noti.group’s Ethan Sears dishes on what he’ll be watching for when the USMNT takes on Portugal in their second-to-last World Cup tuneup on Tuesday.
1. Make an impression. Chris Richards, Auston Trusty, Aidan Morris and Brenden Aaronson were the only outfield players who didn’t feature at all against Belgium, Richards due to injury. Assuming all four get meaningful time Tuesday, it will be important for them to show out.
2. More time for Reyna? Gio Reyna is another player who should get some run against Portugal after playing just 21 minutes Saturday. Tuesday feels like a game in which he has to make an impact to leave camp on the right side of the roster bubble.
3. Time to attack. Will Mauricio Pochettino want to see Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie as an attacking midfield trio again? It’s certainly his most talented option, but having those three on the field together Saturday in a 4-2-3-1 setup is quite aggressive compared to the 3-4-3 with which the USMNT thrived in the fall.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
