Why outsiders believe the USMNT can make a deep World Cup run

ATLANTA — Everyone here in the U.S. has got very excited about the United States men’s national team. Celebrities pack their matches out — the cameras picked out Ed Norton, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton, Jessica Alba and Will Ferrell at their last match — and it feels like the spotlight is growing ever brighter on them with every passing match.

In this bloated 48-team World Cup, the USMNT was always fancied to get out of its group with Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye. But to win it? Well, perhaps not. The U.S. started out with a wonderful 4-1 win over Paraguay, where Christian Pulisic thrilled and Folarin Balogun scored twice alongside an own goal and a beautiful strike from Gio Reyna.

Against the Socceroos, it was a more measured performance but an own goal and one from Alex Freeman saw them win 2-0, a match Pulisic sat out through injury. Then, with qualification already secure, head coach Mauricio Pochettino rotated for their final game with Türkiye and they lost 3-2, as Türkiye scored a late winner through Kaan Ayhan.

But now we’re getting to the ruthless part of the tournament and in the modern era, the U.S. has never got past the quarterfinals [2002, where it was defeated by Germany], with round-of-16 exits at its two previous tournaments in 2014 and 2022. So, as the U.S. prepares for its round-of-32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, what can we expect?

ESPN talked to a host of experts who sit outside the immediate USMNT bubble — Phil Neville (ex-England international, and former manager of Inter Miami and Portland Timbers); Nick Cushing (ex-New York City FC manager and current manager at NWSL side Denver Summit); and ESPN pundits Nedum Onouha, Don Hutchison, Hugo Sanchez, Shaka Hislop, Stewart Robson, Jared Borgetti, Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti and Jan Åge Fjørtoft — for their perceptions of where this USMNT is at, how far it can go, and whether it’s time to get excited?

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What has impressed you so far from the USMNT matches?

Neville: “There’s one thing that’s critical to changing outside perception and that’s performance on the page. What we’ve seen is they’ve probably been in the top three or four best teams in the World Cup so far in terms of tactical system, enjoyment, style of play, quality. I mean, you’re talking real top performances. Because they just look like they’re having fun. There’s a momentum, there’s an energy. It’s gripping the nation.”

Cushing: “These games are definitely the best version of the USMNT that I’ve seen. I think the first game, the intensity that the team played at and the attacking intent that the team had was really evident. The team has started on the front foot; they want to play really attacking, intentional football — you can see that in the way they press in the defensive phases of the game, showing they want to be on the front foot, and that there’s a confidence in the group. I think when you look at the experience they have, they have a really top goalkeeper in Matt Freese — I was lucky enough to bring him across from Philadelphia to New York when I was head coach there and I knew he had the potential to be a great keeper. Elsewhere, Weston McKennie is playing at a really high level and Pulisic can be the difference in big games.”

Onouha: “They’ve got technical players, but their speed, aggression, tenacity, and trying to get on the front foot is a huge thing. What’s impressed me the most is like their midfield three. Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams and McKennie … the engine room is great — they can all run with the ball, they can all cover the ground, and they’ve all got a good eye for a pass as well. So all three working in tandem has been the thing that surprised me most, even though I’ve seen all the three play separately for their club sides.”

Hutchison: “The biggest thing that’s impressed me is when you look at the players that Pochettino has got to pick from, he’s got players that are playing in Ligue 1, the Premier League and LaLiga. And I always wondered, looking from the outside, could he gel them into a team? I look at the midfield with Adams and McKennie, and when they play at their speed, they fight for every single ball and with the quality they’ve got, I think this team can go a very long way.”

Sanchez: “I’ve been very surprised by the competitiveness they’ve shown in this World Cup, because in all the previous matches I was watching before this World Cup started, the matches weren’t too competitive. I don’t know if because they were friendlies, they didn’t have that tactical and strategic discipline, but Pochettino has done a very good job, because it’s a disciplined team, tactically and strategically. They’ve developed this mentality of how to harm opponents in matches, and I’ve been impressed by their aggressiveness.”

Hislop: “I thought they had their best game against Paraguay. That’s the best I’ve ever seen them play, ever. They were disciplined and very professional against Australia. I had no issues with the changes made against Türkiye, and it’s important for members of the squad to get significant minutes so that if you get injuries in the knockouts, you have everyone ready to go.”

Robson: “There’s a togetherness about the team; they carry out Pochettino’s instructions so well, and I’ve been impressed by their intensity, quality and how they start games. I’ve seen a lot of Sergiño Dest from when he was at Barcelona and he’s played really well on the right side; Folarin Balogun has shown his qualities, and Freeman at right back has been excellent.”

Borgetti: “The football they have shown is very direct, very dynamic, decisive. A team we hadn’t seen previously play this way have managed to put together this style of play and to achieve these results. Before this World Cup there were some matches, situations, that were so complicated, not only in the sporting aspect but also on a personal level with some players. But it seems that this has been set aside and they have focused simply on the World Cup.”

Ferretti: “Their football. It’s a well put together team and they are very solid defensively. They have individually talented players who are bringing this together for the benefit of the team. They have a game where they often look for depth on the wings, so the players arriving from deep or those already in the area have more chances to shoot.”

Fjørtoft: “I have liked the energy of their games. The start [vs. Paraguay] was brilliant, and it set the mood for World Cups when the hosts are doing well.”

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Has the USMNT exceeded your expectations?

Neville: “They have. In the warm-up games, they hadn’t produced these types of performances; I’d seen glimpses — 10, 15 minutes here and there — but not this overall quality.”

Cushing: “One area I’ve been so impressed in is their threat from set pieces. If you look at tournament football, that’s a big differential. Against Türkiye they scored from a set play, and for their second, it was off a second phase of a set play. Pochettino has deliberately worked at that, they’ve done their research and they understand the difference in winning and losing in tight games is set pieces. That’s a huge positive.”

Onouha: “How good they are is relative, as a lot of it is to do with opposition. They were favored to win the group but they’re playing at home and though how everyone talks about how defensively solid they are, we’re seeing how much pace, technique they have too. Being in Europe, you don’t really get a chance to see them play that often. There’s also a huge sense of like general apathy towards international football from so many people anyway. But, when it comes to perceptions, I know these players because I’ve watched them. I’ve seen Pulisic, Dest, McKennie, Balogun, and now together, they’re overpowered basically.”

Hutchison: “No, I don’t think they’ve exceeded my expectations. I thought they could go far — they have a great manager and superb individual quality. I don’t think the Türkiye game will have much of an impact, and I thought it was a smart move from Pochettino. It creates harmony. I saw Pochettino’s comments after Türkiye that everyone should be happy that they’ve topped the group, and I totally agree.”

Hislop: “They have. Balogun has been simply outstanding; Antonee “Jedi” Robinson and Dest have been very good indeed. I’ve had questions about Dest, but he’s put them all to rest. This is as balanced a team as I’ve seen from the U.S. and they’ve exceeded all my expectations and continue to do so.”

Robson: “I have to say, I thought they played with an intensity that I didn’t expect from them in the first two games. I thought they played with a high level of technical ability as well, particularly in the first game.”

Fjørtoft: “Based on the games before the World Cup, yes. But a host will always get a boost. I do agree with Poch’s rotation for the Türkiye game.”

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How important is the Pochettino factor?

Neville: “Americans adore high performance; they love success. That’s why the appointment of Pochettino was a masterstroke for me. He’s had to go through some difficult periods when he was experimenting and transitioning, and looking at players from every league, particularly MLS. They were getting beaten, but he wanted to build more than just, ‘Oh, we’re just gonna pick the European players.’ I think there was an entitlement from certain guys to playing for America. But he made them realize it’s not a given.”

Cushing: “He’s showing the quality of an elite manager because of the togetherness and the culture that the team has. Look at the Trusty goal against Türkiye, he runs straight over to the bench and the team celebrates with him. I think you can feel the weight and expectation of a home World Cup, or you can really embrace it and it can inspire and give you energy. He’s getting that balance right.”

Hutchison: “I think he’s key. I think he’s got that little bit of an aura about him because he’s played in World Cups. He’s played for Argentina; he’s played at the very highest level; he’s managed at the very highest level. So the American players are looking up to him thinking this man is key. He can organize a team, he can set patterns of play up, he has the ability to pick the right team for a certain game. So in terms of the manager-player relationship, it looks to me like the perfect fit.”

Hislop: “I was one of Pochettino’s critics coming into this tournament. I thought the team was inconsistent, you weren’t sure what you were going to get out of his players and his selections. But things have been very settled, so he’s been very good indeed.”

Robson: “From the outside, it looked like he had a difficult time building up to the World Cup, but he’s a good coach and he has built the team up perfectly for the tournament. Now he has to make sure they continue building after that Türkiye game, but he’ll know now which players he can turn to if they need something off the bench.”

Fjørtoft: “Poch has been around for a while, and I think teams need bosses that shield their teams. He does that.”

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How far will the USMNT go at this World Cup?

Neville: “There was one thing for certain — and that’s how much Americans would get behind their team. After the Australia game, I was chatting to one of the commentators and said: ‘America have won the World Cup, when’s the parade?’ They were all on board: it’s all or nothing now. The momentum they’re getting now from their support has blown me away. The way they are competing, you’ve got to say quarterfinal, semifinal — if they can dream really big, that would be huge for this country … huge. If they achieve that, there will players in that squad whose lives will change forever. And soccer in America will also change forever.”

Cushing: “I think everybody asks the question: can they win it? We’re at a critical stage now. I think they will want to get more out of Reyna and Tim Weah, but that’s a huge positive and there’s more to come.”

Onouha: “By the time you get towards the round of 16, every team have the same strengths. But the U.S. are really good on the ball, perhaps not as good at the back, but they’re incredible competitive. They’ve got speed, and can play really energetically. But what do you do when Pulisic can’t run away from the full back? What happens when McKennie can be tracked? What do you like when Balogun can’t run away from people? There are some teams ahead of them who are very good, but I think as things progress, they’ll probably turn into an underdog and at that point that’ll be the real test because so far they’ve been one of the favorites in their group.”

Hutchison: “It’s very hard to tell. I think with the home crowds, you wouldn’t want to face them because on their best day they can give everyone a game. Their ambition is to win it on home soil, and you’ve got to have that self-belief. I think France are my favorites to win the thing, but we’ll enjoy the ride.”

Sanchez: “Judging by their competitiveness, they could sneak into the top eight. I’d like that, just like I’d love Mexico to win the whole thing. But they’ve been pleasantly surprising, and I think the quarterfinals is realistic.”

Hislop: “Before a ball was kicked, I said they should get to the quarterfinals; I think they can give anybody a run for their money. Whether they have enough to beat one of the favorites, I’m not sure, but they are good enough to hold their own and give any team some problems.”

Robson: “Most teams that have been at home have performed better than they would normally do in neutral environments, right from England in 1966, West Germany in ’74, Argentina in ’78. I think the U.S. can go to the quarterfinals. But I think come the final eight they’ll run into someone with just a bit more quality.”

Borgetti: “I think they could reach the quarterfinals; the opponents they have ahead are manageable. and playing at home and in this manner will give them confidence.”

Ferretti: “I have no doubt they’ll win their next match, but I think they will go out in the round of 16.”

Fjørtoft: “At least one more round.”