Teen brilliance and selection questions after USMNT won four of four in World Cup window

The United States won four of four matches during this World Cup international window, producing standout individual performances and prompting fresh selection debates.

Much of the pre-window conversation sought to temper expectations around 17-year-old Sullivan, but his displays — particularly against Mexico — made it difficult not to view him as a potential long-term asset. There is detailed data to unpack on his movement, combination play and defensive contributions across the window, but even the casual observer noted his energy; he was often eager, at times almost frenetic, when running at defenders and, as Bruce Arena once said of Clint Dempsey, he "tries shit". The writer added: "I'm not going to drive the hype train anytime soon, but I'm considering buying a ticket."

Often among the first men off the bench during the World Cup, Berhalter still looked effective in that role while producing a strong start when he started against Mexico. His ability to break lines with his distribution stood out in the pool and his dead-ball service — delivery from indirect restarts and corner kicks — was described as dependable and precise, a welcome reprieve after years of seeing Christian Pulisic send his corners right at the first defender.

At goalkeeper, Matt Freese and Chris Brady struggled while Kochen calmed the game in his debut before producing a composed shift in the 3-0 win over Mexico. Observers noted his command of the area is already arguably the pool’s best and defenders spoke of trusting him in possession because of his upbringing at Barcelona; long touted as a goalkeeper of the future, Kochen’s performances left many wondering whether the future is now.

In attack, Hall provided a different profile to the typical US striker, with preternatural spatial awareness and off-ball movement creating dangerous opportunities and his finishing appearing to improve as he started for New York. Folarin Balogun still looked like a comfortable first-choice striker across the window, but reporters described Hall as a worthy young apprentice.

Christian Pulisic was the most notable absentee from Mauricio Pochettino’s roster, with some observers citing Pochettino’s desire to evaluate younger players and others pointing to Pulisic having only recently recovered from the leg injury that sidelined him at the World Cup. Pochettino declined to discuss that exclusion directly, saying he "wouldn’t offer insight into any individual roster exclusion." A few minutes later he spoke at length about the exclusion of Balogun and said "he’d spoken with him personally," referencing the drama around the Monaco striker’s aborted transfer to Everton, and he set out qualities he wants in senior leaders: players who "bleed for the badge, are desperate to be in a US camp and don’t turn down call-ups."

Questions over squad composition coexisted with praise for the manager’s window. While plenty argued against bringing Pochettino back for a second cycle, the mix of youngsters and senior players he assembled were widely enjoyed and several players spoke glowingly about him; Pochettino himself spoke openly about the "contagious" energy of his young charges. Observers concluded there was little reason to criticise the Argentinian for this particular window and described it as a strong start to the World Cup window.

Right-back emerged as an area of fresh competition after Dest’s World Cup struggles to provide width in possession or avoid becoming a defensive liability. Pochettino had experimented by moving Dest away from right-back to the wing, a position now seen as prime for Sullivan opposite a left-flank playmaker such as Reyna or Malik Tillman or the expected return of Pulisic; Tim Weah, who captains Marseille, was noted as among the most consistent performers under Gregg Berhalter. Alex Freeman was described as clearly ready to be the primary option at right-back because of his versatility, while debutant Frankie Westfield offered an alternative with his upfield passing. The report observed Dest remains ever-present for PSV and is likely to stay in the player pool, but there are now real questions about where he fits after Pochettino used him as an inverted left winger in the second half against Canada, where he "couldn’t change an ugly, foul-filled game," and where regulars like Tyler Adams and Reyna saw consistent involvement.

Pochettino emphasised the youthful energy he had tapped into and the results provided what many described as a strong start to the World Cup window, setting the tone for the selection picture and squad discussions to follow.