The first game of the U.S. men’s national team’s January camp went about as well as it could have. A young, inexperienced USMNT squad squashed a young, inexperienced Venezuela squad 3-1 on Saturday. What mattered most, though, were the individual performances.
For those who shined, the opportunity to impress Mauricio Pochettino isn’t over. And for those who didn’t? There’s another shot.
The USMNT will be back in action on Wednesday night in Orlando, where they’ll face Costa Rica in the final game of this January camp. The squad is unchanged, with the same MLS-heavy 21-player group still in camp and looking to make their mark ahead of much bigger games down the line.
Some have capitalized on the opportunity – Jack McGlynn, Matko Miljevic and Patrick Agyemang, for starters. All three stepped up in the win over Venezuela, as all three scored their first international goals. Others, though, will hope Wednesday is their turn.
GOAL looks at five things to watch when the USMNT face Costa Rica.