The challenges of September are in the rearview mirror, as Wright scored twice and the U.S. dominated possession to beat Australia
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – In his opening news conference as U.S. manager, Mauricio Pochettino promised his team would dictate the game to their opponents. Following a 2-1 win over an underrated Australia on Tuesday night, the USMNT have shown just that in back-to-back matches.
The U.S. dominated possession, and more importantly, seemed to be enjoying the results. The challenges of September are in the rearview mirror, and Pochettino can also take pride in the answers he learned from the October performances.
"This is about work every day," Pochettino said. "Every time that we work together, it's to build a team and start to be very consistent in our decision… And I think when that starts to grow inside today, to the team… And for sure, more positive things will happen."
Haji Wright got his first start in more than a year for the U.S. and made a strong impression in his 64 minutes, scoring two impactful goals for the home side. Yet, he wasn't the only standout. Cristian Roldan has emerged as an unexpected option for Pochettino, with his work rate and relentlessness playing a big part of Tuesday's win.
However, it wasn't all bright for Pochettino's side. There is uncertainty for Christian Pulisic, who was pulled out of the contest in the first half after sustaining a hamstring injury in a collision.
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Haji Wright
Folarin Balogun would seem to be entrenched as the U.S.'s top option at striker. But Pochettino has sought reliable depth at a position where his top two options, Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, have notable injury histories. He might have found that in Wright, who proved his sizzling form in the English Championship can translate to the international level.
"Being here feels like being home," Wright said. "I'm proud to wear the jersey every time I put it on. I'm glad I was able to perform well today and score two goals."
Getting a rare start for the Americans, Wright started slowly before beginning to impose his physical presence and speed in the latter part of the first half. Roldan found him on a perfect pass through two defenders, allowing Wright to score the equalizer for the U.S.
Then, in the second half, the connection between Roldan and Wright paid more dividends as the pair put the home side ahead 2-1 in the 52nd minute. It was clinical precision that Wright, traditionally considered a tweener between wing and forward, struggled with earlier in his career. Wright now has 11 goals in his last 11 games for club and country.
Wright attributed his recent success to fitness.
"The last few seasons of my career have been battling little niggling injuries, and it's been hard to play pain-free. And this is the first season in a few years now where I'm playing completely pain-free," he said. "So it feels good to be able to go out and show what I can do."
After Wright was called up, some questioned the legitimacy of his scoring prowess with Coventry in the Championship. Critics pointed to Josh Sargent also thriving in that league, but struggling on the national team. Against a World Cup-bound Australia, Wright proved he has the quality at the international level, too.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: James Sands
Pochettino went to a untested center midfield pairing of FC St. Pauli's James Sands and the Seattle Sounders' Cristian Roldan, and it provided mixed results. The pair started out doing the opposite of what they normally do for their club teams, with Sands bombing forward and Roldan playing more defensively.
That would prove costly in the 19th minute, when the Socceroos got the opener. In Australia's only strong attacking moment of the contest, Sands fluffed his lines on the clearance of a throw-in, which was compounded by Roldan's poor position. He essentially got bodied after losing track of the ball, and Jordan Bos scored. Sands admitted the breakdown, but also praised the team's response.
"You never want to go down in a match… You can't concede off the throw-in like that," he said. "But then to come back, I thought the last 15 minutes of the first half were really good. We tried to carry that into the second half. And we were rewarded with the goal."
After the miscue, the duo seemingly swapped roles, and it benefited the U.S.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Cristian Roldan
Raise your hand if you thought Roldan would be in the mix for a World Cup spot a year ago.
After having some early struggles, the 30-year-old responded with arguably his best game in a U.S. shirt as he delivered two stunning assists to Wright to power the team.
Roldan isn't the flashiest player, and he doesn't play for a storied European club like some of his counterparts. But he's a culture guy, and he's been the backbone for the Seattle Sounders since his arrival in 2015. Roldan does the little things that helps his teams win.
And for Pochettino, who has shown a preference for gritty, grinding players, Roldan might be a better-than-anticipated fit in his philosophy. Roldan appears to be more of a long-term fit than a one-off moving forward.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Christian Pulisic
It's not for anything Pulisic did on the pitch, as he was sharp in his 28 minutes. Despite being double and triple-teamed at times, the AC Milan star was silky with his dribbles and runs. Yet, when the forward was driving on an impressive run in the center of the pitch, he was dragged down to the ground by Jason Geria, resulting in a yellow card.
Unfortunately, for Pulisic, it also meant his night was over.
Pochettino confirmed Pulisic's injury, telling reporters after the game, "He felt something in his hamstring. He'll fly to Italy tomorrow. We'll evaluate it this evening. We can't say anything at this time."
It's a setback for both the player and the U.S. The Americans haven't had an extended run with their best player since March, in a disappointing run at the CONCACAF Nations League. Pulisic had an aggravated ankle and only came on as a second-half sub on Friday night against Ecuador.
With Pochettino implementing a new tactical system, every match ahead of the World Cup is vital. And the Argentine needs to see how Pulisic fits and if this system maximizes his skillset. He'll now have to wait until November to get more answers.