Pochettino has found a World Cup plan that works for USMNT, with or without Pulisic

Key Points:

• Mauricio Pochettino has settled on Matt Freese as goalkeeper and a back three formation for the USMNT in the World Cup, using a 3-4-3 against Paraguay and a 3-5-2 against Australia due to Christian Pulisic's absence.
• The USMNT's attacking success has come from smart wing play and rotations, with a strong connection on the right flank between Serginio Dest and Weston McKennie, while goals have often resulted from clever moves down the wings leading to own goals by opponents.
• The team's new formations leverage player strengths, such as Balogun's pace and attacking runs, Dest and Robinson's forward play, and McKennie's runs into half-spaces, improving on previous struggles with a 4-2-3-1 system.
• Pochettino emphasizes the importance of tactical flexibility and believes the current system provides better defensive protection and attacking balance, which was evident in pre-tournament friendlies and early World Cup matches.
• While the USMNT has made history by winning two group games, their progress now depends on maintaining balance and resilience in knockout rounds, where not losing is key to success.