GUADALAJARA, Mexico - No matter what decisions or changes U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino has up his sleeve, we can guarantee that the U.S. men's national team he assembles to face Mexico will be vastly different than the one he put on the pitch for a 2-0 debut win over Panama Saturday night.
Recent developments will require it.
Christian Pulisic has left camp. So, too, has Weston McKennie. Goalscorer Ricardo Pepi is gone, too, joining the likes of Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Tim Weah and Gio Reyna - none of whom made it camp because of injuries - in watching this game from Europe. No replacements have been named. Pochettino is heading into Guadalajara with what he has.
He'll feel that he has enough, despite all of the absences. Even if it isn't, Tuesday's visit to the Estadio Akron will be a good experience for him and his staff. These are the types of games that can truly show you who a player is and - with the host US squad having already qualified for the 2026 World Cup - those games are hard to come by.
So, given the limited options, who will Pochettino go with? Which players are in a good position to make an impact as the U.S. play at Mexico for the first time in a dozen years? GOAL takes a look.