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I’ve played in a World Cup and understand how the US national team prepares – and what matters most. There is one more game until the Americans’ tournament gets underway against Paraguay on June 12, and it’s important to go in with confidence.
This time I have a different challenge. I’ll break down the USA throughout its journey through the 2026 World Cup, starting with a final tune-up game against Germany.
Here are my keys to the game and a preview of what to expect from Germany and the USA.
Leroy Sane
Winger · Germany
When looking at the German national team, the first names that come to mind are probably Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz or Joshua Kimmich. The player I’m watching in this game, though, is someone who can exploit a potential weakness in the US defense.
Sane is the player I’m highlighting because it ties in with what I’m worried about with the US. The former Manchester City star is a quick, left-footed winger who generally plays on the right. He can dribble in either direction, cut in on his left foot or pull the ball towards the touchline.
Tim Ream and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson on the left side of the US defense will defend Sane. When Robinson is high up the pitch and Germany get the ball in transition, there’s a chance you’ll get Sane against Tim in open space. After watching the friendly against Senegal, it would not be ideal for this American team.
Leroy Sané will pose a unique threat to the US defense. (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
This will be less of a problem in the group stage of the World Cup for the USA against Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. Once you get into the knockout rounds, though, you’ll face players capable of taking advantage of that pace and potentially causing problems for Ream.
Ream will be important in controlling buildouts for the American team, but in the first 20 minutes against Senegal on Saturday, he had some uncharacteristic turnovers that led to dangerous chances.
In addition, there were a few moments when the ball went by and Ream was not immediately close enough. He did the right thing in that situation to delay the attack and wait for help, but his ability to defend wingers in dangerous positions will play a crucial role in the tournament.
Alex Freeman will look to build on his performance against Senegal and should also find himself in more one-on-one moments away from Germany.
Weston McKennie
Midfielder · USA
I’m curious to see how Wes plays and how much of the game he can dictate. We know how good he is offensively, but can he be effective on both sides of the ball?
Wes played the second half against Senegal after Pochettino made 10 changes at half-time. He did very well, especially defensively, and showed grit and leadership that came with wearing the captain’s armband in the second half.
Wes is expected to start in midfield alongside Tyler Adams, who can cover a lot of ground defensively and potentially give him the freedom to get forward. Still, against a team like Germany that can cause problems for the USA quickly in transition, my former American teammate needs to make a strong switch on both ends of the court.
I know he can do it after playing with the famous “MMA” midfield of Tyler, McKennie and Yunus Musah at the 2022 World Cup. Adams covered the middle of the pitch while Wes and Yunus covered the rest of the midfield, all the way to the touchline. This will be a good test against Germany’s participation in the tournament.
How well McKennie plays and how much of the play the American midfield can dictate will determine what the USA can get out of the game.
What can you expect from the US?
The U.S. may need a different mentality against Germany compared to how it started against Senegal. The starting line-up played 45 minutes together before 10 substitutions at half-time. Mauricio Pochettino wants his team to press high up the pitch and you’re going to empty the tank when you know you’re only going to play 45 minutes.
I was very impressed with the team’s compactness against Senegal and I hope we see it again against Germany. Offensively, there were so many positive combinations and scoring opportunities from the attacking group in the previous game. Let’s see if the team can continue to look dangerous against Germany.
I expect we will see more minutes from the opener against Germany to get the necessary match fitness for the World Cup while also trying to stay safe and healthy. My guess is that the starting XI will play at least 60 to 70 minutes in this one.
Can the US be as aggressive against Germany as they were against Senegal? The Americans are unlikely to have as much of the ball as they did in their first friendly. This matchup may require them to drop into a low block, sit back and defend more.
If Pochettino starts with three centre-backs, as he did against Senegal, how does the USA fall back on defence? When they go into a low block it becomes a 5-4-1? Will the US be content to provide space and possession? I’m curious to see how the team stacks up against a potential title contender.
With that, can the US find the right balance between offense and defense? Can the team say, “Hey, we’re not going to just be passive, can we go out there and be aggressive in the right moments?” Based on the Senegal game, I expect the Americans to at least try to be very aggressive in the first 10 or 15 minutes.
Finding that balance will require a lot of maturity from both the coaching staff and the players on the field. I hope we can find the right balance between pressing and sitting back against a team that will be considered a superior opponent.
What can you expect from Germany?
I think Germany will score a goal in transition.
There are two things I worry about with the USA in the World Cup, and they both have to do with its defense. The first one, which I already talked about, is how this team is going to defend in transition when the opposition is on the counter attack. Germany have players like Sane, Musiala and Wirtz – who can cause problems when given space and time on the ball.
The other thing I’m concerned about – which may not necessarily pertain to this game – is how the US will be able to play against a goal-heavy forward. Fortunately, Germany doesn’t have one of those, and defender Chris Richards would give the US another element in defense if he’s fit.
Against Senegal, some direct balls were played against the American defense, which Mark McKenzie and Ream did not handle easily. The addition of Richards should help in this area and I hope we see a bit more control of it going forward. Playing against a big forward will test this American backline both in holdup play and deep into the penalty box.
