The U.S. men’s national team is in a tough spot after losing 2–0 to South Korea to open the September international window, and face a massive challenge against No. 17-ranked Japan on Tuesday.
Since Mauricio Pochettino took over as head coach, the USMNT has not beaten a team ranked higher than 35th in the FIFA rankings, and grabbing a result from a Japanese side that has already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be challenging.
Yet, there are a few moves the USMNT could make, personnel-wise, as they continue their own build towards next year’s tournament, despite losing seven of their last eight matches against opposition ranked in the top 30.
Here’s how predicts Pochettino’s USMNT lineup to look against the Samurai Blue.






