Brian Straus

Sergiño Dest appears to be keeping his options open, while U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter turns largely to a familiar core of players for Nations League games vs. Cuba and Canada.

The Chicago Fire have some major changes on the horizon as the club looks to restore its place among MLS's elite.

The U.S. men's national team was humbled by Mexico and rebounded to draw Uruguay in a battle of undermanned sides, but in that continued to consistently execute its manager's plan for progress. The message is getting across. Whether it's the right one remains to be seen.

The U.S. managed to find more success going forward than it did vs. Mexico and eventually netted the equalizer in a match between two shorthanded teams, one quite certain of who it is and the other still in the process of figuring everything out.

A number of key U.S. stars were released back to their clubs in between friendlies against Mexico and Uruguay, but it's all part of Gregg Berhalter's long-term process, which he hopes pays big dividends down the road.

Josh Sargent responded well to his summer USMNT snub, starting off the season brightly with Werder Bremen. After a penalty miss vs. Mexico Friday night, he heads to his hometown of St. Louis looking for another bounce-back performance with the U.S. taking on Uruguay.

Gregg Berhalter has a style of play he's committed to for the U.S. men's national team, and that means persevering through setbacks when the outcome is anything but desired.

Mexico won the Gold Cup without many of its star players, and with some of them integrated Friday night, it won the rematch vs. the USMNT rather handily, with the gulf between the two sides quite clear.

The U.S. men's national team faces Mexico two months removed from the Gold Cup final won by El Tri, but it's all about forward thinking for Gregg Berhalter and his squad, which features some new faces–and one in particular who is slated for a role in the spotlight.

Concacaf has added yet another layer of importance to its new Nations League competition.