Lack of USMNT depth looms even larger for Mauricio Pochettino after Johnny Cardoso injury vs. Jamaica

The United States may have secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals on Thursday over Jamaica, but their depth has taken yet another blow. Already without Folarin Balogun, Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams, and Josh Sargent, Mauricio Pochettino will now have to make due without two more midfielders. 

Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris suffered a knee injury in training which will keep him out of the November matches during the international break while Real Betis man Johnny Cardoso left the match against Jamaica with a hamstring injury. Cardoso was replaced by Malik Tillman during the match after natural midfielder Yunus Musah began the clash on the wing because of Tim Weah’s suspension for the first leg.

Unlike other players named here, Weah will be available for the second leg, and considering the lack of depth that the USMNT is faced with, his return will be a welcome one. The timing is unfortunate for Morris and Cardoso due to the lack of competitive games that the USMNT will face over the next few years. Since they’re a host nation for the 2026 World Cup, the USMNT won’t play in Concacaf World Cup qualifiers so Concacaf Nations League play will be their best chance for meaningful games against top opposition. High-level friendlies will still be scheduled but things are different when it’s an official competition. Challenges are harder, space is harder to come by and results matter.

For young players who don’t have much experience at the senior levels for the USMNT, how they perform in those moments is what can show Pochettino that he can trust them in key positions during the World Cup because learning that a player isn’t ready for the bright lights at that point is too late. Without the duo, Pochettino will still need to figure out his midfield ahead of the second leg versus Jamaica in St. Louis on Monday, and here’s how that could look.

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Predicted XI: Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Joe Scally, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Tim Weah

Tanner Tessmann was a surprise inclusion in the first leg midfield, and while he didn’t do much wrong during the match, getting back to a more familiar pivot of Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah is good for a critical clash. Musah had to be shifted out to the wing and at times, he can lose the match when in wide positions. One of the best one one-on-one dribblers in the entire USMNT pool, Musah is someone who needs the ball at his feet to make things happen. His final pass after a dribble can leave much to be desired, but these are things that are expected to improve under a top manager like Pochettino.

In must win matches, that’s where Pochettino has to be able to turn to players who he trusts and Musah’s versatility is something that has moved him up the ranks. Alongside him, you know what you’re going to get from McKennie, and like Christian Pulisic, he’s someone who when healthy has to play because of what they can bring to the pitch. Malik Tillman is still looking to find his feet with the USMNT but with Jamaica needing a goal, the Reggae Boyz will have to push forward. To take advantage of that, a creative midfielder is needed and without Reyna, those are lacking.

The 10 may be one of the weakest positions for the entire USMNT, but in matches that call for one, someone has to play there. This is where the questions surrounding when Diego Luna will get a chance begin to grow in number but at this stage, you can only go with the players on the roster and Tillman is the most creative of them. 

Jamaica will be without Mason Holgate in defense for the second leg, providing more chance for a USMNT that only took six shots in the first leg. They were outperformed on xG by 1.62 to .88 but Matt Turner’s penalty save was enough to be the difference. Returning home, they’ll want a more comprehensive performance but the beauty of a knockout competition is that you don’t win on style points so just advancing is good enough.