The USMNT just overcame their first test by beating Senegal in their first friendly match. The score ended 3-2 for the US national soccer team, with a crucial and exciting performance from Christian Pulisic.
Nevertheless, some decisions still need a little more fine-tuning before they work perfectly.
For example, the goalkeeper situation. During the encounter against the team ranked 14th in the world, Mauricio Pochettino used two goalkeepers, leaving some doubts about the USMNT's goalkeeping position.
USMNT legend Tim Howard discussed his confusion about this maneuver by the Argentine coach.
Is Tim Howard Right About the USMNT Goalkeeper Situation?
In the match against Senegal, Matt Turner started in goal for the USMNT, but after halftime, Mauricio Pochettino brought on Chris Brady to finish the match.
This decision by the former Tottenham Hotspur manager raised new questions about the stability of the USMNT's goalkeeping situation.
Because at this stage, and with the World Cup just around the corner, one would expect certain positions to be settled. Giving those players minutes would help them build rhythm and confidence ahead of the tournament, which begins in two weeks.
Tim Howard had a discussion about this substitution, and his confusion represents the USMNT fans' thoughts right now.
"I've been a goalkeeper for a long time at a very high level, and I know the ins and outs. I'm baffled a little bit by what's happened there. So, Matt Turner gets the start. Well done. Then Chris Brady comes in, gets his first cap. Well done. Trying to figure out where Matt Freese is in all of this."
First of all, it is a friendly match, and Pochettino wants both goalkeepers to have minutes ahead of the World Cup.
Also, it won’t be the first time the head coach will put a new goalkeeper instead of relying on the more experienced option; he saw something the young player could bring to the team that the veteran could not.
It’s weird, and the USMNT never went through this process, but it's a common thing to substitute the starting lineup in a friendly match to give minutes to those who do not have that level of consistency.
It happened to Argentina with Enzo Fernandez, and see how it turned out that move by Lionel Scaloni. Maybe Pochettino saw something the rookie could deliver that the veteran can’t.
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