"A little more than a month ago, the U.S. men's national team seemed to be in disarray. The results were poor, the individual performances offered little in the way of hope, and the push for competition within the team seemed based more on wishful thinking than reality. Yet with the October window now concluded, it's clear that the recent gathering of USMNT players was a success, and there has been discernible progress made in terms of the team's preparations for next summer's FIFA World Cup."
"The results have improved to the point that the U.S. is now unbeaten in its past three games, two of them wins, all against teams who have punched their ticket to the World Cup. At forward, Haji Wright has emerged to challenge Folarin Balogun, even as the latter still has an edge in terms of securing a starting spot. The midfield seems jumbled, but in a good way."
"The attackers sitting behind the central striker are making cases as well. Weston McKennie looks to have come in from the cold after being frozen out by manager Mauricio Pochettino in September. Against Australia, Diego Luna reminded everyone why he's a Pochettino favorite, with his high-energy and incisive play giving the USMNT a boost. Malik Tillman looked sharp against Ecuador."
The U.S. men's national team has shown clear progress during the October window, moving from poor results to an unbeaten run of three matches, including two wins against World Cup-qualified opponents. Competition for roster spots has increased across the pitch, with Haji Wright challenging Folarin Balogun at forward and multiple midfielders such as Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Cristian Roldan making stronger cases for inclusion. Attacking midfield options like Weston McKennie, Diego Luna and Malik Tillman have provided energy and incisive play. Defensive organization appears more stable at times, aided by a 3-4-3 formation that has bolstered the backline.
Read at ESPN.com
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