The United States men’s national team have a high-stakes, low-stakes affair set for Sunday in California, where they’ll take on Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place game.
On one hand, this is a good test for depth players against a decent opponent. There are rivalry bragging rights at play but in the big picture it’s a chance for a handful of players to seize a moment on a national team missing more than a few key pieces. The opportunity may not come again.
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On the other hand, it is a first chance for Mauricio Pochettino to lead his team to a bounce back from defeat in a World Cup preparation project that has raced into the windshield faster than a “Last rest stop for 100 miles” sign on the highway.