USMNT 2025 storylines: Tyler Adams’ importance, striker issue remains, Mauricio Pochettino’s tactics and more

Confronted with October friendly competitions that are announced Ecuador And Australia At home, the 2025 schedule for Mauricio Pochettino and the national team of the United States are almost ready. They will also be confronted Japan And South Korea with more arrive in the international window of November. Although they have not participated in Concacaf World Cup because of organizing the World Cup 2026 In addition to Canada and Mexico, these friendly competitions will be strict tests for the USMNT and those who can help answer threatening questions.

Since the World Cup 2022, where she defeated IranThe United States did not remove top 20 FIFA opposition outside of Concacaf. They have a good record of the sides lower in the FIFA ranking list, but with a world cup on a home floor, expectations are high and with how the team has achieved, they can struggle.

This summer window during the Gold Cup made some promise for the national team with the rise of Diego Luna and Malik Tillman, but even they struggled when they were confronted with Mexico. Some struggles were to be expected with the need for peace and the club world that keeps countless USMNT tribe guests Christian Pulisic And Weston McKennie From joining the team this summer. They are expected to return in the fall, but that does not mean that everyone in the national team will remain guaranteed.

There are still the problems with playing time for players such as YunusGio Reyna and Tim Weah. If they are not solved, all three could be on the outside and looked at a world cup team. These are not the only problems with which the USMNT is confronted for the rest of the year, but they are some of the largest.

Let’s look at what else is looking forward to when the summer is rolling and players near their return to club football:

Will big transfers come true?

After the Gold Cup, many players are on the road or close to securing a switch to a new club. Johnny Cardoso ((Atletico Madrid) Malik Tillman (Leverkusen), Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), and Damion Downs (Southampton) have all become a member of new clubs or can be on the move this summer. Although moving to new clubs and expectations to start with, it will be a good thing for the World Cup, there is also an element of doubt that crawls into the heads of USMNT supporters when these movements happen.

There is always the chance to fall out of favor when you become a member of a new club, so that the USMNT could start with first team -stem guests. That should never be a reason for players not to challenge themselves, but it makes it difficult to assess movements. In the case of Tillman, a switch to Leverkusen to replace Florian Wirtz is an excellent place to take the next step in his career, but if he doesn’t run the ground, he gets a long belt show What can he do? Only time will learn it.

A nine must come forward

After this golden cup, the top layer of the rush -hour rotation for Pochettino has become clearer. With Agaremang who gets all the starts during the competition, he is in a race to make the World Cup team alongside Ricardo Pepi and Disoting captain. While Balogun was an excellent recruit for the USMNT, his 2024-25 season was one to forget while struggling with injuries. If he does not bounce back there, there is every chance that Balogun could end up in a scenario in which he does not start with the World Cup, which was probably a large part of why he chose the USMNT.

Pepi now has a big voice of trust from PSV in earning the number nine sweater. Continuation of his score rates while starting the club in the Champions League will do a lot for the opportunities of Pepi, while the other attackers in the USMNT -Pool push to maintain their own level. Add that that Agyemang challenges itself by looking at an Anemic Derby County attack, and the forward pool can have some of the questions, but they are all in good positions to push each other, so that the best performing progress starts with the World Cup.

Oks Pochettin’s tactics

As the Argentinian gets closer to a year at work and gets to know the player pool, the pressure is on him to find out the best system for the team. The Gold Cup was a good use of fixed plays, but curious decisions also emerged. Max Arfsten is a great player who brings a lot to a rear five, but he was defensively suspected in a rear four. Despite that, Pochettino has never adjusted the system for the Columbus Crew Man helps by his side. This will not be a problem with a healthy Antonee Robinson, but these are things that are easier to apologize with less than a year at work, but not in a world cup year.

During the Gold Cup final, when the USMNT Mexico could not keep up, Pochettino Luca de la Torre took out to introduce Downs in the game. In a sense, the movement is logical when it happens in the last five minutes that chases a goal, but with more than 20 minutes to go, the team left too weak to get the game someday. With difficult friendly competitions this year, tactically, this team has to improve because they get to know his system.

Tyler Adams

The Gold Cup was a time to forget for Tyler Adams. Coming from a difficult season with Bournemouth, where he struggled with injuries, Adams Anonymous and Lauw was in possession during the tournament. After he had established the USMNT on the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Adams will again be crucial for their setup in 2026. If he is not at the top of his game, this team may have trouble getting out of the group phase. Even he admitted he Was not at its best at the Gold Cup.

The six have been one of the thinnest positions for the USMNT, because Cardoso has not shown that he can play it at the highest level and other midfielders not the same defensive bite and calm pass that Adams has at his best. When Tim Ream It is expected that it is one of the defenders behind him, being able to anticipate what midfield will do is critical, and after Pulisic and Robinson, Adams is perhaps the next most important player of the USMNT in 2026.