USMNT draws New Zealand but secures next coach on roller-coaster day

Though Pochettino wasn't present in Cincinnati — he is expected to land in the United States for media appearances soon — this New Zealand friendly immediately became an opportunity for some of the USMNT's unheralded players to make their impression on their new coach. 

Varas made several changes to the starting lineup that lost to Canada, and those changes wound up being inspired choices. Ex-Columbus Crew midfielder Aidan Morris was spectacular in the midfield and PSV striker Ricardo Pepi looked industrious and dangerous on the wing.

Varas threw one more curveball into the mix. He gave 26-year-old Standard Liege defender Marlon Fossey his USMNT debut on the right side of defense. Fossey slotted right into the lineup and wound up being one of the strongest performers on the field. 

With starting right back Sergino Dest out of the squad indefinitely with a long-term injury, Fossey's debut couldn't have come at a better time and he looks like a stellar replacement.

Midfielder Yunus Musah, meanwhile — one of the more seasoned players on this team — looked disappointing for the second night in a row and was hooked at halftime in favor of Celta Vigo defender Luca de la Torre. 

It was worrying to watch Musah underperform, but de la Torre's introduction was heartening: he had immediate chemistry with fellow midfielder Morris and the two looked fantastic together.

The USMNT broke through, as it often does, courtesy of a Christian Pulisic goal in the second half. But this particular goal featured impressive build-up from the center of the park and showed what the USMNT is capable of when it's firing on all cylinders. 

The move started with Morris in midfield, and the ball passed through Fossey, de la Torre, Pepi and hyped striker Folarin Balogun before landing at Pulisic's feet. 

If Pochettino was watching, he was no doubt marking a star next to each of those players's names in his notebook. They were the standouts for the USMNT on Tuesday evening; they are the foundation upon which Pochettino can build.

A late New Zealand equalizer took some of the shine off of this performance, but USMNT fans won't mind. They've got their man now in Pochettino, and they've got some momentum heading into the team's next friendlies in October. 

The USMNT's next opponent? Panama, the team that knocked it out of the Copa America this summer. It will need to perform much better there than it did against Canada and New Zealand this week ... but it finally has the pieces in place to do so.