The USA faces an interesting situation on Thursday. The Americans have already won their group, and Türkiye has already been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.
So, does U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino try to continue building off the USA’s good start, or does he put the focus on the round of 32?
Let’s answer your questions.
If you were Poch, how would you handle this game vs. Türkiye?
— Blake Newton (@blake_newton48)
There’s a good thing that’s brewing with this squad right now, and I don’t want to see much of that get disrupted by just making complete wholesale changes. That’s not to say I don’t trust the depth of this group. I just want to keep building the momentum within this team as much as possible.
The key players who will not play, though: anyone who is one yellow card away from suspension. Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun are one yellow card away from missing the round of 32 game. Nobody wants that to happen. This also gives Poch a chance to get minutes to some more guys, who could be important down the stretch in later rounds.
The key storyline: Christian Pulisic.
Christian Pulisic missed the USA’s win over Australia because of his calf injury. (John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images)
I am only playing him from the start if he is 100 percent fit. If he’s 85 or 90 percent, I’m not starting him. If that’s the case, maybe he gets 10 or 15 minutes of run, maybe as much as a half hour, toward the end, but I’m not pushing him or putting him in any jeopardy.
The goal is to have a fully healthy Christian who is capable of firing on all cylinders for the round of 32.
Who’s the player you’re most excited to see who we haven’t seen much of yet?
— Jacobi Moore (@jacobimoore.92)
The first name that comes to mind is Gio Reyna. I’d love to see more of him on the field since he could potentially make an impact later in the tournament.
I’d also like to see guys who can make their World Cup debuts with an appearance. Specifically, it would also be nice to see midfielder Christian Roldan and striker Haji Wright get to play in this game because they’re from the Los Angeles area.
What has been your favorite match so far at the tournament?
— Christopher Castro (@christopheracastro_23)
I’m very partial to the first USA game in Los Angeles. We had been waiting so long for that game and it had so many expectations. It was such an inspiring 90 minutes that filled the confidence that this fan base needed at that moment.
Watching Lionel Messi at this tournament has been great, too. First, it was the hat trick against Algeria, and then he made history against Austria with his brace.
Argentina vs Austria Extended Highlights | 2026 FIFA World Cup™
Finally, Cape Verde’s match against Uruguay on Sunday night was great. That team’s existence in this tournament has been so fun to watch so far.
Cape Verde nearly won that game and probably should have had a penalty late. Overall, I’m really happy with how that team has conducted itself so far. Cape Verde is making its country proud going into its final match against Saudi Arabia, having taken two points from matches against Spain and Uruguay. Now, it can guarantee qualification for the round of 32 with a win.
What was your preferred formation lineup to play in?
— Kaden Holmes (@kadenholmes68)
Either a 4-2-3-1 as one of the two midfielders or a 4-3-3 where I was an “8” and could play from box to box.
How old were you when you fell in love with football?
— Fatimah (@fatttyy_toofineee)
My first memories of kicking a ball are from when I was 3 or 4 years old. I’m sure my parents had me kicking a ball around before then because my dad loved the game, as did my mom.
It was love at first sight with that first kick. I wasn’t thinking about playing professionally at that age. Instead, I just enjoyed playing.
I had three older siblings that I was always trying to compete with. I enjoyed competing and the fun I had with my family before I started watching on TV and became a fan.
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