The opponent, the head coach and many of the faces on the pitch were different. Yet the 2-0 scoreline, the noisy, intimate venue and the warm welcome from the faithful felt like a familiar blanket, reminding the U.S. men’s national team why Columbus has been their program’s spiritual home for more than a quarter-century.

After Tuesday’s solid, stabilizing 2-0 win over Japan at Lower.com Field, Mauricio Pochettino gamely insisted that the process was what mattered most, a process that won’t really reach its conclusion until their FIFA 2026 World Cup campaign kicks off in Inglewood, California next summer.

Still, there was no mistaking the priceless power of a timely, deserved victory.

“It just shows us that it's working,” New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese told TNT’s postgam

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