USMNT Stock Watch: Folarin Balogun takes control of striker spot as goalkeeper picture becomes clearer

The September international window has come to a close for the United States men’s national team with mixed results, losing to South Korea before defeating a heavily rotated Japan side. It was a window where Mauricio Pochettino wanted to get a final look at players deeper down his roster before tightening things up during future international breaks in the lead-up to the World Cup. Pochettino also rolled out a new formation with the United States starting the match in a back three for the first time under his leadership.

With the Argentine reaching a year in charge of the USMNT, there is room for growth, but the victory over Japan does offer positivity about how the USMNT will prepare to be a force at the 2026 World Cup, where expectations will be high on every player in the squad. But with the break coming to a close, who improved or hurt their standing moving forward?

Stock up: Matt Freese 

After this international window, it may be hard for Matt Turner to regain the number one shirt. Matt Freese has grown since starting every match at the Concacaf Gold Cup, and his command of the box and confidence rushing out to clear up situations kept the United States out of trouble. Turner may be playing regular soccer, but with Freese establishing himself as more than just a penalty specialist, his stock is rising by the day.

He may not have gotten his chance if Zack Steffen hadn’t gotten injured when Pochettino called him in, but Freese has established himself as one of the top keepers in MLS and is now getting rewarded for it.

Goals prevented by American keepers in MLS

Even other options being called into camp weren’t enough for Freese to lose any time during matches. He’ll have to keep these strong performances going as keeper could be a tight battle down the stretch.

Stock down: Josh Sargent

Again, the United States’ attack was ineffective, with Josh Sargent leading the line. He may not have played with a back three in the same way that Folarin Balogun did, but only touching the ball 17 times against South Korea and failing to take a shot, Sargent has continued a worrying trend in not being able to turn touches into shots. It’s a direct contrast to Balogun and fails to open up the USMNT attack. If Pochettino wanted to take a look at a different system that plays long balls forward to get the best out of Sargent, it may be a different scenario, but at the moment, the Championship’s hottest striker doesn’t have a place with the USMNT. With other options such as Haji Wright, Ricardo Pepi, and Patrick Agyemang also in the conversation, there may not even be room for Sargent when it’s all said and done.

Stock up: Alex Freeman and Max Arfsten

It’s hard to separate the USMNT wing backs as both have taken massive steps forward during this international break to look to secure their places in the World Cup squad. Pochettino has shown that he likes what the MLS defenders bring to the squad, and against Japan, you can see why. Max Arfsten had an excellent assist to Alex Zendejas to open the scoring for the USMNT, and Alex Freeman was everywhere. Pochettino was able to get the best out of the duo with them playing as wing backs, which is also how they line up for their clubs, and it will remain to be seen how that impacts things moving forward. Antonee Robinson is likely the starter on the left, but Arfsten has done enough to be a valid option to change the pace of the attack. For Freeman, he could have a chance at starting at right back when 2026 comes.

Stock down: Mark McKenzie 

Center back has been one of the most competitive positions for the USMNT, and Pochettino starting in a back three without defenders who have played there for their clubs, like Mark McKenzie and Joe Scally, feels like an indictment of where they are in the pecking order. McKenzie is someone who has never seemed fully comfortable when wearing the shirt of the national team, which can happen, but it’s also not going to show why McKenzie should be in the squad for 2026. As more MLS center backs continue to impress Pochettino, it only pushes guys like McKenzie and Cameron Carter-Vickers further down the list.

Stock up: Folarin Balogun

It’s hard to say that Folarin Balogun’s stock went up more than he showed why he’s the starter at striker, and that everyone else is chasing him for a spot. The attack opens up when Balogun plays, as not only can he create his own chances with spins in tight spaces and dribbles, but he’s adept enough at hold up play and laying the ball off to his teammates that attacks don’t stop even when he’s not in a great position. There may be options to change the pace for the USMNT off the bench, but when it comes to the starting role for the national team, as long as he’s healthy, it looks like it’s going to be Balogun.

Stock down: Sebastian Berhalter 

In direct competition with Jack McGlynn for a spot on the roster as a set piece specialist who can change the pace of the match, Sebastian Berhalter may have lost some ground during this international window. The Gold Cup saw him push ahead, getting the majority of starts in midfield, but Berhalter struggled against South Korea before being benched against Japan. Then it was McGlynn who came off the bench, shooting from distance and almost scoring a goal. When it comes to raising the ceiling of the USMNT, that’s something that McGlynn’s skillset does more than Berhalter’s, so while the Houston Dynamo man has defensive worries, if the USMNT can cover those with a formation shift, he needs to be there to come off the bench.