CHESTER, Pa. — If there’s been one player who has made the most of his 2025 with the U.S. men’s national team, it’s Max Arfsten.

Arfsten delivered one of his best shifts with the USMNT on Saturday, logging a strong 90-minute performance in a 2-1 friendly win over Paraguay. The Columbus Crew fullback/wingback delivered a stellar assist for Gio Reyna’s opening goal while also silencing Paraguayan winger Julio Enciso on the other end of the field.

It marked Arfsten’s 15th cap this year for the USMNT and one that certainly showed all of his attributes as a young, confident player.

“Max is young, but he’s improving,” USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino said about Arfsten in his postmatch press conference. “He plays in a team that is completely different to us. I think we have flexibility with him and try to give him freedom which is different. We are seeing him have the possibilities to be versatile.

“I really like him,” Pochettino added. “From the first day we met, I could see the potential in him but he does need to improve. Maybe needs to manage the game a bit better and play a bit more simpler because he had a few lost duels in the final 10 minutes, but overall he is confident and he really believes in his talent and we believe in him.”

Antonee Robinson’s continued absence due to a knee injury has allowed Arfsten to continue racking up minutes at left back. The 24-year-old leads the USMNT with five assists while his latest shift on Saturday boosted him over 1,050 minutes of international duty this year.

Arfsten’s confidence has continued to grow with each and every appearance under Pochettino, playing against some of the top wingers in CONCACAF and internationally. After not being in the picture before the year began, Arfsten is quickly becoming one of the first names on the team sheet as the calendar prepares to flip to 2026.

“For myself I am just super happy about the experience that I’ve gotten this year with the National Team,” Arfsten said. “I keep trying to do my best every time I am here. I feel like I am getting better and better with each appearance.”

With the USMNT now unbeaten in their last four matches and only having Tuesday’s match against Uruguay left on their schedule, things are starting to ramp up. The FIFA World Cup is just over 200 days away from kicking off and Arfsten is one of the many players that are trying to be part of Pochettino’s final roster next June.

Knowing that there are only a few opportunities left until the World Cup begins, Arfsten can sense the urgency of making his appearances count and also helping the team improve as much as possible.

“We want to end this year on a good note because we know how important these window are,” Arfsten said. “Even though it goes down as a friendly, it means more than that to us. Trying to end 2025 on a good note is important.”