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World Cup COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the 64th minute of a still-tight game Tuesday night in America’s heartland, Christian Pulisic skated past a Japanese midfielder, glanced up, and saw a somewhat novel sight. Over his nine-plus years with the U. S. men’s national team, Pulisic has turned and ran at countless defenders. He has spun into space countless times. He has skipped into dangerous positions game after game, and far too often, he has lacked options. Advertisement But here at Lower. com Field, finally, Pulisic had the USMNT’s best option. For the first time under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, he had Folarin Balogun. Spotting Balogun darting behind the Japanese back line, Pulisic stabbed a pass into space. Balogun surged onto it, nudged away a defender, finished with his left foot to the far post and gave the U. S. a 2-0 lead. Balo doubles the advantage! #USMNT x @VW pic. twitter. com/DD765BQQGl — U. S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) September 10, 2025 It was a “perfect example” of his movement, U. S. defender Tim Ream said, movement that made several teammates rave. “Even before that, ” Ream continued, “he made a lot of good runs, a lot of [well]-timed runs, being able to get in behind when the pressure’s coming onto the midfielders, and onto the defenders, when we have the ball. ” Balogun seemed to unlock the U. S. attack in a way that no other American striker has in years. Since Gregg Berhalter, the previous coach, took charge in 2019, 16 men have started up top for the USMNT; none has seized the position with two hands, two feet and consistent goals. Balogun, if healthy, is capable of doing that. “Balo is so good, ” midfielder Cristian Roldan said. The Monaco forward is the most dynamic and well-rounded No. 9 that the USMNT has had this decade. And he could be a game-changer for Pochettino. He has been that, at times, since committing his international career to the U. S. over England and Nigeria in 2023. He went straight into the starting lineup, scored and won a trophy in his second match, looking like the striker the U. S. had been missing. But under Berhalter, who had built his system around a hole at striker, Balogun sometimes struggled. He scored just twice in nine appearances in 2024. Then, he battled injuries. Until last week, he still hadn’t linked up with Pochettino. As he recovered from an ankle knock last month, he was initially left off this September roster. He got an admittedly “late” call only after Vancouver Whitecaps veteran Brian White withdrew from the squad due to injury. Advertisement That call, it turns out, might have changed the trajectory of the USMNT under Pochettino. The Americans created almost nothing from open play in a Gold Cup final loss to Mexico, and throughout most of Saturday’s 2-0 loss to South Korea. On Tuesday, in came Balogun, and plenty improved. “He brings that know-how, and the timing of his runs, ” Ream said. “To be able to put defenders on the back foot, running back towards their goal, helps us massively. ” Added Pulisic: “He gives sort of an out a lot of the times. Whether it’s coming into pockets and laying the ball off, or it’s little runs in behind, he just kind of relieves the team when we’re under pressure. ” As a winger for much of his youth, Balogun is most comfortable running towards goal, stretching an opponent. But he has worked to round out his game, and on Tuesday, that work was evident. He checked to the ball with the U. S. under pressure in its defensive half. In the 21st minute, with a defender on his butt near midfield, he seemed to cushion a careening ball to wingback Alex Freeman, then spun in behind, and ultimately created a chance for Alex Zendejas. “It’s definitely something that I’m practicing, ” Balogun said of playing with his back to goal, as a target. “I’m more comfortable facing the goal — I think anyone is, to be honest. It’s difficult when you’re not facing the goal. You have to kind of use your perception, and use spatial awareness to try and protect the ball. But it’s part of the job of a striker. ” And it’s a facet he’s improving. It’s on the run, though, where he excels. Against Japan, he was on the run as much as he’s ever been in a U. S. jersey. “When I turn, I feel like I look, and he’s making short runs across the back line, ” Pulisic said. “I felt I had good connections with the other players, ” Balogun said. “And yeah, I felt comfortable. ” Advertisement It was only his second game, and first start, under Pochettino. But already, he said, “I felt like I knew my job, and that’s a credit to what the coaches are telling us. ” He was significantly more effective than the teammate he replaced, Josh Sargent. He combined with Pulisic for an early chance. His diagonal run from center to left helped spring the USMNT toward its first goal. And his second-half finish capped the victory. He could still face competition from Ricardo Pepi or others for a starting spot at the World Cup next summer. But for now, after a dreary weekend, he has injected promise and reminded U. S. fans of potential. His return and instant impact are among the biggest developments of the Pochettino era to date. The win felt “really good, ” Balogun said. “After the game against South Korea, we wanted a reaction, we wanted to give the fans some good news before we split up with this camp. So, I was really happy. ” (Top photo: John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Henry Bushnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering soccer. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for Yahoo Sports. He is based in Washington, D. C. Follow Henry on Twitter @Henry Bushnell