Source: Call It What You Want (CBS Sports Golazo) — USMNT blanked in World Cup tune-up | USA vs. Portugal recap & reaction (Soccer 3/31)
Duration: 48 min
Mauricio Pochettino / USMNT Expectations
Belgium and Portugal both have top 100 players. Some players playing that top 100. I think we don't have that. I don't know why you would go there. Why would you say that? We knew that last year, 10 years ago, 30 years ago.
USMNT Tactics
The overarching theme for all of us is the formation. We're not maximizing our roster with this formation. We saw the difference with South Korea to Uruguay, to Paraguay, to Ecuador when we changed our formation and our setup; it gave us more of an advantage and we played well, and all of a sudden it was thrown out the window in these two friendlies.
I think the best example I can give was when I saw the starting 11 for the Portugal game. We had no number nine. Are we really going to not have a number nine when the World Cup comes around?
It's 100% a missed opportunity. Why are we experimenting in this game? I feel like we should just be trying to lock in. Christian has never played with the U.S. men's national team as a nine. Crazy.
USMNT World Cup Roster
If you're going to talk about being a team getting to the semifinals of the World Cup, if I'm giving someone a chance, for me, it's Sergino Dest. If I'm going to give someone time to recover, for me, it's Sergino Dest.
I think Austin Trusty really took his opportunity and demonstrated that, hey, we do have a left-footed center back who is younger, more athletic, covered a lot of ground, and is very good in 1v1 situations. I think he made the World Cup roster.
USMNT Player Form
I think Matt Freese solidified himself as the starting goalkeeper. In a negative, I think Charlie touched on what is probably an overall camp thing: we are not nearly sharp enough in the final third of the field.
USMNT Performance
It feels a little bit like Turkey in Switzerland. We play two tough European opponents, we don't really get anything out of it, and now we have to kind of learn all over again how to get the most out of this team.
World Cup 2026 Group Stage
We play Turkey last in the group. So we might have to go into that game needing a result, potentially. And that... we're going to need one anyways. You want to be first place in the group.
USMNT Expectations
What would you say to South Korea in 2002? How many top 100 players did they have on home soil? And we played them. And you played them, right? They were incredible. It was the commitment. It was the work of them.