Winners and losers from USMNT September international camp: Zendejas, Balogun shine in World Cup prep

There was a lot to take in from the September international break as Mauricio Pochettino led a roller coaster international camp aimed at preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Punctuated by a 2-0 defeat to South Korea and subsequent 2-0 victory over Japan, fans had mixed feelings once the international break ended and players returned to their clubs.

Pochettino called in a number of fringe players, stating this was the last time for him to give those on the edges of the depth chart a chance to shine.

The defeat to South Korea felt incredibly damaging, but Pochettino fought back hard against critics of his approach. He then engineered a victory over a heavily rotated Japan team by the same score days later, punctuated by a tactical change to a 3-4-2-1 formation that seemed to work wonders.

The Sporting News takes a full overview of what we learned in the week-long camp, with positives and negatives to be learned from the 180 minutes.

MORE: Mauricio Pochettino fires back hard at critics of his World Cup preparation plans

Biggest winners from USMNT September international break

Alejandro Zendajas

Nobody had a better September international break than Club America winger Alejandro Zendejas. The 27-year-old said he wasn't expecting to receive a call-up, but made the most of his chance as he saw time in both matches.

He came off the bench for 19 minutes against South Korea where he created three chances, and then shined brightest with a start against Japan by scoring a banger and causing all kinds of problems for the opponent.

If he wasn't before, Zendejas is now a legitimate option for Pochettino's World Cup squad next summer, as long as he continues to thrive at the Liga MX club. There's no reason why Zendejas shouldn't continue to earn call-ups to subsequent camps as the roster narrows down.

On the volley. Into the lead. Alex Zendejas blasts one home!#USMNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/oVkdNcdKaW

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2025

Max Arfsten

After receiving significant criticism during the Gold Cup from a loud section of the USMNT fanbase online, Max Arfsten redeemed his status in these two games and will be in contention as a depth piece moving forward. He started both games, as he did for much of the Gold Cup, as a clear favorite of Mauricio Pochettino, who sang Arfsten's praises in the postgame press conference following the win over Japan.

Arfsten, a natural winger playing at left-back for the USMNT, has always been a strong attacking threat down the left flank, and that continued to be the case here as he picked up a quality assist on Alejandro Zendejas's goal against Japan. While his end product lacked a bit more against South Korea, he still managed nine passes in the final third, third on the team, and won both his take-ons.

The issues for Arfsten have largely been defensive, and playing at wing-back in the 3-4-2-1 suited him greatly in that regard, as it gave him additional help in the form of an extra center-back. While Arfsten and Tim Ream have both struggled defensively in recent months, their ability to team up in defending the wing was essential; Arfsten was not dribbled past in either match, and won five of his six ground duels across the two games. Both South Korea goals came from moves down the U.S. defensive right side, and Japan's best chances were also on largely on that wing.

It would not at all be shocking to see Arfsten called in for further international breaks as Pochettino identifies the depth chart behind locked-in starter Antonee Robinson.

Folarin Balogun

Now back from last season's shoulder injury and starting for his club Monaco, it appears that Folarin Balogun is back to his best, a huge win for the USMNT who desperately need answers at the No. 9 position. Like Zendejas, the former Arsenal striker was electric against Japan, scoring a goal and generally looking dangerous as he consistently broke lines and connected with teammates.

Maybe most important, Balogun looked in sync with star Christian Pulisic, and their chemistry will be exceedingly important as the World Cup approaches.

Balo doubles the advantage!#USMNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/DD765BQQGl

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2025

Biggest losers from USMNT September international break

Josh Sargent

Every time Josh Sargent is called in, the baffling dichotomy between his club success and his national team struggles becomes more and more apparent. It doesn't make any sense, but the woes continued for Sargent, and unless injuries occur across the national team striker pool, it's unlikely Sargent is called back in before the 2026 World Cup.

Despite scoring oodles of goals for Norwich City on a weekly basis, Sargent looked lost with the United States. He earned the start against South Korea, but in a game where the U.S. racked up 17 total shots, Sargent had zero efforts and zero chances created. When Folarin Balogun came in for Sargent off the bench, the U.S. improved drastically, even as they weren't able to mount a comeback, and Balogun was exceptional against Japan days later.

It's likely that Sargent will have to wait for the next World Cup cycle to make an impact, with Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright surely above him in the pecking order. It's a shame that Sargent has been unable to sort it out on the USMNT level, but such is the reality Mauricio Pochettino must come to face.

Tristan Blackmon

There were questions from the USMNT fanbase why Mauricio Pochettino was calling in a 29-year-old uncapped defender from an MLS club, and those questions remain after the end of the international break.

Blackmon was poor in both games, largely at fault for the first South Korea goal and then invisible while the other two center-backs starred in the 3-4-2-1 formation change. Chris Richards was his usual excellent self, and Tim Ream benefitted greatly from the responsibility shift, but Blackmon was largely invisible other than his good work in the air.

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 6, 2025

The USMNT's biggest Achilles heel defensively in recent years was errors, so Blackmon's struggles against South Korea are a major mark against a return to the national team. While not confirmed, it's likely that Noahkai Banks would have taken some of his minutes this window had it not been for a training injury.

Luca de la Torre

This has less to do with the actual performance of Luca de la Torre as much as it does the performances of others around him, as the San Diego FC man earned just one short substitute appearance of the bench.

Sebastian Berhalter earned the start alongside Tyler Adams against South Korea and was ok despite the defeat, while Cristian Roldan started next to Adams against Japan and was quality. To top it off, Jack McGlynn came off the bench in both games and looked strong, especially against Japan where he was cruelly unlucky not to get a goal.

This could simply be a product of Pochettino giving other guys a chance, while de la Torre's spot in the depth chart is more of a known quantity, but his inability to get on the field and stand out will leave question marks heading into October.