USMNT legend Brad Friedel says Pulisic and these other four are Pochettino’s untouchables 

The USMNT’s win over Senegal calmed some nerves that some fans had in the months leading up to the World Cup. The tune up looked good against a side ranked higher than the US. While there is still plenty of room for improvement, former US keeper Brad Friedel knows there are a handful of players that must be in each of Mauricio Pochetinno’s XIs.

Easing Pulisic pressure

There were plenty of positives coming out of the game against Senegal from Charlotte. Christian Pulisic found the back of the net for the first time in 2026, both for club and country. The defense looked sound, and Ricardo Pepi may have had his break out performance with the red, white and blue.

Speaking to GOAL.com, Friedel talked about Pulisic and some of the other top American players face playing in the top leagues in the world. “I think what’s really important is the players don’t put the price tags on themselves. You know, when he [Pulisic] went for £60 million, and it was the social media bonanza out there, people automatically thought because of his price tag, he was the best this, the best at that, the leader, the everything. And not everyone’s built to be a leader.”

The previous international matches the USMNT played before the one against Senegal didn’t quite go as well, and that started mounting some pressure on Pulisic, although he did seem calm in the midst of a goal scoring drought. “I know a ball will hit off my knee and go in and then things will change,” Pulisic said in March. “I’m not going to panic. Better now than in the summer. Things are going to change.” The goal against Senegal didn’t hit off his knee, it was a pure goal scorers goal. Touch around the keeper and buried it into the back of the net.

Captain America’s sidekicks

Friedel said that people need to take some of the pressure off of Pulisic to bring the best out of him. “For me, it’s a case of lay off him, let him have zero pressure, and just let him perform and enjoy his football. And then I think we could see a really great Christian Pulisic. I think if he’s going to be the poster boy and going in front of all the interviews, etc, etc, that’s a lot to deal with.”

When asked about other players that could be similarly impactful, and depended upon as Pulisic, the former Tottenham keeper who was capped 82 times said, “I think if you look at the core of the team, it’s more important that Chris Richards is fit. It’s more important that Antonee Robinson’s fit. It’s more important that Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie are fit.” Friedel continued, “These are the players I’d say were closer to being undroppable. I think if you have those four guys, then the others can fill in and let those four guys take the heap of the pressure and the criticism, because they can all deal with it easily.”

There is still one more tune up coming this Saturday before Poch and his guys start setting their sights on Paraguay. Pochetinno and his squad will take on Germany on Saturday with one more chance to get a look at his squad before the tournament starts. The World Cup kicks off on June 11th with Mexico playing South Africa, and the US plays Paraguay a day later to kick off their World Cup campaign.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.