value of experience and instincts with a spectacular play to halt Sadio Mane.

Turner has been assigned the No. 1 jersey, but former Harvard keeper Matt Freese has been the favorite to start when the US opens against Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., on June 12.

The roster is back line-heavy — 10 of 23 field players are defenders. Ream is a likely starter, whether the US plays a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 formation. He provides direction, leadership, positioning — normally a requirement for the position, but something Pochettino apparently has not detected in other US center backs.

The US went with a 3-4-3 alignment Sunday, with Alex Freeman and Mark McKenzie flanking Ream. In the World Cup, Chris Richards and Miles Robinson would likely occupy those positions. In a 4-3-3 formation, Ream and Richards are probable starters. Pochettino noted the roster contains seven potential center backs, with Joe Scally and Freeman possible substitutes.

The outside back positions are a strength via Sergiño Dest, who scored on Sunday, on the right and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson on the left.

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Sebastian Berhalter was the only US player to go more than a half against Senegal, indicating he could join Tyler Adams in a holding role. Berhalter could be considered a risk, as he has little international experience, but sometimes a low-profile, emerging performer can become a difference-maker.

If so, that could free up Weston McKennie for an attacking role. McKennie, playing for Juventus in Italy’s Serie A, proved to be among the most consistent US performers in Europe’s top leagues last season.

Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, and Alejandro Zendejas provide options.

Folarin Balogun should be the starting striker, after totaling 19 goals in all competitions for AS Monaco in France. Balogun converted the 63rd-minute decider on Sunday.

Ricardo Pepi, competing for PSV Eindhoven, also scored 19 times. Haji Wright, who scored against The Netherlands in the Round of 16 in 2022, appears to be No. 3 at the position.

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Pochettino, who said he spent two weeks of sleepless nights while determining the roster, was criticized for: a) emailing, instead of calling, those that didn’t make the cut; and, b) snubbing midfielders Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake) and Tanner Tessmann (Lyon).

Possibly, Pochettino should have phoned everyone not on the list. But when he was playing and didn’t make the Argentina team in 1994 and ’98, he said nobody called him, either. Something like, that’s life in the big time. You just have to accept it, and go for it next time, which he did, and went on to start for the Albiceleste in 2002.

As for Luna and Tessmann, they are among the more technical US players, but their strengths might not be needed in the World Cup. They would have been valuable on previous national teams, but this one has enough skill to compete and Pochettino, apparently, wanted to increase the roster’s athleticism. Luna and Tessman are going to be successful club players, but are not automatic selections at the national team level.

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