After another inexplicable loss, Pochettino looked to the World Cup, saying “I prefer that this happen now rather than in one year”
LOS ANGELES – For many who follow the U.S. men’s national team, the sky will feel like it is falling. Less than a year after a humbling Copa America exit, the U.S. were hit with another massive blow in the CONCACAF Nations League final. First, they were flat-out embarrassed by Panama in a 1-0 loss in the semifinals.
Canada then proceeded to kick them a few times while they were down, emerging with a 2-1 win in the third-place game Sunday night. It all led to one big takeaway: this team isn’t as close as many hoped they were.
That’s the negative of it all, but U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino is trying not to lean into the negatives. He, like everyone else, saw the performance. He was disappointed, too. The only good news is that there’s still time, and Pochettino knows now he’s going to have to make the most of it.
Just more than 400 days away from the 2026 World Cup, every moment it counts.
“I think we have time,” he said. “If we will be in today’s situation in one year’s time, for sure, I will tell you ‘Houston, we have a problem, SOS.’ If, in one year, we are still talking about this, it’s because we have a big problem. We were not able to discover or design a better strategy for the team to play better. I think we have time, and I prefer that this happen now rather than in one year.”
That year feels closer than ever. So much needs to improve. Pochettino called for fight, desire and risk after Thursday’s defeat, and he saw shades of all three. It wasn’t sustained, though. Pochettino admitted that players need to be rewired into ones who can play with a certain confidence and attitude. That takes time.
Time, for now, is on the USMNT’s side, but the road ahead is now more dangerous than ever. This summer will be a huge moment for this team, who will play two friendlies and a Gold Cup. It will be Pochettino’s most extensive run with his group and, if the Nations League was any indication, he’ll need every single day at his disposal.
While the likes of USMNT legends Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey voiced their frustration Sunday over the back-to-back losses – Pochettino has already lost to Mexico, Canada and Panama since taking the helm – the U.S. coach tried to remain upbeat.
“Today, you had the floor and tomorrow, you can be up here,” Pochettino said. “I am very optimistic, a positive guy, even when I’m being angry and upset and disappointed. I want to find the positive things we can take from these two games. Who knows? No one knows how we are going to arrive at the World Cup and perform and, for sure, if these games are going to affect us, they are going to affect us in a positive way.”
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