USMNT get a much needed win vs. Japan thanks to a formation change; England, Norway impress in UEFA qualifying
Happy Wednesday one and all! It's been a wild few days of international football to chew over as we dive into that rarest of things on the global calendar, a fleeting pause while we await the return of club football. I'm James Benge. Away we go.
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⚽ The Forward Line🇺🇸 USMNT ease pressure with Japan winAfter the breathless angst of Saturday's defeat to South Korea, Mauricio Pochettino needed a win more than most managers in most friendlies. The visit of Japan to Columbus, Ohio, was certainly an opportunity to bed in his 3-4-3 system and to take another look at some of those fringe players who he has been eager to blood this month. Can you imagine, though, what the reaction might have been if another top 20 ranked team had rocked up and brushed the USA to one side?
You need not. The USMNT got their win, goals either side of half time from Alex Zendejas and Folarin Balogun lifting, as Chuck Booth put it in his match report, "a huge weight" off the program. After all, there hadn't been a win against a team rated this highly by FIFA since Iran at the 2022 World Cup. That is the counterbalance to the significant caveats that come with this one. The US didn't beat Japan's A team, that had been deployed for the friendly in Mexico three days earlier (Hajime Moriyasu, then, is clearly one of those who does believe that the balance of power in CONCACAF shifted in 2025). Matt Freese had a fair bit to do against this weakened opposition, saving six times, and there were a fair few unnecessarily nervy moments at the back.
So, it would be unwise to get too high on the USA because they beat a weakened Japan, but this was at least a robust defense where it mattered from Pochettino, whose public utterances have caused almost as much debate as his team's performances. The decision to shift to a back three appears to have paid off too, with Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman looking like they could be very neat wing back alternates behind Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest. As Pardeep Cattry wrote, this was a system that just clicked:
- Cattry: "Pochettino's formation change was the foundation for just about everything that went well on Tuesday; even those who are essentially locks for the World Cup roster like Pulisic and Tyler Adams, next to a steady Cristian Roldan in midfield, looked closer to their best. For perhaps the first time in his 11 months on the job, it felt like the head coach found a gameplan that suited the players at his disposal and the match in front of him, the disjointed and mishap-prone version of the team replaced by one that demonstrated some version of cohesion."
There are further positives to consider. After a bright cameo against South Korea, Balogun got his first goal with the national team since the summer of 2024. The search for a starting No.9 isn't over, not when the 24-year-old still has a fight on to start at club level, but Balogun has made a more compelling case this month than Josh Sargent.
Up next for the US, two more friendlies in October that will go some way to telling us where they rank in the world order. If it is as high as they aspire to then Australia should be beaten in Colorado, but before then there will be a serious test against Ecuador, who rounded off World Cup qualifying with a 1-0 win over Argentina that meant they ended the CONMEBOL league with five goals conceded in 18 games. Now that will be a serious test of the USMNT's forwards.
All Episodes Now StreamingWhile Pochettino can experiment with his formula for next summer, there are plenty of other teams who still have to get to the World Cup first of all. For Norway, that has been a task beyond them since 1998 but this is now a team that can very realistically aspire to topping what looked like being the most challenging qualifying group, Italy and Israel the most notable names alongside them. Having beaten those two earlier in the cycle, Stale Stolbakken's side needed to respond to Italy's dramatic, chaotic 5-4 win over Israel in Hungary, one that kept alive Azzurri hopes of topping Group I.
Boy did Norway respond. Five goals from Erling Haaland, four from substitute Thelo Aasgaard and Landslaget had matched the biggest ever winning margin in UEFA World Cup qualifiers, 11-1 winners over Macedonia. That hefty winning margin could really matter in the months ahead. Norway are six points clear of second placed Italy having played a game more but their goal difference is 16 better. Italy aren't just going to need to beat Norway in the San Siro in November, they are almost certainly going to need a helping hand from either Israel or Estonia in Oslo. The World Cup beckons for Haaland and company and, as Chuck Booth notes, it will be a better tournament for their presence:
- Booth: "It doesn't feel like the World Cup unless the best players in the world are there, and no one will want to line up across the pitch from Martin Odegaard and Haaland if they make it to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Haaland now has a strong chance at also being the top scorer of UEFA qualifying with his ninth goal of the qualifiers, three ahead of Croatia's Andrej Kramaric, who has six goals so far. Haaland also now has 45 goals in only 43 starts for his country as the Manchester City forward has been doing everything that he can to push his country to the world's biggest stage."
They weren't the only nation to win big on Tuesday night. After a run of effective but underwhelming games against lesser lights, England were irresistible in a 5-0 win in Serbia that pointed to the qualities Thomas Tuchel will look to exploit next summer. Three of the Three Lions' goals came from set pieces, where Declan Rice's deliveries were of unerring quality. They weren't too bad from open play either, Morgan Rogers slipping Noni Madueke through to cap off a brilliant team goal for England's second. And, of course, this is a Tuchel team so you know the defense is on point. In their five qualifiers they have allowed one shot on target and a grand total of 0.83 xG. These are silly numbers, even when two of your games are against Andorra.
Elsewhere on Tuesday France and Portugal got tight but important wins over Iceland and Hungary. Meanwhile pour one out for the Republic of Ireland, who suffered arguably the most ignominious defeat in their history when they went down 2-1 to Armenia in Yerevan. In theory there is still time for Heimir Hallgrimsson's side to rally. In reality, their chances of making the World Cup looked all but over three days after their qualifiers began.
🔗 Top Stories🇺🇸 USMNT breakdown: Here's more on that win over Japan and signs of Pochettino's tactical vision impacting his players.
🇵🇹 CR7 back in USA? Cristiano Ronaldo could be set to face the USMNT with Portugal, and it would come over 17 years after legal troubles in the U.S. began due to rape allegations.
🚛 American on the move: USWNT talent Jaedyn Shaw is reportedly on the move again, this time to NJ/NY Gotham FC. Sandra Herrera is here with her trade grades.
😮 He did what? Erling Haaland once scored nine goals in a game at the U20 World Cup. On Tuesday, he scored five in a World Cup qualifier.
🫡 So long: Ray Hudson, the color commentator who called Champions League matches for CBS Sports for three years and has had a 23-year career, announced his retirement.
💰 The Back Line💵 Best bets- Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Eintracht Frankfurt, Friday, 2:30 p.m. ET💰The Pick: Eintracht Frankfurt to win (+175): There'll be a new boss in the Bay Arena dugout on Friday, Kasper Hjulmand taking the reigns earlier this week after the disastrous mini-tenure of Erik ten Hag. Long term the new man looks to be an extremely shrewd appointment but in the meantime he has got to make his mark on a radically overhauled squad that is still feeling itself out. That will take time.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.
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