Alexi Lalas Predicts the U.S. Men's Team Lineup: Who Starts at Striker?

I look at this U.S. men's national team roster that Mauricio Pochettino has called, and I know there's a lot of people scratching their heads. And fairly so. A lot of people predicted that this was going to happen. 

But these are the players in camp ahead of two upcoming friendly matches against two World Cup-bound teams: Korea Republic on Saturday and Japan on Tuesday.

So, what if this was the World Cup? What if this is who Pochettino called in? Who do you play to give yourself the best chance of winning? Here's how I see the formation:

Goalkeeper: As much as it pains me or surprises me right now with Matt Turner not in camp, it's going to be Matt Freese. And if Freese is really the No. 1, then you're damn right you put him in goal because I want him to get in as many potential games. I think he's going to see a lot more action than he's had this summer at the Gold Cup. 

Defenders: I know there's talk about Sergino Dest playing left back. But I want him at right back, and I want to see how he is physically after that ACL injury last year. So far so good from a club perspective with PSV Eindhoven. He looks good, and I want to make sure that he has that energy and that insatiable need to go forward. I know at times that's been difficult, but I'm excited to see Dest. I want to see him on the right-hand side. I think that's where he's best, and I think Pochettino would agree.

I'm putting Chris Richards and Tim Ream in as center backs right now because they have been the most successful tandem. But if this is about assessing other players, as Pochettino has said, I want to see Triston Blackman or Nokai Banks — even though he's only 18 years old — because I think that's why they're in camp. So I'm going to stick with Ream as