TAMPA, Fla. – To borrow a line from Bill Hader’s fictional Saturday Night Live character Stefon, the U.S. men’s national team’s year has had everything – routine wins, uninspiring defeats, fresh faces and a new tactical vision. Even if USMNT onlookers have been trained to expect the unexpected, their final match of 2025 threw something completely new at the masses – a 5-1 obliteration of Uruguay, delivered by a completely rotated side full of cuspy players eager to make their case for a World Cup roster spot.
The match started in routine fashion and then the goals felt like they came all at once. Sebastian Berhalter put the USMNT up by the 17th minute with an impressive strike but by the time Alex Freeman completed a brace in the 31st minute, habits had set in. The U.S. were essentially scoring whenever they felt like it, Uruguay’s defense crumbling time and time again. Freeman’s second goal is perhaps the trademark example – the Orlando City defender torched Barcelona center back Ronald Araujo, perfectly encapsulating the vibe of the night.
Diego Luna had a goal of his own before the half and even on a tough evening for Uruguay, delivered a moment of brilliance with Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s bicycle kick. A calmer start to the second half did not mean the eventful portion of the evening was complete – Rodrigo Bentancur’s second yellow card in the 65th minute and Tanner Tessman’s strike four minutes later kept the party going, another banger on a night full of them. Raymond James Stadium was far from full but for all those in attendance, it was time well spent. That was especially true for an unfamiliar version of the USMNT, who notched the first statement win since head coach Mauricio Pochettino took over as the head coach little more than a year ago.
Pochettino said on Monday that he would rotate through his team, in part to account for the quick turnaround from Saturday’s 2-1 win over Paraguay, but rare are the occasions where the head coach wholeheartedly embraces a spirit of experimentation quite like he did on Tuesday. He made nine changes to his starting lineup, the group almost exclusively made up of players who needed to make their World Cup cases. Those players wasted little time doing so – Freeman has been on the inside track for a World Cup roster spot for months now but bolstered his argument, as did Luna.
It was a declarative night for Berhalter, who had a goal and an assist by the 20th minute. The Vancouver Whitecaps player thrust himself into a crowded midfield conversation in the process, pestering Uruguay to the point that Bentancur was sent off for going for his ankle. He deputized in midfield alongside Aidan Morris, the pair holding down the fort while veterans like Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie missed out on this month’s camp for varied reasons.
Those two, though, merely scratch the surface on how well Pochettino’s insistence on experimentation has gone, nor is it the first time. Results have been inconsistent in the year-plus since Pochettino took charge but the one constant has been an unwavering commitment to ripping it all up and starting from scratch. The team may have looked aimless at times along the way, forcing questions about whether or not Pochettino has cast his net far too wide and sacrificed chemistry during a truncated run-up to the World Cup. Next summer’s tournament may still be seven months away but Pochettino may be in as good a position as any to take a victory lap – his team is unquestionably unfamiliar to the one that lost 1-0 to Uruguay in the final game of Gregg Bheralter’s time in charge of the team, better for just about all the changes that he has made.
Now on a three game winning streak, the USMNT keep finding different ways to collect victories. Saturday’s gritty performance against Paraguay gave way for a remarkable success on set pieces on Tuesday. Pochettino’s side scored four of their five goals on set pieces, several players’ special skillsets coming to the forefront. Berhalter was a bright spot on those dead ball opportunities during the Concacaf Gold Cup and was impactful again against Uruguay, while left back John Tolkin called back upon his New York Red Bulls heritage and whipped in the corner that led to Freeman’s first goal.
The performance, both collectively and individually, provides Pochettino with a good set of problems with just one international break left to go until his World Cup roster is set. It may have created an unpredictable race to the finish in the process – which is exactly what Pochettino has hoped for all along.
Add Comment