The Rondo, USMNT edition: Is Sergino Dest the most in-form American? Who’s disappointing? Is Cavan Sullivan a lock for the September camp?

Ryan Tolmich: SerginoDest has been cooking. His performance against Belgium was a rough one, but his start to the season in the Eredivisie has been a pretty significant reminder of what he offers. Of course, you take the good with the bad with Dest, but when he's good, there are usually goals and assists piling up.

Alex Labidou: We knew Dest was talented, but seeing the U.S. right back playing like one of Europe’s elite attacking players has been a pleasant surprise.

Dest has two goals and two assists in PSV’s opening five games. Some will chalk that up to the notoriously open Eredivisie, but he also scored the club’s only goal in a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar.

That pace will be difficult to sustain from a defensive position, but here’s hoping this is the start of a memorable double-digit goal and assists season.

Thomas Hindle: None of them? It hasn’t really been a mind-blowing opening to the campaign for anyone. PSV's Ricardo Pepi is probably the most obvious shout, especially given he found his goalscoring form quickly. A word, too, for Sebastian Berhalter, who has taken to English football well with Middlesbrough.

RT: It may be a little unfair, but the answer is Folarin Balogun. His transfer saga got ugly, and the combination of that and injury issues has left him sidelined. Because of that, he's seemingly in limbo at the moment. We don't yet know what his role will be with Monaco, and that could impact where his short and long-term futures lie. That's a concern, particularly with such an important player.

AL: Malik Tillman might be a top-three USMNT player right now, but his form for Leverkusen still leaves a lot to be desired. He underwhelmed in his first two matches of the season - both starts - before registering a goal contribution during a 15-minute substitute appearance at Augsburg.

Not all of that falls on the 24-year-old. Pochettino appeared to find something with Tillman as a No. 8 during the World Cup, where he was a menace on both sides of the ball. Back in Germany, he has struggled to make the same impact in the No. 10 role he struggled with the club last season.

His own assessment has been blunt: He called last season the worst of his club career and admitted he could be ready for a move after just one season at Leverkusen. There is too much talent here for another frustrating year. Finding the right role for him would be a start.

TH: Antonee Robinson. He looks tired, and Fulham just aren’t clicking at the moment.

RT: Check back in December. Is it ideal? Of course not, but the season is young, and teams are still very much working through some early-season rust. Both sides, too, are working through those with new coaches. Let's give those coaches time to put things together before smashing the panic button.

AL: Yes, but only if neither side turns things around. A relegation scrap brings a lot of uncertainty - which neither Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson or even Zavier Gozo need at this moment. For example, Tottenham had three managers last year - would that be helpful for Robinson, who is approaching 30, or Richards, who has become the star at Palace?

Palace conceding 11 goals in four matches is particularly worrying. Richards needs to be part of the solution, but that is a difficult environment for any defender to thrive or be confident in.

TH: probably a little, but there are worse teams than both of them. Palace and Fulham both have too much quality to go down, and a good run of form for either side should steady the ship a bit. If we’re in the same spot in, say, March, then it’s alarm bells.

RT: Nothing crazy. There will be temptation to throw Diego Kochen in there because of his minutes at Lyngby, but you don't need to rush that. If you want to give him a game or two, sure, but you can't do it at the expense of guys like Matt Freese, Matt Turner and Chris Brady. Freese, in particular, could really use a chance to put that shirt on and rebuild some confidence. He deserves that chance, too.

AL: Switch things up. Call up the two Matts, but give another goalkeeper meaningful minutes against Peru and Chile.

Matt Freese’s struggles against Belgium should prompt Pochettino to take a closer look at his alternatives. That doesn’t mean writing Freese off, and he or Turner should start against Canada and Mexico. But it does mean giving someone like Diego Kochen or Chris Brady a genuine chance to compete. Bringing them into camp is useful. Seeing what they can do in a match is the next step.

TH: Matt Freese. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

RT: It's harder and harder to avoid the Cavan Sullivan discussion. On form, he deserves to be in, which is a crazy thing to say about a kid his age. Now, is there a real argument to say this may be too much too soon? Yes, so maybe you leave him off this one, keep him hungry and call him next year. The more he scores, though, the harder that is to justify, so he may just make it this time around.

AL: It’s time for the Sullivan show. That’s what happens when you produce 17 goal contributions in 23 MLS matches and put together a seven-game streak with a goal contribution.

At some point, the production has to speak for itself.

Call him up and play him, Poch.

TH: Cavan Sullivan is a no-brainer at this point. He’s making the league look very, very easy. Julian Hall should get a look too, especially with there being a little room at striker given Haji Wright’s injury.