USA's Next Generation Lived Up To The Hype; Now The Real Work Begins

ALLIANZ FIELD (St. Paul, Minn.) — Mauricio Pochettino had a plan. Ahead of FIFA’s first international window of the 2030 World Cup cycle, the coach of the U.S. men’s national team knew that the Americans’ four exhibition games in late September and early October presented a unique opportunity to take a long look at the next generation of American talent before games that matter resume in November with the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. He summoned the kids. He played them all, with 20-year-old Cole Campbell, who became the 13 and final previously uncapped invitee to debut for the USA when he entered as a substitute in the second half of Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Canada in the Twin Cities. Pochettino got goals from teenagers in all four matches. Mathis Albert became the youngest scorer in program history, then saw his record smashed just four days later by fellow 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan. Justin Ellis, 19, scored the winner Tuesday against the Reds, his second goal in as many starts, having also found the net in the 4-1 win over Peru on Sept. 26 that started the USA on its way to a clean four-game sweep. Julian Hall, 18, scored in his first three international appearances, including game-winners over Chile and Peru. The plan could hardly have gone much better. "The players, I think they deserve the credit," Pochettino said after Tuesday’s contest. "I’m not talking only about the results. I’m talking about the way that we competed. "I think it was amazing," the Argentine continued, "to play always with the same intensity, with the same commitment, with the same passion. That is something that we need to keep." Surely he needs to keep some of the kids around, too. With the U.S. youth national teams idle this window, Pochettino didn’t have to consider the needs of the U.S. under-23 squad. That will change in November, when Olympic coach Steve Cherundolo convenes a group of players that will compete for the majority of roster spots at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles — an event the U.S. Soccer Federation is desperate to have a strong showing in on home soil. So Pochettino’s strategy was always to give big minutes to youngsters like Hall and Ellis with the senior team early this autumn. The former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss revealed after Tuesday’s victory that that would’ve been the case even if World Cup striker Ricardo Pepi hadn’t gotten hurt playing for Dutch champs PSV Eindhoven a day before he was scheduled to arrive at the USSF’s training base outside of Atlanta. In November, the original idea went, most of the youngsters would return to the U-23s or even the U.S. U-20s, which in August qualified for next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Their performances this month  could alter that thinking, however. Following the 3-0 win over Mexico, Pochettino told me that it "was a fantastic problem" to have. "Having a plan, you can adjust things and fix situations or change if you are seeing that you need to change," he said on Tuesday. Still, Pochettino won’t have the luxury of not caring about results next month. The Americans learned earlier Tuesday that they will face 2026 World Cup participants Haiti over two legs in mid-November, with a spot in next March’s Nations League finals on the line. "They made the World Cup for a reason: because they're a tough team," U.S. defender Chris Richards, who started the 2-1 win over Haiti in last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, said of Les Grenadiers. "Got to go in there with the same mindset we've had throughout this camp, and we have to earn a victory to get to March." "We're very excited for it," the Premier Leaguer added. "It's another chance to prove ourselves. And whoever will be at that camp, I know we'll go in there with our heads held high after what we did in this camp, and hopefully, gonna get two wins." One camp into the new cycle, the competition for places should be fierce — especially if 2026 cycle mainstays such as Pepi, Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic are all healthy and available and performing well for their European clubs. "Obviously, there are a lot of new faces, and they all had great energy and worked very hard while they were here," two-time World Cup veteran Gio Reyna said.  "It definitely brings competition, which is what we all need. And I think it's great  for the upcoming cycle to push everybody."