COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As Alejandro Zendejas stood in the postmatch mixed zone, one could barely tell how prominent a role he had played in the United States men's national team's 2-0 victory over Japan.
He was almost serene as he described the night, sharing the field once again with Christian Pulisic -- whom he first crossed paths with as a 14-year-old at the old U.S. under-17 residency camp -- and delivering the critical first goal. He also knew he'd made the kind of impression on U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino that can catapult him into consideration for the U.