Team USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino stressed that January training camp cannot be categorized as an "alternative" team, but rather an opportunity for newcomers to earn a spot in the organization's overall player pool.

U.S. Soccer has historically scheduled friendlies in January outside FIFA-designated windows to allow MLS talent to impress U.S. national team coaches. This time, Pochettino recruited 24 players to face Venezuela and Costa Rica to familiarize themselves with the new lineup.

"I don't like naming it another team. For me, it's a team that fits the current situation," Pochettino told a news conference ahead of Wednesday's game against Costa Rica. "I told our players today that they cannot feel like they are an alternative team. They are a team selected from the many available players at this moment.

"They have to feel that they can also be important players. When they compete against all the possibilities we have, they also have the possibility to play a position. For Costa Rica, given their situation, I think we have given them importance , so that the players can perform at their highest level, so that they can have hope for the future and, as I said before, when everything opens up, they have the possibility of fighting.”

Since 2002, 30 players have made the World Cup squad after making their first appearance or second appearance for their country during the January window. The 2022 USMNT World Cup squad in particular includes nine players making their first or second appearance for the Stars and Stripes in January.

Pochettino added: “(This window) is important for the players, but for us as a technical team it’s a little bit more important because being able to expand the list of players that we already know are likely to be available for future selection is great. It’s unbelievable.” “The whole technical team is here and seeing the players in their squad and seeing how they perform is different than having them here for two weeks and getting to know them.

"Ultimately, the confidence they passed on to us prompted us to make certain types of decisions. It was a calculable value to us, but it's hard to calculate that value. There were a lot of players who were thinking, 'Okay, this player With the caliber of players that have been there before, they can compete," and that gives us peace of mind knowing that we have players that we can return in the future, and that's why I think the value of the players is very similar. They don’t feel much value. There is a calmness about the freedom they have to perform in order to showcase their talents. "

Debutants Patrick Agyeman and Matko Miljevic both impressed against Venezuela, scoring their first international goals for the United States national team Won 3-1. The players will get a second chance against Costa Rica on Wednesday, January 22, at Inter Milan Stadium in Orlando, Florida.