ARLINGTON, Texas - The moment the question wrapped up, all Mauricio Pochettino could do was sigh. He was speechless, he admitted. What else could he say about Malik Tillman that the player's game didn't say for all to hear on Sunday night?
One goal in the back of the net, making it three for the tournament as he runs towards the Gold Cup Golden Boot - the first three goals of his his USMNT career. Two more were ruled out somewhat harshly, one partly of Tillman's own doing for not fighting to really claim it. In the 2-1 win over Haiti on Sunday - a game that helped the USMNT finish 3-0 in the group stage - Tillman was unplayable, much as he was in the opener against Trinidad and Tobago.
So what else could Pochettino do but smile as he watches a star playmaker take yet another leap forward?
"Oof," he began. "It's so difficult to define him because what a player he is. What a player."
Tillman was the show-stealer at AT&T Stadium, and he'll likely end this summer with that same status. He was the star, the player who continues to boost his case. But he wasn't the only one. Heading into the match, Pochettino made four changes to his starting XI - this after using the same starting lineup in each of the first two group stage games. While one, Tyler Adams, has little to prove to anyone, the other three were all fighting for more - and each took their chance.
Now, with a week until the knockout rounds, Pochettino will do what he has been focused on all summer: building. The U.S. will play Costa Rica next Sunday in Minneapolis in the quarterfinals. The best news is that he has the 23-year-old Tillman to build around. And this U.S. team will now believe they are better than the one that started this summer.
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from AT&T Stadium.