The United States' 4-1 demolition of Paraguay at SoFi Stadium was a near-perfect night, but USMNT supporters have spent the following week worrying about Christian Pulisic's fitness. After his most dazzling 45 minute display in a U.S. shirt, Pulisic was withdrawn at half time due to a calf issue. The man himself described his withdrawal as "precautionary", but has concerningly spent the last few days training away from the rest of group, restricted to individual gym work.
Thus, this strongly suggests that Pulisic will not be fit to start against Australia in Seattle on Friday afternoon. If there is any risk of him exacerbating this issue, which there clearly must be, he should not be risked, with far more important assignments to come, or at least that's the plan. So, who should Mauricio Pochettino bring into his lineup to fill Pulisic's enormous void?
Gio Reyna
Having played a miserly 577 minutes for his club Borussia Mönchengladbach last season, it is widely excepted that Gio Reyna's best role for the U.S. is as a super sub. Gregg Berhalter certainly thought so in Qatar, even if the player himself did not agree. Against Paraguay, Reyna demonstrated what he can offer in this role, scoring a sublime trivela to secure the victory right at the end.
Now though, could he start this time? Well, with Australia set to defend deep, because that is how Tony Popovic's team play, the onus will be on the U.S. to break the Soceroos down, likely to enjoy an enormous percentage of possession. Thus, stylistically, Reyna's ability to break lines with both passes and small bursts of pace make him the best fit for the task at hand. However, it is possible that Pochettino does not believe Reyna can be trusted from the start, so who else is an option?
Tim Weah
Pochettino has done and said plenty of weird stuff since taking over as USMNT manager just under two years ago, but is his analysis of Weah's eyes the most bizarre? Back in November 2024, Weah started on the left flank against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League in St. Louis. The manager noted after the game that this change was due to the winger's left-eye dominance. Well, since then, he has also been deployed on that flank against Panama, Canada, Korea Republic and Australia themselves, showing this is clearly something Pochettino likes.
However, this game might not suit him. Weah is not much a dribbler, excellent when there is open space to run in to, exemplified by his goal against Wales during the last World Cup. Well, if there is one thing we know about Australia, we can say for certain there will not be space in behind at any stage, making Weah an awkward fit.
Brenden Aaronson
Lastly, we'd be absolutely flawed if Brendan Aaronson's name is in the USA XI on Friday. The 25 year old might just be one of the best out-of-possession forwards on the entire planet, no hyperbole, given that he is a tireless runner who could close down defenders for all eternity. However, as already outlined, the United States are likely to have at least 70% of the ball at Lumen Field, if not much more, meaning, if any game is ill-suited to Aaronson, it is this one.
Put succinctly, we're advocating for Pochettino to start Reyna. Will he do just that? Well, we'll find out bright and early if you are on the west coast or close to it.
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