With national teams required to submit World Cup squads to FIFA by May 30, every appearance now carries added weight for American players. The past week produced clear positives and growing concerns for the USMNT pool.

Haji Wright played 28 minutes for Coventry City in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn Rovers as his club secured promotion to the English top flight for the first time in 25 years. Wright entered in the 62nd minute and registered a single shot in that match. Across the Championship campaign he has 16 goals and an assist in 29 games, placing him second in the Golden Boot race behind Žan Vipotnik. That goalscoring return and the prospect of remaining with Coventry for the Premier League step up have strengthened his appeal for a World Cup roster spot, even if he is not a guaranteed starter.

Brenden Aaronson is enjoying one of his best seasons with Leeds United. He played 86 minutes in Monday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United, creating an assist on a day Noah Okafor netted a brace in a 2–1 victory at Old Trafford. Aaronson now has four goals and four assists in 31 Premier League matches this season and is pushing to make his second World Cup after debuting in Qatar. While Leeds remain concerned about relegation, the club also prepares for an FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea after ousting West Ham United. “The biggest thing was the Premier League, staying up and just having a great season, which I think we’ve done and we’ve put ourselves in a great position,” Aaronson told ESPN . “And then the cherry on top is being in the FA Cup and getting to the semifinals … It’s going to be a massive game for this club and for this team.”

Chris Richards continued his rise with Crystal Palace, producing 10 defensive actions and nine clearances in Conference League action against Fiorentina as Palace advanced 4–2 on aggregate despite a 2–1 loss. He also delivered nine defensive contributions in a league win over Newcastle, a match settled by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 94th-minute penalty.

By contrast, Christian Pulisic’s form remains a concern. The 27-year-old has gone 17 goalless games for AC Milan after a 3–0 loss to Udinese in which he recorded three attempts but no shot on target. Since his last goal he has one assist, versus Torino in March, and he struggled for the USMNT against Portugal and Belgium. Tim Ream’s veteran presence still matters, but recent showings with Charlotte FC raise questions about his level against top attackers.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has raised clear doubts about Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden’s chances of making the World Cup squad after a tepid international break. Tuchel praised Foden’s attitude in camp but warned the midfielder has not translated that into match influence.

“He tried everything,” Tuchel insisted about Foden’s attitude. “I would say he was excellent in camp but, yeah, he struggles to show it on the pitch.

“Obviously, he didn’t have a lot of minutes for City recently. Then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training and I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact.”

When asked whether an underperforming player would still be taken to the finals, Tuchel was blunt: “I can, but the question would be if we will. It’s not a guarantee that he will come.”

As Foden approaches his 26th birthday, his best role remains a subject of debate. He was the 2023–24 Premier League Player of the Season and has operated across Manchester City’s forward line — on the right, the left and centrally. This season most of his minutes have come in a central role, a position Tuchel has tried to fit him into with limited success.

Competition for attacking midfield places is intense. Tuchel can also call upon Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White. Arsenal youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman are being mentioned for the future. With a finite number of places, giving Foden a slot would mean leaving another of that group out.

Foden’s international record underlines the concern: his 49 England caps have yielded four goals. Sir Gareth Southgate previously faced similar questions and sought guidance from Pep Guardiola over Foden’s best position. Foden started every England game at Euro 2024 but returned without a goal or an assist, and he claimed he was a victim of his own versatility.

Tuchel’s remarks leave Foden with little time to alter the selection picture.

Kobbie Mainoo started for England as the hosts slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Japan at Wembley on Thursday evening. Rejuvenated under Michael Carrick, Mainoo had returned to international action after coming off the bench in England’s 1–1 draw with Uruguay and was picked in Thomas Tuchel’s XI against Japan.

The 20-year-old began well, seeing plenty of the ball and using his close control to spin away from markers and deliver tidy passes from around the halfway line. He recycled possession, helped defend in transition and attempted to kickstart attacks. His early highlight was an inch-perfect ball to Palmer—whose heavy touch squandered the chance.

Problems arrived in the 23rd minute when Palmer had his pocket picked by Kaoru Mitoma. Mainoo chased the winger and made a last-ditch tackle inside his own 18-yard box but could not prevent what was ultimately a goal for the visitors. Trailing, England pushed higher and Mainoo moved closer to the opposition box, searching for a pass to unlock the defence.

The front line offered little penetration without Harry Kane, and Mainoo’s accurate passes had limited effect in the final third. He only misplaced two passes in the opening 45 minutes, but one wayward attempt was intercepted by Kaishū Sano, who drove forward and found Ayase Ueda. Ueda’s effort struck the crossbar just before halftime.

Japan dominated the restart and the hosts scrambled early in the second half. Mainoo was caught ball-watching when a through pass released Junya Ito down the right; Mainoo was late to recover but got the slightest of touches as Jordan Pickford collected the resulting cross. He avoided further errors, made several recoveries and interventions before being replaced in the 71st minute.

Mainoo can take pride in an elite passing display but will want to eliminate the lapses on and off the ball that influenced the outcome.

Statistics
Goals 0
Assists 0
Accurate Passes 83/88 (94%)
Touches 97
Successful Dribbles 2/2 (100%)
Passes Into Final Third 9
Accurate Crosses 0/1 (0%)
Accurate Long Balls 1/3 (33%)
Dispossessed 0
Tackles 2
Clearances 3
Headed Clearance 3
Recoveries 9
Chances Created 0
Shots on Target 0