The USMNT’s first international window under Mauricio Pochettino was marked by joy and sorrow intertwined. Celebrations over the victory against Panama swiftly gave way to disappointment following the loss to Mexico. While it has created an atmosphere of mixed emotions, Tim Weah has urged his fellow American teammates to make the best use of each other’s strong ‘relationship.’

Sadly, the Juventus playmaker had to pull out of the recent friendly matches due to an injury. While the 24-year-old aims to recover swiftly and represent his country in the next window, in the meantime, he also encourages his teammates to build upon and leverage the strong foundation they established from the beginning. “Obviously, with a new coach, we’re going to have to rebuild,” began Weah, while speaking to The Athletic FC.

“The relationship we have as a team is something a lot of other teams don’t really have. We understand each other and it’s about taking the understanding that we have as individuals and as a team and applying that to the field. We’re at a point where a lot of the guys that play for the national team are overseas getting the best football,” concluded Weah.

It’s great that Weah is already aware of the key strengths of the Stars and Stripes. This is why the attacker highlighted the significance of developing understanding and chemistry among teammates to succeed on the field. Additionally, their exposure to high-level soccer can be effectively utilized to improve their overall performance as a unit.

In fact, Weah already looks to be capitalizing on that part with his fellow international and domestic teammate Weston McKennie!

Tim Weah wants Mauricio Pochettino to play him ‘closer’ to Weston McKennie!

In a similar conversation, Tim Weah revealed that Weston McKennie played a significant role in his decision to join Juventus, stating, “I knew he was here and I knew I was going to have one of my best friends on the team.” He emphasized their strong off-pitch bond, which enhances their chemistry on the field, and noted that moving to Italy has helped him better understand his actual position in the game.

“…And then taking that [friendship] to the field was amazing, obviously in a different position because when I play with him on the national team, I’m higher up, so we have a different connection, but playing lower and closer to him. I mean, if you look at a lot of my games, the majority of my best games are when me and Wes are playing next to each other,” said Weah.

Most of the time, we’ve seen Tim Weah occupy an attacking position on the right side. While he continues to do so at Juventus, the key difference is his more inward role, which allows him to engage more with McKennie on the pitch, thereby helping the USMNT duo develop a unique chemistry.

This serves as a subtle suggestion for Mauricio Pochettino to consider experimenting with the approach Weah envisions for himself. Who knows? It could yield great results.