Spend sufficient time with U. S. Men’s National Team coach Mauricio Pochettino and you will hear him repeat a number of key phrases advert nauseam. Combat, for one. Togetherness. Spirit. Connection.
One phrase, although, has cropped up extra usually than some other: depth. It is Pochettino’s nice white whale, his obsession; hearken to him earlier than or after any USMNT recreation and you will hear him deliver it up prefer it’s crucial factor within the universe.
Pochettino lamented the USMNT’s lack of depth throughout the group’s March camp, evaluating the squad unfavorably to France’s and Colombia’s (who performed one another throughout the identical time interval.)
“They performed like this was the ultimate of the World Cup!” Pochettino exclaimed of the 2 sides. “And France, after they noticed the depth and the aggression of Colombia mentioned: ‘If we don’t play as intense, they are going to kill us.’ That’s depth.”
That is what Pochettino needs from his USMNT gamers, nevertheless it’s not precisely what he is getting. The group struggled to show the depth dial up towards Belgium and Portugal in its March friendlies, dropping 5-2 and 2-0 over the course of three days.
For a lot of USMNT followers, the reply to this lack of depth lies within the group’s European superstars like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and (absent by damage however quickly to return) Tyler Adams. Push them ahead, get them enjoying with actual chunk, and the remaining will comply with.
However what if the important thing to the USMNT’s depth lies slightly nearer to dwelling?
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