The United States men’s national team started 2025 off on the right foot by beating Venezuela 3-1 on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, and it was a real opportunity for young players in the talent pool to make an impression. It was a dominant performance for Mauricio Pochettino’s men as at the helm of his first January camp, the Argentine had the opportunity to deepen his depth chart with a squad of domestic players and test their leadership qualities with a unique approach. This is the longest time Pochettino has spent running a USMNT camp during his short tenure in charge, but the results showed with the United States snatching 15 shots during the match and scored 10 while allowing Venezuela to score only three. .
Eight players earned their first USMNT caps during the match, while all three scorers also scored their first goals for the USMNT. While few players got it wrong, it’s a good time to see who could have come close to regular USMNT representation at the senior level.
Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union
Always a player willing to show off his skills, Jack McGlynn stepped up when the USMNT needed him most. With the team struggling to string together passes, McGlynn took a shot from outside the box and found the back of the net with venom. The Philadelphia Union midfielder then made a superb pass to also allow Matko Miljevic to score his own goal. Doing this after a discussion about who would take the penalty that Partick Agyemyang took and leaving the pitch with his arm around Miljevic after his miss shows a mature player who is ready to break through.
“We were talking to them at half-time. It was a scene we tried to deal with and a tricky situation we presented to them because we didn’t tell them who the shooter would be in case we took a penalty to see their reaction,” Pochettino” said of the penalty discussion. “I think it was good because I think it showed their character as Matko took the ball first and then Jack wanted to shoot. I think it was a good situation but which I will clarify halfway through. time.”
Interestingly, Pochettino is essentially setting up social experiences for the players to make this camp as useful as possible, but also that they have pulled it off brilliantly outside of scoring the penalty.
McGlynn is a player with an excellent left foot who can make things happen from deep, but he is not the most defensive midfielder. This is not something that mattered to Pochettino who enjoyed the attacking side of his game. Having already participated in the Olympics with the U-23s, if there is anyone from this camp who is ready to break through at both in the senior team and in Europe, it’s definitely McGlynn.
Patrick Agyemang, Charlotte FC
McGlynn may have won man of the match, but Agyemang may be the player who has raised his stock the most. He immediately took a penalty, using his size in the box, and he could have also been awarded two more depending on how he was held at each corner. The Charlotte FC man is more than just a striker who can hold you back, as shown in his goal where he received the ball, racing straight at goal and holding off a Venezuelan defender for a great finish.
With the plethora of options on the nine, another has a shot to break through, but he created so much danger by barely touching the ball. With just 19 touches, Agyemang made as many shots as passes, but he also didn’t feel like he was being rushed to shoot or being selfish. He continually put himself in good positions and punished Venezuela when he did.
If this team had spent more time together, he might have scored a hat trick as well, given that there were plenty of great runs where the team played a ball right in front of him. Agyemang brings something different to the other forwards in the USMNT pool, so it’s something that can definitely lead to more chances if he stays in good form with Charlotte this season.
Max Arfsten, Columbus crew
Without the John Tolkin transfer, Max Arfsten might not have started this game, but it was a welcome chance to see someone who played extremely well with the Crew. Arfsten overlapped well with Brian Gutierrez, but also didn’t let his defensive responsibilities go to waste. Earning his only tackle and also making three ball recoveries, Wilfried Nancy’s impact continues to make its way into the USMNT.
Adian Morris has already shown what he is capable of and Patrick Schulte is also on his way to making a name for himself and potentially winning the number one role between the sticks and now Arfsten arrives. Given the situation in Columbus, there are worse things than Nancy having her fingerprints on the USMNT.
Matko Miljevic, free agent
It was a surprise to see Miljevic in the team considering his contract with Newell’s Old Boys had been terminated due to off-field behavior and he went through quite a saga with CF Montreal in the Major League Soccer. His contract with Montreal was terminated by MLS because, when he was not getting consistent playing time, Miljevic used a false name to register in an indoor soccer league in Quebec.
This alone is enough to terminate a contract, as playing in a league other than MLS violates a player’s contract, but that’s how Miljevic was discovered to be playing in that league which takes the cake . The midfielder was banned for life from the league after reports in Canada surfaced that he took part in the indoor league and allegedly punched another player in the face. according to ESPN. One thing led to another and his contract was terminated and he returned to Argentina, but now he has his first cap, goal and assist at the USMNT. If that doesn’t show that everyone is on Pochettino’s list, nothing will.
“He missed the penalty but I think he was good and that’s what we expect from him. I said he’s a very good player and yes, always when you make your debut, of course, it’s never easy, especially for an attacking player but I’m happy with his performance and yes in the end he scored,” Pochettino said about Miljevic’s performance. “The performance was really good and the way they behaved in these weeks and days that we are together, I think it’s fantastic.”
Miljevic got involved by taking five shots during the match and also scored and assisted a goal as well as his missed penalty. His unpredictable nature worked here and with Pochettino trying to instil the ideals of Argentine football into the team, it’s a good time to have someone who has played a lot of football in Argentina. It remains to be seen how long the midfielder will advance, but it’s refreshing to see unlikely players get the call.
