Mauricio Pochettino made a decisive call ahead of USMNT’s second World Cup group match against Australia, telling Fox Sports’ Jenny Taft that Ricardo Pepi would start in place of the injured Christian Pulisic. It’s not just a like-for-like swap. The move signals a real tactical shift.
Pulisic was ruled out earlier with a calf issue the team doesn’t want to risk aggravating. There’s no timeline on his return, but it’s clear the USMNT medical staff and Pochettino are playing the long game. The World Cup is a marathon, not a sprint, even if every group stage point feels like a sprint finish.
“We decided to go with Ricardo and Flo as a striker to try and change a little bit of the approach of the offensive situation,” Pochettino told Taft. “The game plan is to always try to be effective with our strengths. I think it’s a very good game today to see the team play with a striker.”
That means Folarin Balogun, who has been more of a second forward or wide option in recent games, moves into a central striker role alongside Pepi. It’s a two-striker look the USMNT hasn’t used much under Pochettino. But with Pulisic out and Australia’s defense sitting deep, it makes sense to throw bodies at the box.
Pepi has been productive off the bench in USMNT games over the past year, but this is his first real start in a high-leverage World Cup match. His hold-up play and finishing inside the box are his strengths. Balogun, by contrast, likes to drift and link up. The question is whether they can find a rhythm together in real time.
Australia will be no pushover. They’ve already shown they can sit in and counter. The USMNT needs three points here to stay in control of the group, and Pochettino is betting that a more direct, two-striker approach unlocks a defense that’s hard to break down.
No word yet on who captains the team in Pulisic’s absence. Probably Tyler Adams or Tim Ream. But that’s secondary to the main story: can this reshuffled attack produce the goals the USMNT needs?
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