With the roster for the USMNT’s upcoming Nations League games being released on Wednesday, Mauricio Pochettino had to make plenty of tough decisions about who to invite and who to leave off. But the difficult decisions aren’t over for him just yet. He still has to name a lineup for two games and ensure the U.S. advances past Haiti. There are plenty of questions regarding how Pochettino will do that, meaning there are big decisions he still has to make for the Nations League quarterfinals.
Who starts in goal?
Right now, this might be the million-dollar question facing Pochettino. Coming out of the 2026 World Cup, the goalkeeper situation is such a mess that nobody is expecting it to be solved quickly. However, it would be better to figure out the starter sooner rather than later. Plus, Pochettino has to make a decision about who starts the first two competitive matches following the World Cup. There’s no denying that Diego Kochen made a good first impression during the September-October window. But is he too young to become the full-time starter? Would Pochettino feel more comfortable with Matt Freese despite his past mistakes? Who Pochettino starts in these two games will say a lot about how he views the current state and future of the goalkeeper position.
Will Cavan Sullivan earn a start?
There is no shortage of attention on Sullivan heading into his second camp with the USMNT. During the September-October window, he certainly proved that he belongs at this level. But whether he’s ready to be a starter with the full squad available is another question. Would Pochettino potentially give Sullivan a start over Christian Pulisic? Another option would be starting Sullivan and Pulisic together at the expense of a player like Gio Reyna or Malik Tillman. That would be a dream scenario for some USMNT fans, but will Pochettino find a way to make it happen against Haiti? The injury he picked up on MLS Decision Day also adds uncertainty to the situation.
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What’s the plan for the young players?
The Nations League roster is a nice blend of the USMNT core and young players with a bright future. In some respects, it was surprising to see the likes of Adri Mehmeti or Mathis Albert chosen over some of the obvious snubs like Aidan Morris. Does Pochettino have a plan to get these players on the field, or are they in camp to gain experience and further their development? The main goal of the window is to beat Haiti and advance to the Nations League quarterfinals. How does Pochettino balance that against getting players like Mehmeti and Albert on-field experience?
Who is Chris Richards’ center-back partner?
Conventional wisdom says that Auston Trusty will start, especially with George Campbell no longer being an option. The problem is that Trusty hasn’t played for Celtic since October 15, as he was away from the team after his father passed away. Does that make Mark McKenzie the best option despite not being on the original roster? McKenzie has been quite consistent for Toulouse, quietly putting together a good season in France. The other question for Pochettino is how much trust he has in teenager Neil Pierre. Is he ready to start a competitive match for the USMNT, or does he need more time? The center-back position is still a big question for the USMNT, and it doesn’t help that Richards has had some disappointing performances for Crystal Palace lately.
How much does Folarin Balogun play?
There’s no debate about whether or not Balogun is the first-choice striker for the national team. But he’s barely played for Monaco this season. He only recently got his first start of the season, so his fitness is a reasonable concern. How much can Pochettino realistically push him at this point? With Ricardo Pepi left off the roster because he’s not fully back from his latest injury, can Balogun play significant minutes in back-to-back games, or will Pochettino have to rely on Julian Hall and Justin Ellis to produce in a pair of competitive matches?
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