The four midfielders are yet to make their mark in U.S. colors, but all have serious upside that could help Pochettino's World Cup plans
When Mauricio Pochettino looks at his player pool, he has plenty of questions. The USMNT are strong in one or two areas – winger, central midfield – but wide open in others. Recent losses to Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League proved that, if nothing else, there is ample of room for improvement in this team.
An optimist might say this is a good thing, especially given that there are some intriguing options to work with.
And perhaps the most perplexing spot is the midfield. In Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah, Pochettino has three established internationals who all play regularly for top European clubs. They were excellent at the 2022 World Cup, but have barely featured together at full fitness since. Three years on from thoroughly outplaying an England midfield, that trio can't necessarily be counted on.
Of course, absence breeds opportunity, especially in international football. And the U.S. does have some intriguing backups. Johnny Cardoso, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio have a combined 52 national team appearances. None of the three have managed to hold down an extended run in the squad.
But they have shown, albeit in glimpses, that they could be in line for more minutes with this summer's Gold Cup and next year's World Cup on the horizon. And if Pochettino is to change his lineup – or has to shift things around due to injury – each could have a shot with the first team.
GOAL looks at the pros and cons of each, and asks who might be the first to break into the XI.
Getty Images SportJohnny Cardoso: Up next?
Perhaps the most obvious candidate for the XI, Cardoso could yet be the kind of defensive midfielder that national teams crave. Tall, strong, and smart on the ball, he is everything that a modern No. 6 should be. Things haven't quite panned out to date – Cardoso stalling through the 2023-24 season as Betis struggled.
This campaign, though, looks different. After an unstaeady start to the season, he has settled in of late. A fine showing – including a well-taken header – against Real Madrid on March 1 kicked things off. More recently, he was named Man of the Match in the derby against Sevilla, with Betis winning that fabled fixture for the first time in seven years.
He's a bit of a strange player, though. Cardoso's defensive numbers are elite, and he's a real expert at holding down the base of midfield while a second central player roams. What he doesn't do particularly well – which might certainly hold him back from cracking the XI – is progress the ball forward.
His passing numbers, in fact, are pretty dismal. He ranks in the 56th percentile among center midfielders in pass completion percentage, 11th in progressive passes, and 23rd in through balls. Those numbers would seem to run counter to Pochettino's preferred system of quick transitions.
AdvertisementAFPTanner Tessmann: Defensive enforcer
Tessmann is a remarkably similar profile of player to Cardoso. Both are physically imposing defensive midfielders. Both are 6-0 or taller. Both play as part of a double pivot – and function in the sitting role while a more active midfielder buzzes around them. Tessmann, though, is far more limited, a specialist rather than intriguing plug-and-play option.
He may have established himself as a regular for Lyon, but Tessmann is still a defensive midfielder who is very good at defending – and not much else. In open spaces, when snuffing out counter attacks, he might some day be elite. He is fierce in a tackle, and smart enough on the ball to recycle possession.
But he struggles when the game speeds up, and has to play under pressure. He doesn't have the instinctive "La pausa" – reading of the game – that most top quality defensive midfielders do.
For the USMNT, that makes him problematic. Pochettino has experimented with him in a number of different roles, either as a defensive or box-to-box presence. And he has never looked quite at home in either. When the game slows down, he can't pick an incisive pass. When it speeds up, he looks a bit overwhelmed.
But he might yet have a role to play. He could be vital, in fact, if the USMNT need to shut games down. Throwing an extra center back on for defensive solidity isn't as cool as it used to be – coaches instead typically opting to pack their midfield and constrict spaces. Tessmann would seem to be ideal for such a role.
Getty Images SportGianluca Busio: The outside man
Busio, for his part, is a more attack-minded player who is comfortable higher up the pitch. An all-action type capable of playing all over the middle of the park, he is perhaps the most intriguing option of the bunch – who might be more reliable on a roster in a major tournament. For Venezia, he plays in the middle of a midfield trio, serving as the all-action presence while the two beside him tend to function in more defensive roles.
It's a difficult ask of the American. Busio's legs or fight cannot be questioned, but it's tricky to operate in such a role, especially given he plays in a 19th-place side who routinely have significantly less of the ball than their opponent. Venezia, in fact, are 18th in Serie A in ball possession, and 19th in goals per 90 minutes.
In effect, Busio is charged with carrying a massive load in an outmatched team. There are, of course, many examples of athletes standing out among a poor roster. But Busio's potential feels slightly untapped – especially because he has seldom been given an opportunity to show what he might be able to do in a high-level team that has the ball more.
His MLS career, from 2018-2021, showed glimpses of what he might be. He was a classy presence for Sporting KC, and entrusted with a primary role in a competitive side. Perhaps Venezia was the wrong move for a player of his ilk. But Pochettino has already given him a look. There may yet be more to come going forward.
Getty ImagesAidan Morris: Jack of all trades
Morris, too, might be able to offer something. The least experienced of the quartet, he could certainly provide in a pinch. The former Columbus Crew midfielder earned a move to Middlesborough after establishing himself as a weaving presence in the middle of the park in MLS.
He is, in many ways, more similar to McKennie than Adams, a player who performs at a solid level in multiple areas of the game without particularly standing out anywhere. He will certainly have been battle-hardened by the English Championship – and could be a part of the Gold Cup roster.
He impressed in the dead rubber fixture against Canada last September, but is yet to make his mark under the new manager. Consider him more of an emergency option than man knocking on the door.
