Pochettino's aggressive USMNT blueprint after wins over Paraguay and Australia

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro admitted it after the match: “They’re a team that presents many challenges, because they have answers for every problem.” That assessment has defined Mauricio Pochettino’s start with the USMNT — he was hired in the fall of 2024 to provide tactical solutions — and, through two World Cup games, the team has delivered back-to-back wins for the first time since 1930, clinching the group with a game to spare.

The victories have arrived by different routes, but common principles have driven both results. Against Paraguay the side often looked like a “Pentagon,” with six players high: Folarin Balogun up top, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman through the middle, and Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest out wide.

A typical sequence saw McKennie burst past centerbacks while Tillman slipped into the vacated pocket, then the ball was sprayed to Pulisic or Dest for repeated one-on-ones.

mauricio pochettino, usmnt, world cup, paraguay, australia, folarin balogun, christian pulisic, weston mckennie, malik tillman, sergino dest