The United States may have secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals in Jamaica on Thursday, but their depth has taken another blow. Already without Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams and Josh Sargent, Mauricio Pochettino will now have to make do without two more midfielders.
Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris suffered a knee injury in training that will keep him out of November’s games during the international break, while Real Betis man Johnny Cardoso left the match against Jamaica with a hamstring injury. Cardoso was replaced by Malik Tillman during the match after natural midfielder Yunus Musah started the match on the wing due to Tim Weah’s suspension for the first leg.
Unlike other players mentioned here, Weah will be available for the second leg, and given the lack of depth facing the USMNT, his return will be welcome. The timing is unfortunate for Morris and Cardoso due to the lack of competitive games the USMNT will face in the coming years. Because they are hosting the 2026 World Cup, the USMNT will not play in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, so playing the Concacaf Nations League will be their best chance at meaningful matches against the best opponents. High level friendlies will still be scheduled, but things are different when it is an official competition. Challenges are harder, space is harder to find and results matter.
For young players who don’t have much experience at senior level for the USMNT, the way they perform in those moments is what Pochettino can show that he can trust them in key positions during the World Cup because he learns that a player is not ready . because the bright lights are too late at that moment. Without the duo, Pochettino will still have to sort out his midfield ahead of the second leg against Jamaica in St. Louis on Monday, and this is what it could look like.
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Predicted XI: Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Joe Scally, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Tim Weah
Tanner Tessmann was a surprise addition to the midfield in the first leg, and while he didn’t do much wrong during the match, the return to a more familiar pivot of Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah sets up a critical clash. Musah had to be moved to the wing and sometimes he can lose the game when he is in wide positions. One of the best one-on-one dribblers in the entire USMNT pool, Musah is someone who needs the ball at his feet to make things happen. His final pass off the dribble may leave a lot to be desired, but these are things that are expected to improve under a top manager like Pochettino.
In must-win games, Pochettino needs to be able to turn to players he trusts, and Musah’s versatility is something that has taken him up the ranks. Next to him, you know what you’re going to get from McKennie, and like Christian Pulisic, he’s someone who, when healthy, should play because of what he can bring to the field. Malik Tillman is still trying to find his way with the USMNT, but with Jamaica needing a goal, the Reggae Boyz will have to step up. To take advantage of this, a creative midfielder is needed and without Reyna he is lacking.
The 10 might be one of the weakest positions for the entire USMNT, but in games that call for it, someone has to play there. This is where the questions surrounding when Diego Luna will get a chance start to grow in number, but at this stage you can only go with the players on the roster and Tillman is the most creative of them.
Jamaica will be without Mason Holgate on defense in the second leg, offering more chances for a USMNT that mustered just six shots in the first leg. They outperformed on xG by 1.62 versus 0.88, but Matt Turner’s penalty save was enough to make the difference. When they get home they want a more comprehensive performance, but the great thing about a knockout competition is that you don’t win on style points, so just moving forward is good enough.