Alexi Lalas provides unexpected response to USMNT's drastic World Cup lineup rotation

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Alexi Lalas was unexpectedly positive about the U.S. Men's National Team's wholesale lineup changes on Thursday -Creditmar Vega/USSF, Getty Images


United States Men's National Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino opted against taking any chances in his team's final FIFA World Cup group game against Turkiye on Thursday, despite the result having no bearing on their tournament progression or group placement.

The Argentine tactician has made nine alterations from the side that secured a 2-0 victory over Australia last Friday in Seattle, with only midfielder Weston McKennie and forward Ricardo Pepi keeping their spots. Pepi's inclusion comes with an asterisk, however, as he slots in only because captain Christian Pulisic is sidelined with an injury picked up in the World Cup opener.

Former USMNT defender and fiercely patriotic FOX analyst Alexi Lalas has consistently pushed for Pochettino to maintain the team's momentum, pointing out that the United States has never swept all three World Cup group stage matches.

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Prior to kickoff at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, he took a measured, supportive stance when responding to Pochettino's noticeably reshuffled lineup. "This whole new group of players has the opportunity to come out here today and grab hold of that responsibility and, in doing so, continue the momentum," Lalas said of the team, taking a non-critical approach, via The Mirror US.

"We all know that a lot of people have come into this tent over the last couple of weeks because of this team. America wants to celebrate America. We have a whole new group of Americans going onto the field tonight, and I don't think that they take this opportunity lightly," he continued.

"They're here to make sure that we've been introduced to a whole new group of American heroes, and we're going with all of that momentum all the way north to the Bay Area for the Round of 32," he said, teasing the USMNT's knockout game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Appearing on the Guy Benson podcast on Friday, Lalas stressed that "momentum matters" for the USMNT. For him, that begins with a victory over Turkiye, and the optimal approach was to field the team's strongest available players free from yellow-card concerns.

Pochettino makes big US changes.​

Pochettino was always going to leave out Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, and Chris Richards, all of whom were one booking away from a suspension, having already picked up yellow cards.

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So how does the USMNT line up against Turkiye? Matt Turner, the side's first-choice goalkeeper in Qatar, earns his first start of 2026. The defensive unit consists of Joe Scally, Auston Trusty, Miles Robinson, and Mark McKenzie, suggesting a tactical shift from a back three to a back four.

McKennie, whose inclusion appears largely dependent on Christian Roldan's injury absence, slots into a deeper role alongside Sebastian Berhalter in the midfield pivot.

Brendan Aaronson, Gio Reyna, and Tim Weah are all expected to operate in the spaces behind striker Pepi. Reyna had been widely anticipated to start at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before his falling out with then-coach Gregg Berhalter derailed those plans.

Pochettino opted for Matt Freese in goal against Australia, deploying captain Tim Ream, Richards, and Alex Freeman in a back three, with Robinson at left-back, Malik Tillman and Adams in a pivot, and McKennie, Pepi, and Sergino Dest operating behind striker Balogun.

Pulisic featured from the start in the tournament opener against Paraguay before being substituted at halftime due to a left calf injury, and is anticipated to come on as a substitute against Turkiye.

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