Mauricio Pochettino is about to make a USMNT star unhappy with one brutal call

Let’s face it, having one too many good options in a certain position is never a bad thing. It’s a luxury that the USMNT, given its recent history, would take in a heartbeat. However, you have to pity Mauricio Pochettino, who has no choice but to leave at least one of Josh Sargent and/or Zavier Gozo unhappy. 

In case you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know about the same rock that rocked the USMNT. Patrick Agyemang was stretchered off the field this month at his English club, Derby County. It turned out to be an ACL injury, the worst kind of injury for a World Cup hopeful to pick up. He is out of action, which was a true shame considering his goal in the March camp. 

Josh Sargent and/or Zavier Gozo are about to be disappointed

Haji Wright making the roster is a sure bet. This means that one of Josh Sargent or Zavier Gozo will miss out. At this point, both of them are likely to miss out, with Mauricio Pochettino looking to add depth to his midfield charts instead. 

If one of Sagent or Gozo is to make the team, you’d feel safer opting for Josh Sargent. The current Toronto FC forward has World Cup experience with the USA, and playing in MLS now will give him leverage to prove to Mauricio Pochettino that he’s worth calling. 

Unfortunately, this leaves Gozo in an incredibly awkward boat. He’s started this MLS season well, but as much as we hate to say it, it might be too little, too late. 

Zavier Gozo should make the roster, but he is playing in the position with the most amount of competition. Sure, he adds a fresh dynamic from the bench, and his playing style is unorthodox, making him awkward to defend against. However, he doesn’t have the leverage that some of his USMNT counterparts have. 

Gozo has never made an appearance for the USMNT. He’s played for the youth teams, but Poch is unlikely to give him his senior debut on the biggest stage of them all. It’s unfortunately a complication that Gozo is the right player, at the wrong time. 

Pochettino cannot afford to take risks. At most international tournaments, there is no pressure for the USMNT. Everybody knows that soccer is an emerging sport in the USA, and it takes time for that culture to be adopted. However, when you are hosting a tournament this big (the biggest sporting event in the world, no less), there will be eyes on you. 

Pochettino will only call up players that he knows can handle the pressure the world stage brings. It is both to protect his players and the growing integrity of the USMNT. Unfortunately for Zavier Gozo, he is the most likely of the USMNT center forward options to miss out. He doesn’t deserve to miss out, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.