The real winners and losers from U.S.’s international break

In its first competitive matches since the World Cup, the United States men’s national team beat Grenada (7-1) and El Salvador (1-0) to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League in June in Las Vegas. Given the sizable talent discrepancy in both matches, two wins was the overwhelming expectation, but it was still a valuable pair of games as the team begins the new World Cup cycle in earnest.

It was mostly a first-choice, European-based roster for interim coach Anthony Hudson, who is shepherding the team until a permanent replacement is found. Here is a stock report from the past week:

“El Tren” is back on track. Pepi’s omission from the World Cup squad was the most-talked-about roster decision prior to — and throughout — the tournament. It was justified in the sense that his form in the previous year, for club and country, had lagged, but the lack of clearly superior alternatives made it logical to second guess. Now, after scoring three goals in two games — including a beautifully chipped finish just after coming on against El Salvador — he probably deserves to be atop the USMNT striker depth chart. This is especially true considering his form in the Eredivisie, where he has scored nine goals in 21 matches despite playing for a team, Groningen, in the relegation zone.

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With the obvious qualify-of-opponent caveats, this was close to an ideal window for Pepi. He made an immediate impact twice (he scored four minutes into the Grenada game), all three goals came in different ways, and he’ll return to his club with the confidence that comes with success. For Pepi, the next couple of months could be pivotal. He’ll undoubtedly be on the move at the end of the season, at which point he needs to land at a club that best suits his development.

Loser: MLS attacking players

Yes, Jordan Morris scored four goals on Saturday and is leading the MLS Golden Boot race, but as players like Alejandro Zendejas and Taylor…