The USMNT manager doesn't want any player to take his place for granted, but some clear World Cup candidates have emerged

Haji Wright and Cristian Roldan have caught U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino's attention eight months ahead of the World Cup.

One of those players who revealed the plans with Pochettino is Mark McKenzie, the USMNT defender who currently plays for Toulouse in Ligue 1, and played 17 minutes against Ecuador. He talked about how Pochettino advises him to improve by watching some of the best defenders in the world.

The U.S. men's national team has another top-25 win under Mauricio Pochettino. The second September game saw the U.S. do so against Japan, though it faced a heavily rotated team. To end October, the U.S. beat Australia ( No. 25 per FIFA) 2-1 thanks to a brace from starting striker Haji Wright.

The Americans drew 1-1 vs. the South Americans on Friday night in a friendly, and it looks like Pochettino's experimentation is starting to pay off

Is Mauricio Pochettino going to refine the dynamic of an impressive Starting XI from Friday's draw with Ecuador, or switch things up a bit when the USMNT hosts Australia on Tuesday in Colorado?

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mauricio Pochettino Receives Vote of Confidence Amid USMNT Negativity. The U.S. men’s national team may have hit some unwanted low points during Mauricio Pochettino’s divisive tenure, but the Argentine certainly has the backing of striker Folarin Balgoun.

Certain key first team players for the USMNT could be falling behind with Antonee Robinson's absence raising the most concern

The Coventry City striker took charge when his national team needed him most, scoring once in each half to seal important win

"The team culture, the team togetherness, is stronger than any individual," USMNT midfielder Brenden Aaronson said.