What We Learned from the USMNT September Camp
The United States closed out the September window with an electric 2-0 win over 17th-ranked Japan at Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew
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The U.S. Men’s National Team wrapped up September camp on a high note, beating Japan 2-0 in front of an electric crowd at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said he learned a lot from the matches against Japan and Korea Republic, two World Cup-qualified opponents, as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup continue.
Just four camps remain before the U.S. co-hosts next year’s tournament. And as the anticipation builds, here’s what we learned from this most recent one:
Making the Most of the Opportunity
When Pochettino announced the September roster, he said that it was essentially the last opportunity to take a deeper look at the player pool before getting a better idea of who the final World Cup group would be. Forward Alex Zendejas and striker Folarin Balogun were two players, for example, who took full advantage of the opportunity to impress the USMNT coaching staff.
Zendejas was called up to the National Team for the first time in 2025, after he made appearances off the bench in Pochettino’s first few matches at the end of 2024. The winger started the 2-0 win against Japan and was the finisher on the first goal, earning him Man of the Match honors. Pochettino said after the match that Zendejas continues to be in the “race for the roster of the World Cup.” Going into what will be tough decisions for the World Cup roster, uncovering depth was the goal when bringing in more competition in the camp.
Balogun, like Zendejas, subbed on in the opening match of the window. And he, too, made his mark in the second half against Korea. Balogun was good on the ball. He created opportunities to score, including multiple shots on goal that were thwarted with an exceptional save by the Korean goalkeeper or one that hit the crossbar. Then, when Balogun got the start against Japan, he scored the second goal in the 2-0 victory and played 79 minutes. The striker earned his first caps under Pochettino and left the September camp having shown quality play.
Aside from the two goal scorers, defender Tristan Blackmon and midfielder Cristian Roldan also made the most of the opportunity. Blackmon entered his first camp, and not only earned his first cap, but started both matches. Roldan, who will appear as a featured guest on an upcoming episode of the U.S. Soccer Podcast, started against Japan and subbed on against Korea for his first USMNT appearance since 2023.
Impressing in Goal
Goalkeeper Matt Freese played every minute of both games in the September window. This summer, he started seven games in goal, including every match of the Concacaf Gold Cup, where the USMNT marched to the final.
Freese gained notice from USMNT fans after an impressive penalty shootout in the Gold Cup Quarterfinals against Costa Rica. He made three penalty saves to lift the United States to the next round. The 27-year-old ‘keeper from New York City FC in MLS has made quite the impression, while the starting position is still up for grabs heading into next summer’s big tournament.
In the most recent friendlies, Freese kept a clean sheet in the win over Japan. He tallied an international career-high six saves in the victory, tying a record he set against Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup final. After Korea scored twice, Freese finished the window strong, holding the opposition scoreless for three consecutive halves.
Different Formations
For the first time in his 18 matches at the helm, Pochettino deployed a 3-4-3 formation at the start of the match. Utilizing a setup against Japan that provides stability and with roles that are familiar to several players whose clubs use a similar system, he started three defenders in the back: Tim Ream, Chris Richards and Tristan Blackmon. Max Arfsten on the left and Alex Freeman on the right were pushed into the midfield, connecting with Tyler Adams and Roldan, with a front three of Zendejas, Balogun and Pulisic. Both Arfsten and Freeman utilized the space down the flanks to deliver dangerous balls, and Arfsten's efforts led to the game-winning goal and his fourth international assist.
Depth in Midfield
It's clear after this camp that the USMNT has depth in the midfield. In the September camp, Pochettino called up seven midfielders: Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Luca de la Torre, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Sean Zawadzki and Cristian Roldan. However, Zawadzki sustained an injury in camp and did not dress for either match.
Adams, Berhalter, Luna and Roldaneach got at least one start in the two matches. While McGlynn came off the bench in both matches, he brought the energy. The 22-year-old midfielder created opportunities with multiple shots on goal in just 35 combined minutes, including a banger that just missed and hit the underside of the crossbar against Japan. Berhalter and Luna started in the first match and previously showed over the summer that they are quality pieces. In addition, Arfsten is a versatile player who showed his quality on both sides of the pitch, disrupting Japan’s possession with sharp pursuit and contributing an assist for the United States. Arfsten also started several games this past summer.
Berhalter, Luna, McGlynn and Arfsten are all under the age of 25. This camp continued to prove that there is depth to work with in the future with the USMNT midfield