Brian White, Diego Luna show what a USMNT call can do for confidence | OneFootball

Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White was named MLS Player of the Month for April 2025 on Wednesday. And while he's certainly earned the honor with five goals in league play and seven in all competitions, perhaps he should also send U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino a bottle of wine to say thanks for the confidence boost.

There's no way of knowing, of course, but it's surely well within the realm of possibility that White's uptick in form came in part because of an increase in confidence that followed his national team call. While White only played a few minutes in what was -- from a team perspective -- a total debacle, he wasn't even on the radar of most USMNT followers.

And frankly, compared to other strikers in the fold, it was probably a victory for his national team future that he didn't set himself apart in a bad way. (Only Charlotte FC's Patrick Agyemang could be considered to have had a truly positive impact among the strikers who played in the losses to Panama and Canada)

Diego Luna's rise also continues

We've seen similar form recently from Diego Luna since his return from the USMNT to Real Salt Lake, where he's scored a pair of braces this month in two RSL victories.

Luna's case is slightly different; many USMNT followers actively wanted him in the March camp with the closer-to-full-strength squad after his strong showing with a mostly MLS-based USMNT in Pochettino's January camp. He also likely has a considerably higher ceiling at age 21, compared to the 29-year-old White.

Even so, there's no denying that Luna's ascension has continued and maybe even accelerated following his inclusion in March. And he was arguably the lone true bright spot for the Americans in that window with his creative midfield work, including his setup of Agyemang's goal in the 2-1 loss to Canada in the third-place match.

Why Poch saw opportunity

Calling up players into a national team with a deliberate intention of boosting confidence can be an extremely delicate matter, and shouldn't be a standard MO when there are other more obvious choices.

But Pochettino's masterstroke may have been recognizing the particular situation allowed for it in a way that wouldn't be an undue disservice to other USMNT hopefuls.

Injuries to Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun created an obvious opening at center forward. In central midfield, the most disputable omission was probably Leeds United's Brendan Aaronson. But the former Philadelphia Union man had played so many minutes during the grueling EFL Championship campaign that the respite may have been welcomed by Aaronson's camp.

These are stories that were lost in the overriding furor over results that the U.S. fanbase deemed unacceptable. But if Pochettino truly went into the Nations League games with the longer view of 2026 in mind, White and Luna's current league form may validate that approach.