"In past points of his managerial career, Mauricio Pochettino could upgrade his squad via the transfer market. When Tottenham sold striker Roberto Soldado in 2015, his replacement came two weeks later: Son Heung-min. It's a facet of the job completely absent in his role with the US national team, though he'd be forgiven for wishing a similar market was available ahead of this summer's World Cup."
"With provisional World Cup squads due 11 May and Pochettino wanting to avoid a cruel scenario of bringing players over for the final friendlies in May and June only to leave them off of his tournament squad, the window for hopefuls to make an impression is nearly closed. There are positional battles across the pitch; there's no ironclad starting goalkeeper, a likely opening (or two) at center back beside Chris Richards, and multiple midfield places."
"Much like 2022, however, the biggest question resides up top. No role on the field is more directly affected by recent results; A striker in form can force questions of a national team mainstay who isn't bagging goals for their club. My message is we are watching everything, Pochettino said in October. I promise you no one right now is guaranteed to be on the final roster for the World Cup. All the guys feel they need to fight to be there."
Mauricio Pochettino cannot reinforce the US national team via the transfer market and must select from the existing player pool ahead of the World Cup. Provisional squads are due 11 May, creating limited time for players to make final impressions before friendlies and the tournament. Several positions are contested: goalkeeper lacks an ironclad starter, there may be one or two center-back openings beside Chris Richards, and multiple midfield spots remain available. The primary selection dilemma centers on forwards, where club form directly affects national-team opportunities. Pochettino emphasizes that no player is guaranteed a roster place. Folarin Balogun arrived as a leading contender, scoring eight goals in 23 caps and impressing with movement and interplay.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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