With Christian Pulisic currently on a bad run of form, Mauricio Pochettino could be looking at an alternate winger for the USMNT at the World Cup this summer.
Pulisic is the Stars and Stripes' most recognizable face, but if he is not performing, then Pochettino will need to replace him. The USMNT has other players who can play on the wing, such as Haji Wright and Timothy Weah. However, a certain MLS player could be in for a surprise call-up.
Zavier Gozo scored twice as Real Salt Lake defeated the Houston Dynamo 3-0 in MLS last night. He has now scored five goals with three assists in 12 MLS games this season. In the last campaign, he only managed four goals with three assists in 25 MLS matches.
Pochettino has shown that he is willing to give MLS players a chance in his roster. The likes of Matt Freese, Max Arfsten, and Tim Ream have all featured regularly for the USMNT under the Argentine. However, the USMNT roster for the World Cup is still expected to consist mainly of players who are with European clubs.
Should Zavier Gozo be a part of the USMNT's World Cup squad?
Gozo's RSL teammate Diego Luna was expected to be the wildcard MLS player in Pochettino's squad. Luna already has 18 caps with four goals and four assists for the USMNT. However, he was not included in their squad for the recent international break.
Luna's record this MLS season is not quite as good as Gozo's. The USMNT international has scored four goals with one assist in nine matches. He missed the first three games of the campaign with a knee injury.
Gozo is yet to play for the USMNT at the senior level. However, he has represented the United States from the Under-15 level all the way to the U-23s. Gozo was part of the U.S. side that got to the final of the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship before losing to Mexico.
The right-sided player is only 19, so it would be a gamble to take a player who is that young to the tournament. It could be very good for his experience. However, Pochettino is not expected to carry on as the USMNT's boss after the World Cup. Therefore, he will be focusing on the here and now and will likely take wingers with more experience with him to the tournament.
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