Last autumn, under the guidance of manager Mauricio Pochettino, the United States men’s national team seemed to be gaining traction. However, the recent international friendlies in March served as a stark reality check.
The USMNT suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat at the hands of Belgium in Atlanta on Saturday, followed by a slightly improved but still disappointing 2-0 loss to Portugal on Tuesday night.
These results have now stretched the American team’s losing streak against European teams to ten matches. Of greater concern is that the combination of player performances and Pochettino’s tactical choices has raised more questions than it has answered regarding the team’s prospects for the 2026 World Cup this summer.
As we approach the announcement of the tournament squad on May 26, several key uncertainties loom large.
In the past, USMNT managers would typically use the final international window before a World Cup to fine-tune the tactical nuances of their squad.
What Is The End Goal Of Experimentation?
It is clear, however, that Pochettino is not following that traditional approach.
We can safely assume that is not Pochettino’s MO.
From switching back into a four-back system in both matches (having played mostly a 3-4-3 this fall), to playing Tuesday’s first half without a true striker on the pitch, it was clear the Argentine was still tinkering in both games rather than leaning into a clear tactical identity.
The question is whether this represents deep fundamental questions about what Pochettino believes is his best strategy, or merely the use of every last moment of lower leverage competition to search for more possibilities on the fringes of an already decided identity. The former would be more concerning. But we won’t really know until the World Cup squad begins tourney prep in early June.
Is Christian Pulisic OK?
Christian Pulisic used to reliably produced at a higher rate for the USMNT than he did for his club sides. But that trend had reversed since Pulisic made his move to AC Milan ahead of the 2023-24 season. And now he’s in one of the longest cold stretches of his career on both stages.
Tuesday’s defeat represented an eighth consecutive USMNT appearance without a goal, tying a career long. For the Rossinieri, he’s gone 12 games without scoring, having last found the goal on Dec. 28 of 2012.
Beginning last summer when Pulisic reportedly passed on Concacaf Gold Cup duty, there has been speculation about a potentially chronic hip issue. Playing 115 minutes over two games for Pochettino suggests Pulisic is relatively healthy at the moment. But his lack of end product doesn’t.
Who Can Work Their Way Back In?
Originally, conventional wisdom suggested whoever earned a March call into the squad would have an inside track to the tournament roster. But other than maybe center back Auston Trusty, none of the fringe inclusions siezed the opportunity over the two matches.
That should give some hope to others who weren’t included. Conventional wisdom says Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams and PSV Eindhoven fullback Sergino Dest are locks to be in Pochettino’s team if they can get healthy from injuries that kept them out this time around. Real Salt Lake attacker Diego Luna might also be more likely to make the squad than miss it, having only played two matches this MLS season following a preseason knee injury.
But after these showings, others might also still believe they can get back into the fold, including Coventry City striker Haji Wright, Club America attacking midfielder Alejandro Zendejas and maybe even Toronto FC forward Josh Sargent.
