Mauricio Pochettino replacing Folarin Balogun in USMNTs World Cup lineup could get complicated

SEATTLE — Mauricio Pochettino’s calculus on how to deal with the loss of Folarin Balogun, handed a one-game red card suspension ahead of the USMNT’s Round of 16 match against Belgium, comes down in large part to how much the manager is willing to change about his lineup as a whole.Pochettino’s system and first-choice starting XI have been hugely effective so far in the World Cup, including against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32, and he does have plug-and-play options.Those would be Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright, with Pepi presumed to be higher up on the depth chart.The PSV striker has a World Cup start under his belt, having started in a front two with Balogun against Australia, and has seen action in every other game since the USMNT arrived for camp in late May.

He also played as a lone striker in the May 31 friendly win over Senegal, showing good chemistry with Christian Pulisic.That would be the obvious move, given that Pepi’s performances have been largely unobjectionable and it would allow everything else to stay the same.“His tenacity and energy has been unreal, to be honest,” Tyler Adams said.“I think he’s put some unbelievable performances against the ball.

I’ve played with Pepi quite a bit but what he’s shown against the ball has been huge for us, I think, and also for our wingers.They don’t necessarily have to do as much work.

He’s holding up the ball really well and when he gets in front of goal, we know he can score.”If Pochettino isn’t fully comfortable with Pepi or Wright, though, things will get more complicated.The U.S.could deploy Pulisic centrally as a striker, something they tried without success in a March friendly against Portugal, or as part of a front two, or in a false nine role.

Weston McKennie also played as a striker at times for Juventus this season, and could reprise the role for the U.S., though it would take him out of an attacking midfield spot in which he’s thrived throughout the World Cup.Ei...