USMNT finally offer glimpse at Mauricio Pochettino's tactical vision in win over Japan, even with room to grow

The USMNT won 2-0 against a heavily rotated Japan, with Alex Zendejas and Folarin Balogun scoring in each half

The U.S. men's national team offered more food for thought as Mauricio Pochettinno's period of experimentation came to a close on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Japan, but this time, the trials and tribulations of the last several months made way for an honest glimpse at the potential match between the head coach and his players.

Pochettino rolled out his team in a 3-4-3, the back three introduced in Saturday's 2-0 loss to South Korea and serving as the lone bright spot after another dismal performance for the group. The formation switch, though, perfectly paved the way for the style of organized chaos he wants his team to play, the foundation of which is a stable defense Chris Richards, the USMNT's most reliable defender for some time, was an easy choice for selection but the back three also suited the aging Tim Ream fairly well and Tristan Blackmon, who recovered from a shaky debut performance against South Korea.

The trio perfectly paved the way for chaos, in this case providing the freedom for the more attack-minded players to accomplish their tasks at the other end of the pitch. A handful of USMNT players took advantage of the chances afforded to them by Pochettino's insistence on experimentation, most notable among them the goal scorers. After an injury-plagued year, Folarin Balogun reasserted himself as the USA's top contender for the No. 9 role with a goal in the 64th minute, combining seamlessly with Christian Pulisic during his first start under Pochettino.