The gathering was about a new group of players proving themselves to their coach but, as it turns out, the man in charge had plenty to take away, too

United States coach Mauricio Pochettino emphasized that the January camp cannot be categorized as an "alternative" team, serving instead as an opportunity for newcomers to fight for a spot in the organization's overall player pool.

They could care less about the noise that’s generated across comment sections and online forums that diminish MLS as a pipeline for the national team. The reality, though, is quite simple: January camp is not a collection of the country’s best players.