Biggest winners and losers of USMNT international window

The September-October international window is over, and it couldn’t have gone much better for the USMNT. Capped off by a 1-0 win over Canada, Mauricio Pochettino’s team won all four of its games, starting the new cycle strong. Needless to say, there were plenty of players who made a positive impression. At the same time, there are a few players who perhaps aren’t better off than they were before the window. Let’s look at the biggest winners and losers of the international break from a USMNT perspective.

Winner - Diego Kochen

Getting the start against Mexico, when Pochettino clearly played his strongest lineup, said a lot about where Kochen stands. He made the most of his opportunity, keeping a clean sheet against El Tri, while also showing off his skills on the ball, a trait many other American keepers don’t have at the moment. It’s possible that Kochen has worked his way into the No. 1 keeper spot, although we probably won’t know until the U.S. faces Haiti in Nations League in November. 

Loser - The other goalies

If Kochen is the winner, that means the other goalies are losers. Matt Freese, in particular, had to watch the 20-year-old Kochen threaten his job as the de facto starter. Freese played the first half of the game and then sat for three and a half games. That might have been the plan all along, but it can’t make him feel confident that he has a hold on the starting job.

Winner - Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino is clearly a big winner of the international break. He brought in a young roster to test up-and-coming players, and most looked ready. Pochettino also won all four games, which has to feel good. Perhaps more importantly, the USMNT skipper took a huge first step in developing more squad depth than the U.S. has ever seen before. That’s going to help Pochettino put pressure on the veteran players to be at their best in order to keep their spots, which is exactly what he wants.

Loser - Yunus Musah

After being left out of the World Cup squad over the summer, Musah got another opportunity with the national team. But it didn’t seem like he made the most of it. He appeared in three of the four games, including two starts. However, his performances were middle of the road at best. He’s still too young and too talented to write off completely. But in a crowded midfield, with Weston McKennie and Johnny Cardoso potentially be re-introduced into the squad during the next international window, there might not be enough room at Musah. He might have to rely on his play at club level to get another chance with the USMNT.

Winner - Julian Hall

While Cavan Sullivan certainly lived up to much of the hype, Hall did more to improve his stock than any other previously uncapped player during these four games. He played in all four games, scoring three of the USMNT’s 12 goals. It was one of the most impressive debuts for any American at the international level. Just 18, Hall might be closer to being a core part of the USMNT squad than anyone would have predicted before the window. Of course, it remains unclear if he’s fully committed to the U.S. or is still considering Poland.

Loser - Ricardo Pepi

With Hall being one of the big winners of the window, not to mention a strong showing from Justin Ellis, who scored two goals, Pepi has to be considered one of the losers of this window. Through no fault of his own, Pepi had to pull out of international duty after picking up an injury in PSV’s final game before the break. He would have been considered the top striker on the roster and given a rare opportunity to play without looking up at Folarin Balogun on the depth chart. Instead, Pepi was at home, watching Hall and Ellis make a strong play to unseat him as Balogun’s top understudy.

Winner - 2030 World Cup hopes

The biggest winner of this international break might be USMNT fans who are already thinking about the 2030 World Cup. Not only is there a large contingent of players from the 2026 World Cup who still have a chance to be contributors in four years, but the next generation also looks ready to help. This window was our first look at young players who have a chance to make an impact sooner rather than later. The best part is that there’s more than three years for these players to develop and other players to emerge, meaning the 2030 World Cup squad could be considerably stronger than the one that’s made the Round of 16 in the last two World Cups, and that’s a great sign for the future of U.S. soccer. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow