Source: Call It What You Want (CBS Sports Golazo) — USMNT suffer untimely setback in Atlanta | USA vs. Belgium Recap & Reaction (Soccer 3/28)
Duration: 47 min
Tactical analysis
Under Mauricio Pochettino: Six matches in a back three, five wins, one draw, zero losses. In a back four, we have 17 matches, eight wins, one draw, eight losses.
I'm a fan of the national team. I've seen this team in a back four against Turkey, against Switzerland, and things don't go well. They get blasted. Every time they've played in that four, it doesn't work.
The formation is three in the back. We have said this for six months now. Tim Ream has more protection when there's three in the back. The math is simple. This is not rocket science.
Christian Pulisic slaloming through three or four players, misses it on his left foot, and maybe less than 30 seconds later, the next sequence, we give up a goal, and then it all falls apart.
Manager performance
For me, Mauricio Pochettino will ultimately be judged at the World Cup. That's what he was brought here to do.
He [Pochettino] has raised the level. Just because, again, think of players leaning on complacency. I'm going to be starting. He came and said, 'No one's guaranteed spots.'
World Cup 2026 preparation
You've got to cut down mistakes. Mistakes just send you home in the first round.
USMNT squad selection
I would start him [Gio Reyna] against Portugal. You've got to see where he is. He might not be match fit, and I could care less. You brought him into the camp. Give him 45 minutes.
USMNT performance vs. Belgium
If I were to rate the first half, I'd go 7.5. If you're doing the whole game, it's going to be a 5.5. The second half would drop you to like a 3.
Player form
Johnny Cardoso, for me, didn't get the job done. He hurt his cause a lot. And probably more so because there's an expectation of where he's playing and what he's been doing.
When Arvston came on, I feel like you saw the drop-off of not having Jedi on the field. We're talking about a cliff.