When Mauricio Pochettino looks at his player pool, he has plenty of questions. The USMNT are strong in one or two areas - winger, central midfield - but wide open in others. Recent losses to Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League proved that, if nothing else, there is ample of room for improvement in this team.
An optimist might say this is a good thing, especially given that there are some intriguing options to work with.
And perhaps the most perplexing spot is the midfield. In Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah, Pochettino has three established internationals who all play regularly for top European clubs. They were excellent at the 2022 World Cup, but have barely featured together at full fitness since. Three years on from thoroughly outplaying an England midfield, that trio can't necessarily be counted on.
Of course, absence breeds opportunity, especially in international football. And the U.S. does have some intriguing backups. Johnny Cardoso, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Gianluca Busio have a combined 52 national team appearances. None of the three have managed to hold down an extended run in the squad.
But they have shown, albeit in glimpses, that they could be in line for more minutes with this summer's Gold Cup and next year's World Cup on the horizon. And if Pochettino is to change his lineup - or has to shift things around due to injury - each could have a shot with the first team.
GOAL looks at the pros and cons of each, and asks who might be the first to break into the XI.