Those games will take place after the USMNT’s World Cup squad is named in late May. Unlike some predecessors, who used the first week of a pre-World Cup camp as a final tryout, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino indicated last week that he plans to select his roster before camp opens.

From the moment Mauricio Pochettino took over the U.S. men’s soccer team last year, each moment has had two meanings. Along with trying to win games, every pass, shot, tackle, save, or failure has been about trying to make the World Cup team.

It's a statement victory for the USMNT as they stretched their unbeaten run to five games to end 2025. They've hit their stride under Mauricio Pochettino, and no matter who is in the lineup, an identity is forming. Let's take a look at the goals:

Uruguay is coming off a scoreless draw to Mexico, with Real Madrid do-it-all midfielder Federico Valverde not in the squad. However, La Celeste will still have defenders Ronaldo Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez and Santiago Bueno available, along with midfielders Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Zalazar and Rodrigo Bentancur.

The United States men will face their toughest test under Mauricio Pochettino as they host 15th-ranked Uruguay in an international friendly from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday.

CHESTER, Pa. -- Facing a Paraguay side who have accomplished feats such as toppling Brazil and Argentina, the United States men's national team were able to take care of business, winning 2-1 at Subaru Park on Saturday in a game that saw a brawl take place before the final whistle started by Gustavo Gomez and Alex Freeman.

But an inexperienced USMNT side ran roughshod over the Uruguayans, as defender Alex Freeman scored a brace and was joined on the scoresheet by Sebastian Berhalter, Diego Luna and Tanner Tessmann. The goals from Freeman, Berhalter and Tessmann were their first on the international level.

He last played in the U.S. on August 2, 2014, when he came on as a substitute for Real Madrid against Manchester United in front of a crowd of 109,318 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. He last played for Portugal in the U.S. earlier that summer in a friendly game against the Republic of Ireland at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The Stars and Stripes are in for a major test just three months before they kick off their World Cup campaign.

The USMNT's win over Paraguay was marred by a late-game brawl that saw players on both benches enter the fray.