USMNT stock watch: Brandon Vazquez, Alex Zendejas make their case; Josh Sargent with room for improvement

Mauricio Pochettino's first camp highlighted longstanding issues with the USMNT's player pool

Mauricio Pochettino's first games in charge of the U.S. men's national team started with newfound optimism after an otherwise dismal year but ended by reintroducing a batch of familiar problems that he will be tasked with mitigating in time for the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

A 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday and a 2-0 loss at Mexico on Tuesday offered a glimpse at the USMNT's new tactical plan under Pochettino, one that requires high levels of intensity to keep up with his attack-minded style of play. Between a series of injuries and minutes management, though, the games also allowed Pochettino to explore the USA's depth, with familiar mixed results. Tuesday's loss in particular highlighted a longstanding problem – the USMNT's bench is not nearly as strong as the preferred lineup, leaving the new head coach with much work to do with the countdown to the 2026 World Cup officially underway.

It is not all bad news for the USMNT's players on the bubble after a handful managed to make their cases this month, an encouraging sign for a team that feels in desperate need of integrating some rising talents into the core roster. That said, Pochettino's first games remind us that the current squad composition is still in flux and will likely be a priority in his early months on the job.