USMNT a Concacaf Gold Cup underdog? 5 things we learned in group play | OneFootball

After a pair of bleak losses to Türkiye and Switzerland, things looked bleak for the USMNT heading into the Gold Cup. The fact that Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is lacking the biggest American stars didn’t expire confidence either.

Yet, the USMNT managed wins over Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti, outscoring those three opponents 8-1. Bigger tests undoubtedly await during the knockout stage, but it’s still worth looking back at what we learned about the USMNT from the group stage of the Gold Cup.

Diego Luna will be on the World Cup Roster

If this wasn’t clear before the Gold Cup, it is now. Pochettino is a huge fan of the Real Salt Lake youngster. The diminutive Luna is good on the wing but also able to play a more central attacking midfielder role, which is the type of versatility that Pochettino likes.

If not for a deflection by Patrick Agyemang, Luna would have had a goal and two assists in the Gold Cup opener against Trinidad & Tobago while giving perhaps the best performance of his international career. Moving forward, Luna will be a big part of the USMNT’s Gold Cup success, and at this point, it’d be shocking if Pochettino didn’t include him on the World Cup squad next summer.

Chris Richards is this team’s best player

To be clear, this applies to the Gold Cup roster, although even with the full squad available, Richards would be among the top players. His play at center back is a big reason why the U.S. only conceded one goal during the group stage. It’s also no coincidence that Richards was on the bench during that disastrous 4-0 loss to Switzerland.

When he’s been on the field, the USMNT defense has been a lot more solid. Plus, he almost single-handedly beat Saudi Arabia, making an incredible goal-saving recovery run and tackle before later scoring the game’s only goal on a set piece. Richards is set to lead the way for the U.S. moving forward, although one could argue it’s a little problematic having your best player be a center back.

The U.S. is stuck with Patrick Agyemang (for better or worse)

After a lackluster effort against a terrible Trinidad team in the Gold Cup opener, we thought we’d seen the last of Agyemang. However, Pochettino has stuck with him, even after another unimpressive performance against Saudi Arabia. To his credit, Agyemang was better against Haiti, ultimately scoring the game-winner despite his foot speed and decision-making looking too slow to succeed at the international level.

After the Haiti game, it’s clear that Agyemang will be Pochettino’s pick at striker in this tournament, in part because the U.S. lacks other options. Damion Downs is battling a knock after looking bright as a sub against Saudi Arabia, while Brian White has done little in limited action. It’s still a huge question whether Agyemang can handle himself against better competition during the knockout stage, but it looks like he’ll get his chance.

The attack runs through Malik Tillman

Since Agyemang has been largely unreliable amidst a few positive moments during the Gold Cup, everything has gone through Tillman. Fortunately, he’s been up to the task, scoring three of the team’s eight goals during the group stage. Outside of the three goals, Tillman has played a key role virtually every time the USMNT has created a scoring opportunity during the Gold Cup.

Pochettino had heaps of praise for Tillman after the Haiti match, and for good reason. With the likes of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKenzie missing from the Gold Cup, Tillman has done his best to fill the void, solidifying his status as a core member of the squad, even when the full allotment of players is available.

The U.S. is not winning the Gold Cup

To be fair, the USMNT has won all three of its games during the group stage and has given itself a chance. But it’s still hard to make the argument that the current roster has enough in its toolbox to win the Gold Cup. The U.S. is still playing with inexperienced full-backs and an inexperienced goalie, who made a critical error against Haiti. Meanwhile, the U.S. has lacked creativity and attacking prowess outside of the Trinidad game, not to mention the questions about Agyemang against quality competition.

It’s also fair to question whether this squad has enough depth to win three games in eight days, which is what the USMNT will need to do to win the Gold Cup. Granted, Mexico and Canada have also showcased some flaws. But the USMNT has looked far from the best team in the Gold Cup thus far.