Alexi Lalas’ Three U.S. Men’s Team Stars Who Stood Out in September

We saw the U.S. men’s national team split its two friendly games this past week – a 2-0 loss to South Korea followed by a 2-0 win over Japan. 

I don’t think my feelings about this window have changed. I’m going to give it grace and throw it out. And I know that doesn’t lend itself to analyzing this team, especially relative to the World Cup next summer.

But because of the way that USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino framed this window, I’m going to put all my focus and energy into the next set of games in October. We can expect that window (games against Australia on Oct. 10 and Ecuador on Oct. 14) to have as close to a full World Cup roster as possible with the understanding there is still time for some individual changes. 

Ultimately, I don’t think this was a successful camp. I think it raised questions. I think it confirmed some people’s suspensions when it comes to how good – or not good – this team actually is. I think for the first time Pochettino came under criticism, and we saw how he reacted.

But Pochettino understands that he’s going to get criticism. I think some real answers are going to come in the next window.

But I do think some players helped themselves and increased their stock. Here’s who I think really helped their causes:

Sergiño Dest | Full-Back 

He’s back and he is awesome. He has all sorts of energy even if he’s still not 100 percent after a lengthy ACL injury last season. Dest is heading that way and if he is even close to full strength, that bodes well for him and the future of this national team. It was wonderful to have him back. 

Matt Freese | Goalkeeper

Can you believe it? I think he is the No. 1 goalkeeper right now over Matt Turner, who started at the 2022 World Cup. Turner isn’t even in the picture in this window. Timing is everything, and Freese made a big splash in the summer at the Gold Cup, saving penalties and getting to the final. 

 Is Matt Freese the U.S. keeper for the 2026 World Cup? (Photo by Ben Jackson/USSF/Getty Images)

I thought he should have done better against South Korea, but he earned a shutout against Japan. He made some good saves, and I think he established himself as more than a guy who saves penalties. We’ll see if it lasts until next summer, but there’s now open competition for who starts at keeper.  

Folarin Balogun | Striker

My top star from this window was Balogun. He’s back with the team after a long layoff because of injuries. Against South Korea, he helped change the complexion of the game in his 20 minutes as a substitute. In the game against Japan, he started and scored a goal. 

Folarin Balogun looked strong up top for the USMNT. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Right now, he is the starting striker for this national team. He was much more active, especially when you compare and contrast his performances with what Josh Sargent did.

Alexi Lalas is a soccer analyst for FOX Sports and host of “Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast.” He represented the USMNT at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and had a nine-year professional career. In 2006, he became the president of the LA Galaxy and helped bring David Beckham to Major League Soccer.

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