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Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman, Chris Richards USMNTGetty/GOAL
Tom Hindle,Jacob Schneider and Ryan Tolmich

The Rondo: Assessing the USMNT after group stage, which player must perform if Mauricio Pochettino's side are to win Gold Cup

GOAL US writers debate the state of the USMNT's Gold Cup campaign ahead of Sunday's quarterfinal against Costa Rica

Job done on the group stages, then. For all of the bad vibes around the USMNT heading into the Gold Cup, the results so far look good. Three games, three wins, and some decent contributions from all over the pitch. A world-class team this is not, but things have gone well in terms of the most important thing: wins.

The performances, though, have been a bit mixed. More conviction against the likes of Haiti and Saudi Arabia would have been nice. And it's hard to take loads from a 5-0 battering of a truly awful Trinidad side.

But the quarterfinals are here, and the U.S. certainly have a chance. Costa Rica is not a pushover, but it's a reasonably favorable matchup. And with Mexico and Canada both suddenly struggling, the pieces are falling into place for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

Without that Christian Pulisic guy in the mix, someone is going to have to step up in the final-third. Will it be Malik Tillman again? Can Diego Luna catch fire? Can Tyler Adams and Chris Richards keep delivering? And will some off field noise - pretty much half of this team is linked with a transfer to some European club or another - impact performances going forward?

GOAL US writers debate all of that and more in a Gold Cup edition of... The Rondo.

  • Malik Tillman USMNT vs Haiti HICGetty Images

    Which player holds the key to USMNT's Gold Cup hopes?

    Tom Hindle: Anyone who can put the ball in the bloody net. The USMNT need more goals from midfield, and that means more production from Malik Tillman, Diego Luna or even Brenden Aaronson. Let's go with Luna, since he's the most fun.

    Jacob Schneider: Tillman is the player of the tournament so far. He has been outstanding, and through the remainder of the competition, will be the USMNT's most important attacker.

    Ryan Tolmich: These games could come down to one simple question: can Patrick Agyemang get his goals? Agyemang did in the win over Haiti, but it came amid some missed opportunities. Those chances will be harder to come by the longer this tournament goes on. But just based on his style, Agyemang should get several serious looks every game. If he can capitalize, the U.S. have a shot. If not, a whole lot of heavy lifting will fall on the playmakers behind him to finish.

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  • Patrick Agyemang USMNT vs HaitiGetty Images

    Prediction: Who wins quarterfinal - U.S. or Costa Rica?

    TH: Nothing really inspires confidence at the moment, does it? The U.S. struggled against their one actually decent opponent in Saudi Arabia, while Costa Rica have looked pretty good. Let's go 1-0 U.S, but a nervy 1-0.

    JS: The U.S. will handily defeat Costa Rica. The Ticos will be without star striker Manfred Ugalde due to yellow card accumulation, and they will struggle to get the ball forward as a result. With the pressure that brings, the USMNT will overload their defense and it will inevitably implode. Make it 3-0 USMNT, with goals from Tillman, Agyemang and Tim Ream.

    RT: The U.S. will beat Costa Rica. In fact, chalk, chalk, chalk for the three titans of the region - the USMNT, Mexico and Canada should all be just fine, although Saudi Arabia could very well frustrate El Tri. Honduras can definitely give Panama a game but, again, the favorite should win out, setting up a semifinal with the region's four best teams.

  • TOPSHOT-FBL-WC-2026-CONCACAF-PAN-GUYAFP

    Which team has surprised the most in this Gold Cup?

    TH: Dominican Republic, even in defeat. It's their first time at a major tournament, and they looked really rather good. Pretty sure they will be back, too.

    JS: Was really impressed with Curacao during the Group Stage, considering they were without Sheraldo Becker. The most impressive team so far, though, has been Panama. The Canal Boys had an outstanding group stage, though the knockouts won't be easy as they likely would have to get past Mexico in the semifinals.

    RT: In a negative way, Saudi Arabia. Yes, they're missing some key players, but Herve Renard's side basically gave up on attacking through these three games, scoring just once from open play. Given the growth of Saudi soccer over the last decade, it seemed as if they could be a dark horse, but they were hardly brave enough to get out of the gate in the group stage. Maybe that changes in the knockouts but, thus far, they've done little to impress.

  • Promise David Canada Gold CupGetty Images

    Which team will lift the Gold Cup trophy?

    TH: Canada. The Jesse Marsch narrative is too tasty to overlook.

    JS: Mexico wins the tournament. They will make the final and defeat the USMNT 1-0, after Pochettino's side knock out Canada in the semifinals in a thrilling penalty shootout.

    RT: Despite their group stage slip-up, Canada still have the best roster and, with Marsch now back, they have the ultimate "us-against-the-world" vibes going with them. That draw against Curacao could actually prove helpful - a nice reminder of how fragile all this can be, and that mistakes cannot be tolerated. Given the talent at his disposal, Marsch has plenty of options to attack these three games as they push through.

  • Matt Turner USMNT vs SwitzerlandGetty Images

    Which speculated USMNT transfer is most exciting or most concerning?

    TH: Difficult to get particularly jazzed up about any of them, to be honest. Not so sure you can say there's a single smart move out there. If Malik Tillman signs for Bayer Leverkusen and breaks into the first team, that will be significant for the USMNT truthers (although one hell of a drop off from Florian Wirtz). Definitely discouraged by Matt Turner's likely move to Lyon, given they have no money and he won't start.

    JS: Tillman to Leverkusen. It's a match made in heaven for both parties, as he replaces Wirtz and is handed a setup with a top manager in Erik Ten Hag. He would have some great attacking options around him, such as Victor Boniface and Patrick Schick. That said, Turner to Lyon is concerning. If they get relegated to Ligue 2, he needs to get out of that deal.

    RT: For most exciting, it's Tillman, who could potentially step right into a Wirtz-sized hole at Bayer Leverkusen. Tillman, of course, isn't Wirtz, but few players are even close to that level. What Tillman is, though, is a dynamic attacking midfielder who can score and create in equal measure, much like the Liverpool-bound midfielder. Most concerning? Agree that it's Turner at the moment. With Lyon in limbo, Turner faces an uncertain future. If Lyon go down to Ligue 2, what other teams are realistically willing to give Turner a chance - especially given his lack of games at this Gold Cup? He's in a tough spot already, and this proposed Lyon move has made it even tougher.