Patrick Agyemang, Jack McGlynn book their USMNT tickets? Stock up, stock down from Mauricio Pochettino's promising January camp

He may not be leading the goalkeeper race, but he's definitely in the mix now.

Steffen's two huge saves against Costa Rica were a huge boost for the Colorado Rapids goalkeeper, who hadn't had an opportunity like this since missing out on the 2022 World Cup. So much has changed since then, including Steffen, who spoke to GOAL in 2024 about how he's grown since that ultimate disappointment. The 2026 World Cup is very much on his mind and the way to get there is to make big saves. He had a few on Wednesday.

"It was great," he said after the match. "It gives me a lot of confidence, and I hope it gives my teammates confidence to know that they can rely on me. It's great to get to end the camp with a three-goal win and a shutout. It's been a while since I had a shutout."

Matt Turner is probably still the starting keeper. Schulte, who started the game against Venezuela, may still be ahead of Steffen, But he has given himself a chance, as long as he continues to build on this momentum throughout the MLS season.

"Today was Zack, and that is good to increase the competition," Pochettino said. "We are very honest and transparent, and we always go with the truth and in the way we think. We don't hide anything, and that's why they know that, through the performance, they can be fighting for the position in different places in the same way.

"It's important, and we can feel confident and safe in goal."

There was always going to be an odd man out in goal. Unfortunately, it was Freese.

The NYCFC shot-stopper was fantastic this past season in MLS, but the reality was that there were only two games. Schulte was starting one, and it would all come down to starting the second. Steffen got the nod and, based on his performance, it wasn't unfair. Freese, then, was left out as the only player in the squad to not see the pitch during the two games.

Unlucky, to be fair, but this isn't the last opportunity for Freese. Just 26, he's heading towards his prime as a goalkeeper, with this past season being a huge leap forward from him on the club level. Any further leaps will no doubt get him more USMNT attention. That first cap might not be too, too far away.

Just a few years ago, Agyemang was playing D3 soccer at Eastern Connecticut State University. In March, if things bounce his way, he could legitimately be on the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League roster.

Agyemang's two goals came in just 80 USMNT minutes over two matches as the Charlotte FC star announced himself to the world. With those two goals, he showed all of the things that make Charlotte FC so high on him: pace, strength, and, more importantly, an ability to finish with either foot. This was the perfect January camp for Agyemang, who outperformed even his own expectations.

"Just playing with these guys and making friends out of this camp, that was something I was hoping for," he said. "To do that and then to add my game into it, it just makes everything better. Of course, I can't lie, the goals? I'm never gonna forget that."

Pochettino won't forget them either. With Folarin Balogun still out, there are legitimate fitness issues at the striker position. Josh Sargent has struggled with injuries, as has Haji Wright. Depending on availability, Agyemang could slide right into a backup role come March. Few would have seen that coming just a few weeks ago, which is why the striker might just be the big winner of this camp.

The second game wasn't awe-inspiring, but the first one was. That's why he's on this list.

McGlynn was incredible against Venezuela as he showcased all of the clubs in his bag throughout his runout. Long passes, quick passes, stunning goals - McGlynn did it all. He can do incredible things with the ball at his feet, things that few others in this player pool can do, and that's what might just keep him in it when the A-team next gathers.

The midfield picture is deepening. You have the regulars of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Yunus Musah. Then factor in Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso, Gianluca Busio, and Aidan Morris pushing for spots. McGlynn might just be in that mix, too, largely because he's very different from just about all of those other players that were named.

McGlynn offers a lot off the ball, but not as much off of it. Is that something Pochettino can use? McGlynn showcased why he has a case in this camp as he inched closer to midfield contention.

It's not that Moore played poorly. Far from it. He was pretty solid in both games. There was nothing overly bad about his game. There was nothing wildly impressive either, though, and that won't help his case.

Moore is nowhere near the starting job. Sergino Dest has that when healthy, although Joe Scally will have something to say about that now. Behind them, though, are other options. Marlon Fossey looked solid in his big USMNT debut in the fall. DeJuan Jones, meanwhile, can play on either side. You can add McKennie and Tim Weah to the mix, too, given where they've played for Juventus.

All of that adds up to this: it's going to be tough for Moore. He just got a move to FC Dallas, and maybe that'll help keep him in the mix, but it's hard to see the 2022 World Cup veteran really making a push back into the right back race. Fairly or unfairly, to get there, he'll need to be overly spectacular, and he wasn't quite that this time around.

There might not have been a player that impressed Pochettino as much as Luna, who earned a fitting two-word description from the USMNT boss: "Big balls."

Luna definitely earned that compliment on Wednesday, when he shook off a broken nose to provide a game-changing assist on Brian White's opener. Luna had suffered the injury just a few minutes early and, after a few minutes of treatment, emerged with cotton shoved up his nose to set up White. By postgame media availability, he was already at the hospital being treated for his injury.

It was the type of performance that shows a coach exactly what a player is about. Pochettino surely loved it, as have the fans who have been backing Luna based on his MLS breakout. He's exciting and he's fun to watch. As it turns out, he's tough as hell, too.

It's time for Luna to move up the depth chart. It was probably time before, if only to keep him away from Mexico. Luna is ready for more, both physically and mentally. This camp proved exactly that.

You could just tell that Pochettino loved this whole experience. January camp was something totally new to him, but it wasn't hard to figure out that Pochettino found joy in it. He enjoyed getting to meet and work with new players and, ultimately, he enjoyed winning, too.

This, in some ways, was an odd test for Pochettino. Everyone knows why he's here: to have the U.S. take the next step at the 2026 World Cup. This camp, though, doesn't move the U.S. any closer to that. This is such a small moment on Pochettino's USMNT calendar, but he treated it as if it would make all the difference. That type of culture runs deep, and players spoke all week about the confidence he instills in them by just making them feel part of that culture.

That will permeate into the A-team, too. Pochettino isn't mailing it in even for the smaller friendlies; he's as committed as anyone. Every camp is a chance for him to learn something and, if you don't send him the right messages, he'll learn that, too. In this camp, Pochettino proved that the level stays high as long as you're wearing that shirt, no matter if you come from MLS or the Champions League.

In some ways, these results don't matter. They don't get the U.S. any closer to exceeding expectations in 2026. In some ways, though, it does mean a lot, particularly for Pochettino as he molds this program based on his vision.