USMNT vs Germany: Five keys before World Cup opener

USMNT Five Keys (06.05.2026)

Fresh off a win over Senegal, the USMNT face their toughest pre-World Cup test yet against Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Germany. GOAL breaks down five key storylines.

The road to the World Cup continues for the U.S. Men's National Team and, in truth, that road felt a little better this week than it did before. That's what happens when you pick up a good win to kick-start the final phases of tournament preparation.

The win over Senegal has quite obviously lifted spirits, helping push the USMNT through this second week of pre-tournament camp. At the end of that week, though, lies another test: Germany, and it'll almost certainly be the biggest one the U.S. will face before a potential knockout-round tie against another one of the game's elite teams.

There's no mistaking Germany's place in the game. Featuring stars like Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Florian Wirtz and Champions League final goalscorer Kai Havertz, they have immense talent. The last time the U.S. faced European heavyweights like this, they fell both times, suffering an embarrassment at the hands of Belgium and never quite troubling Portugal during the March break.

Will this one be different? Can the U.S. continue the good vibes ahead of next week's tournament opener against Turkey? They'll hope so, as a good performance against Germany would do wonders for the team's next phase of preparation.

GOAL looks at the key storylines heading into the friendly against Germany, a match with plenty of significance, both emotional and professional, for players throughout the USMNT squad.

United States v Senegal - International Friendly

A big test for Berhalter?

Pochettino was full of praise for Sebastian Berhalter after the Senegal game.

"He could play two games in a row," the USMNT boss said. "He's a monster... He doesn't play at 100 percent; he plays at 200 percent."

The Argentine believes in Berhalter and is taking this chance to build him up. Is that because Berhalter is set to play a bigger role this summer than many would think?

When the USMNT squad was unveiled, many expected Weston McKennie to slide back next to old partner Tyler Adams to form the two-man midfield. That's despite the fact that Pochettino has said he prefers McKennie higher up the field, where his style of play benefits from increased freedom. So, how do you get McKennie higher up? Well, you give Adams a different partner. Might it be Berhalter?

The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder played the most minutes against Senegal, so there may not be an extended runout. If there is, though, it'll be his biggest test yet. He showed good things against Senegal, but also had some moments that need to be cleaned up against the best of the best. That's what Germany are, which makes this game a good preview of what the World Cup could look like if Berhalter does indeed play a big role.

Ricardo Pepi, USMNT

Who gets the nod up top?

Champagne problems! "Oh no," Pochettino must be thinking, "all my strikers are creating goals!"

It is a problem he'll have to solve, though, not this weekend but next.

Against Senegal, Ricardo Pepi started and was instrumental in each of the USMNT's first two goals. Then Folarin Balogun came on and scored one on a day when he surely could have had more. Meanwhile, Haji Wright was one of three USMNT players not to play, which means his résumé is supported by his brace against group opponent Australia in the fall.

All of that is to say that the USMNT strikers are in good form, both for their clubs and for country. So what does Pochettino do against Germany? If Pepi and Balogun are the ones really jostling for the starting job, do they each get 45 minutes again? If Wright gets in there, which of those two doesn't?

Pochettino surely has a plan and, fortunately for him, all three players are worthy of being part of it.

FBL-WC-2026-US-SQUAD

Showing your hand

Every coach will have a different approach to pre-tournament friendlies. We don't fully know Pochettino's. He rolled with, essentially, two different teams against Senegal, and those teams looked and played fairly differently. So, in this game against Germany, does he do something similar, or does he put out something resembling a first-choice lineup to get them ready for the games to come?

There's merit to both choices. No coach wants to show their hand, particularly ahead of a World Cup, so it could be in Pochettino's best interest to be somewhat sneaky. That said, there are a finite number of huge surprises that a team can throw out this late in the cycle, so what would sneaky even look like?

However, you also don't want to show everything. A first-choice XI builds chemistry, yes, but it also puts patterns of play, sequences and ideas on film for Paraguay, Australia and Turkey to study. Surely, then, Pochettino will save some sort of wrinkle for the big day. Maybe not all of them, but something.

Maybe Chris Richards is that wrinkle. His status remains something of a mystery, but U.S. Soccer said the defender was "progressing" in his recovery. Did he progress fast enough to be ready for this game? Even if he has, it may be worth leaving him out, both for tactical and recovery reasons. Richards probably isn't a risk worth taking, but there is also some desire to see how the team looks with him in it, given where they are in this process.

So how does this team actually line up? Only Pochettino knows and, in truth, there are several ways it could go.

Malik Tillman

Meaningful moment for Tillman

At the last World Cup, we saw several USMNT dual nationals face countries close to their hearts. Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah started against England, while Sergino Dest was there to take on the Netherlands. Now, on the road to this World Cup, Malik Tillman faces Germany. That'll be special.

Born in Nuremberg, Tillman's soccer career has primarily unfolded in Germany. He came through at Greuther Furth and Bayern Munich before making his name at Rangers and PSV. Last summer, he returned to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. He's been involved with Germany internationally, too, featuring for them up to the U-21 level. Now, on Saturday, he faces Germany at the senior level.

"It's amazing," he told reporters Thursday. "I've been waiting for this game. Obviously, it'll be very special for myself and my family. It's going to be a great game and very emotional as well."

It's not just about feel-good stories, though. Tillman is fighting for a starting spot or, at the very least, a place as an impact substitute. As an attacking player, the best way to earn chances is to create danger, and Tillman surely can do that. Doing so against Germany, though? That's hard, and Tillman will know that better than anyone.

United States v Portugal - International Friendly

Goalkeeper fun

It was somewhat surprising to see Matt Turner start against Senegal. It was very surprising to see Chris Brady start the second half. Surely, Matt Freese plays this game but, given what we just saw last time out, it's hard to really grasp where the goalkeeper position stands right now.

There's a possibility that Freese is still the clear No. 1 in Pochettino's eyes and the last game was a chance to throw the other goalkeepers a bone and boost their confidence in case they are needed. You can see the logic in that, as every player on the roster, including the goalkeepers, needs to be ready in case of injury.

Or it could just be that a decision still needs to be made. Maybe Senegal was one more test for Turner and Germany is one more test for Freese. Maybe there is some sort of weight on Freese's shoulders and some sort of pressure to go out there and solidify his place.

No matter the specific scenario, it's worth watching the goalkeepers because, at the very least, whoever plays in goal should expect to be tested by this talented German team.