5 questions facing the USMNT as World Cup kickoff approaches - ESPN

In his 20 months in charge of the U.S. men's national team, Mauricio Pochettino has won 15 matches, lost 10 and tied one. He has taken a look at 67 different players and whittled that down to a 26-man squad. He has overseen a pair of inspiring performances over the past 10 days, a 3-2 win over Senegal and a 2-1 defeat to Germany. And now, on Friday, he takes the USMNT into the FIFA World Cup.

It's a moment that really has no parallel in program history. Sure, the U.S. has hosted this tournament before, and the 1994 edition was a magical, transformative moment for the game in this country, but that team was playing with house money.

«Not getting embarrassed» was the goal 32 years ago. But now? With a manager as recognizable as Pochettino, with players scattered across Europe's most storied clubs, the bar is set significantly higher.

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Is this team ready for that? Just what is the ceiling for this group? To answer those questions and more, ESPN turned to those who've been covering the USMNT throughout this World Cup cycle and will continue spending every day of this tournament following the team: Jeff Carlisle, Herculez Gomez, Sam Borden, Cesar Hernandez and Ryan Clark.

Carlisle: I think he got things right for the most part. Injuries meant he could avoid some prickly questions, such as Patrick Agyemang vs. Haji Wright at center forward. The heart of the team's defense looks a bit suspect, but I think Pochettino picked the best options available.

I, for one, wasn't surprised by the exclusion of Diego Luna. He's a talented player, but I think the other options