INGLEWOOD, CA – MARCH 23: USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino directs his team during a Concacaf … More Nations League game between Canada and USMNT at SoFi Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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The last time the U.S. men’s national team lost two consecutive matches in a competition, the team’s head coach was fired several days later.
Mauricio Pochettino isn’t likely to suffer the same fate as Gregg Berhalter, who was coach at last year’s Copa America. The U.S. Soccer Federation would have to pay millions to bring a successor and pay off Pochettino (he reportedly earns $6 million a year). There is no time to bring in a new boss with a new system with 444 days until the Americans kick off the 2026 World Cup on June 11, 2026.
Pochettino has his work cut out for him. He has a laundry list of problems to solve after the three-time defending Concacaf Nations League champions finished this year’s competition with two embarrassing and uninspiring losses. It started with a 1-0 defeat to Panama on March 20 in the semifinals and ended with a 2-1 setback to Canada in the third-place game on Sunday.
Pochettino, however, has refused to panic, even though the American soccer community is upset.
“If we would be today in this situation in one year time, for sure, I will tell you, ‘Houston, we have a problem, no?’ SOS,” he said.
“It’s all a process we need to change, and I don’t want to say that I’m happy – don’t take me wrong. But if [there’s] something negative about [the] result, something to learn, it’s better now, because I think we have time.
“There’s a lot of examples in different years of teams that were building to play in a World Cup that were not good until they arrived at the World Cup. So, I want to send a message to the fans ‘Don’t be pessimistic, don’t get bad feelings.’ But the main objective is the World Cup.
“We are going to find a way to perform and for sure we are going to compete, and we are going to get different results from those that we got from Thursday and today.”
That would be much easier said than done.
Both losses came at the very same venue – SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. – where the U.S. will play two of their three World Cup group stage matches.
Not the best way to establish home-field advantage.
Those confounding performances led USMNT legend Landon Donovan, who played in three World Cups and recorded 57 goals and over 157 international appearances, to rip into the team.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 23: Landon Donovan of the United States celebrates after scoring the … More winning goal against Algeria during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match between USA and Algeria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Jeff Mitchell – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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“I’m so sick of hearing how ‘talented’ this group of players is and all the amazing clubs they play for,” Donovan said on X (formerly Twitter). “If you aren’t going to show up and actually give a s!%* about playing for your national team, decline the invite. Talent is great, pride is better.”
Thierry Henry, a member of France’s 1998 World Cup championship side who was a commentator for Paramount+, said: “I am worried for the USMNT when it comes to the World Cup.”
Here are some of the challenges and problems Pochettino needs to tackle over the next 15 months:
Depth
The Nations League exposed the team’s lack of depth. The U.S. entered the competition with several key players sidelined with or recovering from injuries, including outside fullbacks Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson and forwards Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi, among others.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States during the second half … More against Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League third place match at SoFi Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
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Christian Pulisic
The team’s most important player hardly made an impact in either game. Pulisic did not score or set up a goal. He has enjoyed a superb season for A.C. Milan in Italy’s Serie A, entering the CNL as the catalyst of two comeback wins. You have to wonder if he is beginning to run out of gas.
During an interview with Paramount+, Pulisic looked and sounded like a weary and defeated player:
“Obviously disappointed. We’ll go see. We’ll go talk now and then. Yeah, we’ve got to come back from this. Of course, we’re not at our best at the moment.
“Now all we can do is go be an example at our clubs every day, be the best that we can be,” the A.C. Milan standout said. “That’s how [the] national team is. And then when we come back, of course, some things need to change, and we need to improve. So, you know, we’re going to look back and see what that is. I don’t have all the answers at the moment.”
The midfield
While the spotlight will always shine on Pulisic, good and bad, Weston McKennie was an invisible player in both games. It is difficult to remember anything positive he did, and the Juventus player needs to play at a top level for USA success. Tyler Adams, who has forged a reputation as a top-flight ball-winner, was a shell of himself. No team with great aspirations can afford to have an underachieving midfield.
Matt Turner
As described in my piece on Forbes.com last week, Turner needs to find a club in England or in MLS where he can play regularly and enter the World Cup sharp. If he can’t, Turner’s job as the top goalkeeper should be in jeopardy. Zack Steffen (30 caps) wasn’t available to play on Sunday due to an illness.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Diego Luna #14 of the United States passes the ball during the … More first half against Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League third place match at SoFi Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
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On the positive side
After not playing in the semifinal, Diego Luna was deployed on the left side of midfield and was the standout of the match. He used just about everything in his personal arsenal trying to set up teammates. It worked, assisting Patrick Ageymang’s equalizer against Canada and demonstrating non-stoppage attacking acumen that many of his teammates did not have.
Gio Reyna, who also sat out the opener, came on as a second-half substitute. He showed creativity, twice sending feeds, trying to set up teammates. Tim Weah did what he could on the wings, although he could not turn his work into a score.
What’s next?
The USMNT won’t be in action for another 2 1/2 months when it plays in a pair of friendlies against Turkey (June 7) and Switzerland (June 10).
Then comes the Concacaf Gold Cup (June 14-July 6). Pochettino, however, likely won’t have a full team because several players, including McKennie and Weah for Juventus and Reyna for Borussia Dortmund (if he’s still with the team), will be competing in the FIFA Club World Cup.
There are also FIFA international windows in September, October, November and March and June 2026.
Then comes the Greatest Show on Earth, aka the World Cup.
Will that be enough time for Pochettino to get the USMNT up and running to go deep in the competition?
After the CNL debacle, there are serious doubts.
