GOAL

The USMNT’s player pool keeps growing, and Pochettino suddenly has more depth - and tougher decisions - than ever before.

TAMPA, Fla. - How about that November camp, huh?

What was billed as the U.S. men's national team’s toughest window of the year ended up becoming its most convincing. Across two home dates against World Cup-caliber South American opponents, the U.S. edged Paraguay 2-1 and then dismantled Uruguay 5-1. It was the kind of statement that every national team hopes for but rarely delivers.

For Mauricio Pochettino and his players, there’s no shortage of reasons to feel proud - or encouraged by what this group might look like when it all comes together.

But Pochettino, of course, won't quite see it that way. He'll see it as another building block, another step towards something bigger. These were statements, yes, but the big statements will be made in the summer, not the fall. All things considered, though, the path towards the summer has gotten a little bit brighter these last few months as the U.S. have stepped forward with a five-game unbeaten run that includes four wins.

By and large, the biggest lesson from this camp is just how deep the U.S. have become. So many different players have contributed to those four wins, and Pochettino pointed to a stat that he's worked with over 70 players since his arrival as USMNT boss. The pool, in truth, might have even expanded this camp, given the performances put in by the USMNT, and Pochettino might have an even harder time making the tough calls next summer on the heels of these results.

"I think we are starting to feel the World Cup, the excitement," Pochettino said. "I think it's important for our fans now to push them, to really believe in the team. We never doubted, because we saw the quality of the players. It was only about trusting them, to give them the position to find a way to perform, to behave, to feel football and what it means to be a professional. There are all areas we can improve because we are very ambitious and we want to win."

With that said, some players raised their stock more than others. Who stood out? Whose stock rose - and whose fell? GOAL takes a look after November’s camp…