The U.S. Men's National Team received a double injury blow ahead of November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay, as midfielders Tyler Adams and Sean Zawadzki withdrew from Mauricio Pochettino's squad due to injuries sustained during weekend club matches.
Adams, who played the full 90 minutes for Bournemouth against Aston Villa, collided heads with teammate Adam Smith in the third minute of Sunday's Premier League contest. Zawadzki suffered a right knee injury during the Columbus Crew's playoff match against Cincinnati on Saturday. However, the Crew confirmed it wasn't a long-term issue, as he completed the whole match.
To replace the departed duo, Pochettino called up LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman, leaving 24 players in camp. The 26-year-old dual national of the United States and Germany switched his international allegiance in 2023 and has earned just one cap for the USMNT, appearing in a January 2024 friendly against Slovenia.
Tillman arrives after having played every minute of LAFC's 2025 playoff run as the Black and Gold advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. The former Bayern Munich midfielder was part of LAFC's 2023 U.S. Open Cup championship squad and now has an opportunity to impress Pochettino with several regular starters unavailable.
The absences add to an already depleted American roster, which is missing Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Malik Tillman—Timothy's brother. The U.S. will face Paraguay on Friday in Chester, Pennsylvania, before meeting Uruguay three days later in Tampa, Florida, in the team's penultimate camp before World Cup preparations begin.
On This Day in 1996, Dooley and Wynalda Kept the Qualifying Train Rolling With a Victory Over Trinidad and Tobago, While Pope Made His Debut
The buses had barely cleared Richmond city limits when Steve Sampson's mind turned to the calendar. One week to prepare for Trinidad and Tobago at the University of Richmond Stadium, then straight back to Port-of-Spain for the return fixture two weeks later. The Americans had seized first place in Group 1 alongside Costa Rica, but the schedule offered no time for satisfaction—only preparation.
The week brought unexpected storylines. Eric Wynalda, the team's leading scorer with 26 goals, found himself the subject of national scrutiny. A New York Times profile examined his transformation from volatile provocateur to composed professional, chronicling suspensions, fines, and the infamous 1990 World Cup ejection that had painted him as American soccer's problematic genius. Against Guatemala, absorbing brutal fouls without retaliation, Wynalda had offered the strongest evidence yet of maturity. "Three years ago, everything was about myself," he told reporters. "I've learned how to contribute to a team and not be an individual."
The profile arrived with perfect timing. Trinidad and Tobago needed points desperately. Winless through three matches—a loss and a draw at home, where qualifying teams traditionally bank their points—the Caribbean side faced elimination before New Year's. They had never beaten the United States on American soil, but they possessed the talent to make Sunday uncomfortable: Dwight Yorke of Aston Villa, already with five Premier League goals this season; Jerren Nixon of FC Zurich; creative midfielder Russell Latapy orchestrating from Portugal's Boavista. Speed, directness, diagonal runs that could bypass midfield entirely.
"They desperately need points because they're running out of matches," Sampson acknowledged. "Since they didn't win either of their matches at home, they're going to have to win at least two away."
For the Americans, the mathematics was simpler but equally urgent. Three of their final four first-round qualifiers would be played on the road. Banking points at home wasn't optional—it was survival. The Guatemala match had delivered three points but also uncomfortable truths about defensive vulnerabilities. Sampson made his tactical adjustment: Eddie Pope would start. The 22-year-old North Carolina defender, who had missed the Guatemala match with the coach's permission to attend classes, would make his international debut against one of CONCACAF's most dangerous attacks.
The atmosphere at University of Richmond Stadium on November 10 provided a stark contrast to the blue and white sea that had engulfed RFK. Of the 19,312 in attendance—less than a thousand shy of capacity—the overwhelming majority wore American colors. Busloads of Trinidadian expatriates had traveled from Ontario and New York, trying to stay warm in 48-degree temperatures, but they were outnumbered. This time, the home team had home support.
What followed was the performance Sampson had demanded after the scare against Guatemala. The defensive adjustments held. Pope marked Nixon with authority beyond his years, handling the physical Swiss-based forward with composure. Alexi Lalas shadowed Yorke relentlessly, neutralizing the Premier League scorer. Thomas Dooley swept behind them, cleaning up anything that leaked through. In midfield, Claudio Reyna accepted unusual defensive responsibilities, tracking Latapy and limiting the Trinidadian captain's influence on possession.
The match remained scoreless into the second half, the Americans controlling the tempo but lacking the breakthrough. It arrived in the 52nd minute through the set-piece precision that had become Sampson's signature. Jeff Agoos delivered a corner from the right, but it was short. Pope attacked at the near post, only to see Trinidad defender Dexter Francis clear it. The ball ricocheted toward the sideline, seemingly out of danger.
Agoos had other ideas. The D.C. United defender, playing with the confidence of a league champion and the memory of being cut from the 1994 World Cup roster still burning, without breaking stride, volleyed a perfect cross back into traffic. Dooley, having recovered his position 10 yards from the goal, met it with the side of his head and redirected it into the far corner. Hayden Thomas, the Trinidadian goalkeeper, dove but did not keep it out.
"We trained the whole week on that set piece," Dooley said afterward. "I knew exactly where I had to be. It was an easy ball for me."
The goal opened the match. Trinidad pressed forward searching for an equalizer, but the American defense held firm. Nixon outmuscled Pope twice, once shooting wide from 10 yards, but the young defender recovered each time without panic. Kasey Keller, tested four times, produced his most important save with less than three minutes remaining when Latapy broke free down the middle. The goalkeeper charged far off his line to block the shot from outside the penalty area, preserving the clean sheet.
By then, the match was already decided. In the 84th minute, John Harkes found Wynalda with a simple pass in the attacking half. Two defenders closed in. Wynalda, fighting for balance, launched a 25-yard shot that bounced wickedly toward the goal. Thomas dove, but the ball skipped under his body and into the net. Wynalda's 27th international goal—his 9th in 11 appearances this calendar year—provided the insurance that had been missing against Guatemala.
The celebration was muted, professional. Wynalda raised his arms briefly and jogged back to midfield. "I've learned that the way to get the last word is to score a goal," he had said days earlier. He had just written another sentence.
The final whistle confirmed what the performance had demonstrated: the Americans had corrected their flaws in seven days. The defensive lapses that plagued the Guatemala match had been addressed through personnel and discipline. Pope's debut had been seamless, announcing the arrival of another piece in the defensive puzzle. Dooley and Lalas, who had been shaky against Guatemala, had become dominant. The transition from defense to attack had been fluid, precise.
"We did a good job of keeping the Trinidadians in front of us," Sampson said, "and didn't give them time to make decisions."
Six points from two matches. First place in Group 1, alone. The mathematics suddenly looked favorable—nine points should secure advancement to the hexagonal final round, and four matches remained. But Sampson refused to entertain comfort. "We can't afford to look at the standings yet," he warned. "We have earned the respect of the other CONCACAF nations, but we must continue to deserve that respect."
The respect was real. In two weeks, the Americans would have to earn it again in Port-of-Spain, where Trinidad and Tobago had never lost a qualifier. Two thousand miles south, in tropical heat and hostile territory, the home-and-away cycle would complete. Then December would bring two matches against Costa Rica—first away, then home—in a mini-series that would likely determine who advanced alongside whom.
Captain John Harkes, a veteran of qualifying disappointments, understood the fragility of the moment. "I remember the days we were elated with a tie," he said, recalling the qualifying run in 1989, which was the first time the United States qualified for a World Cup in 40 years. Progress was undeniable, but incomplete. Hank Steinbrecher, the U.S. Soccer Federation's executive director, put it plainly: "I think we've proved that we're a force in the region, but only if we make it to France can we really make that claim."
For now, two victories in seven days would suffice. Two clean sheets. Five goals scored. Zero conceded. The Americans had answered every question posed by the opening fortnight of qualifying. The next questions would be harder, asked in less friendly venues with more desperate opponents. But on this November afternoon in Richmond, playing with confidence and authority before their own supporters, the United States had justified its ranking as the second-best team in CONCACAF. France was still 13 months and countless obstacles away. First came Trinidad, then Costa Rica, then the grinding reality of hexagonal qualifying. The marathon continued, one match at a time.
