This United States’ international window once looked like it could be disastrous. Now, it has been upgraded to strangely uneven.

A much-improved US got goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun to beat a heavily rotated Japan side 2-0 at Lower.com Field in Columbus. The result lends some credence to Mauricio Pochettino’s insistence that the US’s recent subpar results were all part of a plan with a single target: arriving at the World Cup in peak form.

The US head coach had been in a defiant mood almost from the moment the final whistle blew on his side’s 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday – a game in which the US started reasonably well, but were continually undone by miscommunication at the back and a lack of clinical finishing up top. Pochettino turned heads when he told reporters afterward that he felt the US had been the better team overall – a view he doubled down on after arriving in Columbus, but with an additional edge.

“We need to understand that we need to have quite a roster and players that we need to know and give the possibility to play,” he said. “At the World Cup, it’s not a moment to make tests or to give the possibility to get experience. That is why you cannot be surprised.”

Pochettino promised rotation and new ideas for evaluation, and that’s what he delivered: A 3-4-2-1 formation was deployed against Japan, with Chris Richards, Tim Ream and Tristan Blackmon making up the back three, 21-year-old Orlando starlet Alex Freeman at right wingback and the Columbus Crew’s Max Arfsten on the left. Cristian Roldan, who came as a late addition to the squad, started in central midfield alongside Tyler Adams, while Zendejas started alongside Christian Pulisic as dual No 10s behind Balogun at striker.

In each line, a new arrangement gave opportunities for players who are unlikely to be starters in next summer’s World Cup, but who most certainly could play a significant role. In defense, Blackmon made up for a rough international debut on Saturday with a solid display, showing that he could at least be an option for a thin US center-back group. Out wide, Arfsten took advantage of being put in his best position by attacking at will with fewer defensive responsibilities, firing in the cross that led to the United States’ opener. Roldan was his steady, professional self next to Adams. And in attack, Zendejas showed off the work rate and quality of technique that make him relatively rare among the US options at winger.

Of course, things were far from perfect. As he had against South Korea, Balogun failed to score early on, despite a series of point-blank chances within the first 20 minutes, with Japan goalkeeper Keisuke Osako doing well to make a couple saves amid that flurry. The US remained too passive on both sides of the ball, though not anywhere near as much as they were against the Koreans. And goalkeeper Matt Freese, while he kept a shutout and made some very nice saves, did not always look sure-handed or confident when dealing with crosses and set pieces. The starting goalkeeper for this team remains an open question.

It must also be noted that Japan were without most of their usual starters, having used their first team in Saturday’s scoreless draw against Mexico. Still, the players on the field displayed all the hallmarks of head coach Hajime Moriyasu’s approach, attempting to use pace and skill to unbalance the US. The quality on the ball to make those moves count may have been lacking at times, but the rethought US backline played its role as well.

The breakthrough came after half an hour, with Arfsten putting moves on Japan’s Henry Mochizuki, taking him down the left-wing before lofting in a well-paced ball that fell at just the right height for Zendejas. The Club América winger accepted the invitation with gusto, taking the ball right out of the air with a defender on his back and guiding it into the bottom corner of the far post.

Zendejas celebrated by running to Arfsten, pointing at the Columbus Crew player to highlight to the home fans that their player had created what may prove an important breakthrough as the World Cup approaches.

It was after around this point, 30 minutes in, against South Korea that a decent US performance unraveled. On Tuesday, though, the US did much better to keep up the pressure. The Americans sustained possession, refused to allow Japan out of their own half, and threatened to score even if the final product was not always there, or attempts were blocked by desperate defending. The Japanese helped the US as well – at one point, Pulisic was able to easily intercept a pass out of the back, but he was quickly swarmed and his effort was blocked out of bounds.

That action seemed to wake up Pulisic from what had been another quiet performance in a US shirt. In the 48th minute, the Milan star did well to combine with Arfsten and Zendejas to fire on goal again, but the shot was blocked at the near post. Six minutes later, he went direct, cutting through the Japanese backline to latch on to a ball held up by Balogun, with Osako saving once again in what was an excellent performance for the keeper.

In the end, Pochettino’s thesis may have best been proven by Jack McGlynn and Damion Downs, both of whom came on as substitutes and nearly added three outstanding goals: McGlynn from two trademark curling shots from outside the box (one saved, one off the bar), and Downs from a nice interchange through the middle that was saved by Osako. They were the type of chances that come from a team that, at long last, seemed comfortable with the task at hand, and capable of fulfilling it.

Whether that feeling will extend to the first team on the biggest stage of all next summer remains to be seen.