The United States will be looking to rebound from a disappointing loss to Canada on Saturday, and interim coach Mikey Varas has made several key changes for New Zealand’s visit.
The five changes compared to Saturday’s team include the absence of the captain Christian Pulisic is the most remarkable.
Pulisic, only 25 years old, has already played 72 international matches and is often considered the most talented player of his generationAfter his best season in 2023/24 with AC Milan, much was expected of Pulisic ahead of the Copa América, but his US team was eliminated in the group stage.
He is said to have suffered no injuries and was On the bench for the game against New ZealandPulisic’s place in the team is secure in the long term, but Varas is keen to rotate his squad and give alternatives a chance.
Varas chooses Pepi, Wright and Balogun
One of the most pressing tasks for new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is to decide which USMNT attacking options should start up front. Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright And Ricardo Pepi everyone is fighting for a starting place, right?
On Tuesday, Varas surprised everyone by starting all three forwards, seemingly deviating from the 4-2-3-1 the USMNT used under Gregg Berhalter. This would suggest a switch to a two-man attacking formation with either Pepi or Wright deployed elsewhere.
Without Pulisic in the team and with Timothy Weah and Gio Reyna also out, the USA’s attacking options for the game against New Zealand are limited. Varas’ tenure as USMNT coach ends with Tuesday’s game but he hopes he can help lay the foundations for Pochettino to get the best out of a talented group of players.
