With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now only one year away, and the Gold Cup tournament commencing this weekend, the United States men`s national team is preparing for another competition following a significant defeat by four goals. Their previous major outing, the Copa America last year, concluded disappointingly with an early exit in the group stage. A year on, despite the arrival of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, substantial changes or improvements have yet to appear as the crucial World Cup deadline approaches.
Pochettino`s recent squad was missing several key players due to circumstances such as Christian Pulisic resting, Tyler Adams recovering from a foot injury, club commitments for the FIFA Club World Cup, and various other injuries. However, even with some senior talent available, the USMNT has struggled against regional Concacaf opponents, evidenced by recent losses to Panama and Canada during the Concacaf Nations League.
Positive Momentum Fades
The initial enthusiasm surrounding the appointment of the highly-regarded Argentine manager has waned. It has been replaced by critical commentary from former national team figures regarding current players, alongside widespread concern about the team`s capability to perform effectively in a home World Cup. The 2026 tournament is set to be a major celebration of soccer in the United States, and while the USMNT is automatically qualified as hosts, navigating the group stage could prove difficult depending on the draw. A challenging scenario could see a strong team like Italy allocated to Pot 4, potentially giving the host nation a tougher group than anticipated. Conversely, with 32 of the 48 participating teams advancing from the group stage in this expanded format, failing to progress would constitute a catastrophic outcome.
New Coach, Persistent Issues
In his ten matches in charge of the USMNT, Pochettino has secured five wins and suffered five losses, with the team scoring 15 goals and conceding 14. His last four matches have been particularly worrying, resulting in four consecutive defeats where the team scored only three goals while conceding nine. In contrast, throughout Gregg Berhalter`s entire 74-match tenure with the team, they recorded just 17 total losses. To Pochettino`s credit, the USMNT has faced tough competition, losing to two teams ranked in the top 30 of the FIFA men`s national team rankings (Turkey and Switzerland). However, simply playing against strong opposition provides limited benefit if it doesn`t lead to tangible improvements in performance.
While expectations for these recent matches were low given a largely inexperienced squad under Pochettino, the clear lack of defensive effort on Switzerland`s goals in the first half was striking. Pochettino accepted blame for the team`s shortcomings, but the coach cannot execute tackles or make saves on the field. These individual failures lie directly with the USMNT players, and such fundamental errors are unacceptable with the World Cup rapidly approaching.
Is There Enough Time to Course Correct?
Key first-team players are expected to rejoin the squad and have the opportunity to stabilize performances. However, with only four international breaks remaining after the conclusion of the Gold Cup before Pochettino must finalize his roster, time is critically short. Lingering questions concerning crucial positions, such as the starting striker and goalkeeper, also need resolution before the squad is named. Even a successful run in the Gold Cup may not fully address all concerns, especially considering the team`s recent struggles against top-tier opponents. The realistic upper limit for this team`s achievement might be repeating their 2022 World Cup performance, where they advanced from the group stage before being eliminated by the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
World Cup organizers, such as Meg Kane, Executive/CEO of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, expressed confidence that the current form of the USMNT would not diminish the excitement for the tournament arriving in the United States. She stated, “I don`t think that the current state of the U.S. men`s national team takes away from the excitement or enthusiasm about this. I think the fact is that the World Cup is about national pride and the love of soccer, and whether you have an amazing team, whether you have a team that is maybe struggling a little bit… The fact is that when the World Cup starts, every fan is in it with their team, ride or die, and I think that Americans will be the way with the U.S. men`s national team just like they are with the women`s national team.” Kane emphasizes that the essence of the World Cup, focusing on national pride and fan dedication, transcends the team`s immediate performance.
While Kane is accurate about the passion of American fans, there is a significant difference between the standing of the men`s and women`s national teams. The USWNT is a dominant global force with multiple World Cup and Olympic championships, whereas the USMNT is currently striving to consistently compete with the world`s best teams. Addressing core structural issues like youth development within the country requires a long-term effort extending beyond just one year. However, the lack of significant visible progress since 2022 provides little indication that this team is prepared to advance past the Round of 16.
A very favorable path in the knockout stages *could* potentially see the USMNT squeeze into the quarterfinals, but nothing in recent performances suggests they are currently ranked among the top 30 teams globally. There is presently little basis to believe they are guaranteed to make it out of their group. Time is rapidly running out to change this perception. Upcoming friendly matches against strong opponents like South Korea and Japan in September, potentially featuring the full-strength squad, offer a crucial opportunity for a statement victory. However, if the struggles observed this summer continue, expectations for the team will inevitably continue to drop, and deservedly so.
