NFL
By Keith Richards
The September USMNT Camp has come to an end. The two matches between South Korea and Japan have some mixed results. Against South Korea, USMNT was outclassed entirely in the 0-2 loss. However, against Japan, USMNT was infinitely better in a 2-0 win. So, what do we make of it? After this September Camp, where do Mauricio Pochettino and this USMNT squad stand?
Today, we’re going to break down the three positions where there was the most traction: Forwards and Defenders. It’s no disrespect to the midfielders. Outside of some bright moments from Jack McGlynn, there wasn’t much to see during this September Camp. While Matt Freese did perform well, the jury will remain out on goalkeepers until we see all of them in action. Conversely, there were some spicy developments with the two position groups we will discuss. So, let’s dig in!
Forwards (6): Damion Downs (Southampton, England), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, Italy), Josh Sargent (Norwich City, England), Tim Weah (Marseille, France), Alex Zendejas (Club América, Mexico), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, France)
Against South Korea, very few players, if any, had a significant shift. According to FotMob, the highest-rated player from USMNT in that match was Folarin Balogun with a 7.0 rating. Balogun did not start that match. Instead, he was subbed on in the 62nd minute. Consequently, I think that Folarin was the most consistent forward in the September Camp.
In 107 minutes across the two matches, Folarin Balogun had one goal, eight shots (six on target), four chances created, and 20 touches in the opposition’s box. Not coincidentally, Balogun was the highest-rated player for USMNT against Japan with an 8.3 rating. Particularly, against Japan, Folarin’s connection with the wingbacks was spectacular. His hold-up play was excellent, and the combination play with Christian Pulisic and Alex Zendejas was top-notch. Consequently, Alex Zendejas was another star of the September Camp.
Zendejas scored the other goal against Japan, which resulted in an 8.0 rating. Over 84 minutes across two matches, Alex had one goal, five shots (two on target), three chances created, and completed 89% of his passes (51/57). Against South Korea, Poch aligned the squad in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which was not effective. However, against Japan, USMNT employed a 3-4-3 formation, which proved much more effective.
Even with a front three, Balogun ended up being the most forward player of the three. Pulisic often dropped deep to receive the ball and started the attack. Frequently, Alex Zendejas found himself crashing into the box on supporting, overlapping runs off Folarin. It was something that worked well! His goal was an absolute golazo off a cross from Max Arfsten.
Coming into camp, many were looking for Josh Sargent to solidify himself on the World Cup roster. Sargent was not named for the 2025 Gold Cup roster, but has been on fire with Norwich City. In my opinion, Josh was a bit disappointing, which has been the issue with Sargent. His performances when he’s on the USMNT roster have not been awe-inspiring.
It will be interesting to see who Mauricio brings back for the October Camp from this September group. I think it’s safe to say Balogun, Zendejas, and Pulisic (who was electric as usual) will be back. I don’t know if Sargent will be back. Also, will we see Patrick Agyemang? We shall see!
Defenders (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg, Germany), Tristian Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, England)
In the back four against South Korea, the backline of Arfsten, Ream, Blackmon, and Dest looked awful. There could be many reasons for that. They haven’t played together much, and they played against a tough South Korean side. Whatever the reason, they just looked dreadful. Against Japan, Pochettino switched to a back three of Ream, Richards, and Blackmon. Arfsten and Freeman then switched to wingbacks (left and right, respectively).
We’re going to focus on the Japan match. There is nothing of actual value from the South Korea match to discuss with the defenders. It wasn’t good. Let’s keep it moving. Between Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman, FotMob rated Arfsten the highest with an 8.2 rating. In 66 minutes, the Columbus Crew fullback had one assist, completed 29 of his 31 passes, created two chances, and won both his ground duels.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
FotMob was not as high on Alex Freeman as I was, apparently. Alex Freeman played for the full 90 minutes, completed 25 of his 33 passes, but only won one of six of his ground duels. So, based on that, I can see why FotMob was not high on Freeman. Yet, it just feels like Freeman was impressive. Defensively, he can leave a little to be desired, but his speed in attack was exceptional and gave Japan fits.
Additionally, when he positions himself correctly, he becomes difficult for his opponents to beat. I wouldn’t make him a starter, but I think he’s solidifying himself as a valuable depth piece for the World Cup. Someone that I believe has solidified himself as a starter is Chris Richards. Richards also played the full 90 minutes against Japan. FotMob gave him a 7.2 rating. In that time, Chris completed 62 of his 72 passes (the most passes completed), had seven defensive contributions, and had three tackles, one block, and three clearances.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
Additionally, Chris Richards won three out of five of his ground duels and three out of six of his aerial duels. Any thought of anyone replacing Chris Richards as the other starting center back is erased. Ream and Richards are the top two center backs. Everyone else will be fighting for a spot on the bench. Conversely, if Poch likes the back three, there will be more opportunities. However, that’s a “wait and see” situation.
There is still a lot to sort out in the defense. Yunus Musah and Joe Scally are certainly in the mix. As with the Forwards, the October Camp will shed a lot of light on Mauricio Pochettino’s mindset as the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws closer. Until then, stay tuned to Team NBS. We will bring you all the news and analysis about the October Camp as soon as it’s here, as we continue to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup!
