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The United States faces an interesting situation on Thursday. The Americans have already won their group and Turkey has already been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.
So, is U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino trying to continue to build on the U.S.’s strong start, or is he focusing on the Round of 16?
Let’s answer your questions.
If you were Poch, how would you handle this match against Turkey?
-Blake Newton (@blake_newton48)
There’s a good thing brewing with this team right now, and I don’t want that to be disrupted by just complete changes. That’s not to say I don’t trust the depth of this group. I just want to continue to build momentum within this team as much as possible.
The key players who won’t play, though: everyone who is one yellow card away from suspension. Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun are one yellow card away from missing the round of 32. Nobody wants this to happen. This also gives Poch a chance to get minutes for other guys who could be important in later rounds.
The key scenario: Christian Pulisic.
Christian Pulisic missed the United States’ victory against Australia with a calf injury. (John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)
I will only play him from the start if he is 100 percent fit. If it’s 85 or 90 percent, I don’t start it. If that’s the case, he’ll have maybe 10 or 15 minutes of racing, maybe up to half an hour, towards the end, but I’m not pushing him or putting him in danger.
The goal is to have a Christian who is fully healthy and capable of firing on all cylinders for the Round of 32.
Who is the player you’re most excited to see that we haven’t seen much of yet?
– Jacobi Moore (@jacobimoore.92)
The first name that comes to mind is Gio Reyna. I would like to see him on the court more as he could potentially make an impact later in the tournament.
I would also like to see guys who can make their World Cup debut with an appearance. Specifically, it would also be good to see midfielder Christian Roldan and striker Haji Wright play in this match as they are from the Los Angeles area.
What has been your favorite match so far in the tournament?
– Christophe Castro (@christopheracastro_23)
I have a soft spot for the United States’ first game in Los Angeles. We’ve been waiting for this match for so long and there were so many expectations. It was such an inspiring 90 minutes that filled the confidence that this fan base needed at that moment.
Watching Lionel Messi during this tournament has also been great. First it was a hat-trick against Algeria, then he made history against Austria with his double.
Finally, Cape Verde’s match against Uruguay on Sunday evening was great. This team’s existence in this tournament has been a lot of fun to watch so far.
Cape Verde almost won this match and probably should have been awarded a penalty late on. Overall, I’m really happy with how this team has performed so far. Cape Verde are making their country proud heading into their final match against Saudi Arabia, having taken two points from matches against Spain and Uruguay. From now on, he can guarantee qualification for the round of 16 in the event of victory.
Which formation did you prefer to play in?
– Kaden Holmes (@kadenholmes68)
Either a 4-2-3-1 as one of the two midfielders, or a 4-3-3 where I was an “8” and could play from box to box.
At what age did you fall in love with football?
– Fatimah (@fatttyy_toofineee)
My first memories of kicking a ball were when I was 3 or 4 years old. I’m sure my parents made me play ball before because my dad loved the game and so did my mom.
It was love at first sight with that first kick. I didn’t think I would play professionally at that age. Instead, I just enjoyed playing.
I had three older siblings that I was always trying to compete with. I loved the competition and the fun I had with my family before I started watching on TV and became a fan.
