ATLANTA — Coming into last month's pair of international tune-up games, the U.S. men's national soccer team had been riding high on a five-game unbeaten streak since September.
This was a reality check.
The USMNT took its lumps, losing to Belgium 5-2 on Saturday and to Portugal 2-0 on Tuesday. The two matches were an intentional step up in competition level, a chance to see how the Americans would fare against top European teams — the kinds of squads they'll have to beat if they want to go on a run in this summer's FIFA World Cup.
"Even if it's painful, it's the only way to improve. It's the only way to learn. It's the only way to see how these top players and teams compete," U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino said Tuesday. "I am more positive now than before. Because seeing the team compete, we are not far away. It's only details we need to improve."
Pochettino and his players alike said there was plenty to take away from the losses. Here are ours:
USMNT had its moments, but ultimately, there's still a gap between them and top teams
The Americans looked their best in the first half against Belgium. Their success came from moving the ball well up the field and creating scoring chances.
Pochettino's face said it all: The U.S. went up 1-0 when midfielder Weston McKennie connected off a corner kick from Antonee "Jedi" Robinson — but when the TV broadcast cut to Pochettino, his face was in a scowl. Later, he said that was because his players had missed a handful of other high-quality chances. "You saw my face when we scored," he told reporters. "You say 'Why?' Because when we scored, it should [have been] the third goal, not the first goal."
That inability to finish on quality chances hurt the U.S. in both games. Meanwhile, Belgium and Portugal were far more clinical and decisive when they encountered gaps in the Americans' defense. Simply put, that's the difference between a team like the U.S. and a team like Portugal, ranked No. 5 in the world with a real chance at winning this World Cup.
"To see competition at that level, and also the ruthlessness of the finishing, that's a positive takeaway, because you can see it," said U.S. defender Auston Trusty. "If you play against a smaller side, sometimes you don't really get exposed, and you don't really see many aspects of the game or any situations you're in."
The defense is still an open question
Pochettino has a lot of questions to mull as he looks ahead to May: who to put on the team, what formation to play, in which positions to put key contributors like stars Christian Pulisic and McKennie.
But maybe no questions are more pressing than how to handle defense.
The coach has tried multiple formations in his time with the USMNT. First, he trotted out a 4-2-3-1, in which a back four set the foundation for control of possession. Then, last fall, he switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation, dropping down to a back three in order to allow more flexibility in attack with wingers above who can switch between defending and attacking as needed.
The difference is meaningful because the U.S. simply doesn't have many World Cup-caliber defenders. Against Belgium and Portugal, Pochettino reverted to a four-defender formation and tried out seven different starters across the two games. (Robinson started both games.)
Of the seven — Alex Freeman, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Robinson, Trusty and Tim Weah — only Robinson and Richards seem like locks for serious minutes at defender in the World Cup.
Trusty was decent on Tuesday, but he, McKenzie, and Freeman are comparatively green. Weah is better suited to attacking. And Ream, who has served the U.S. commendably in his long tenure, is now 38 and can no longer beat younger attackers when racing for the ball.
Pochettino wants to see more intensity out of his team
Nothing animated the coach this week like the question of whether his team had played with enough intensity.
"Because if [we say] 'We are not aggressive Saturday, we are not aggressive tomorrow, because, no, in the World Cup we are going to be aggressive' — no. You cannot be aggressive if you do not create reality," Pochettino said, comparing the team's lack of intensity in friendly matches to a lack of discipline when trying to lose weight.
On Saturday, when the U.S. lost to Belgium, it was because multiple goals were scored off defensive lapses by American players. There were lost footraces, failures to recover the ball, moments where American players weren't aggressive in trying to prevent a Belgium transition up the field.
The next day, Pochettino watched another international friendly between France and Colombia, he told reporters. "They played like this was the final of the World Cup," he said. "I am happy that what happened is what happened, because there is still time to realize."
Key players returning from injury will make a difference — without them, the Americans' lack of depth shows
Midfielder Johnny Cardoso could only play a half on Saturday before feeling discomfort in his leg that caused him to withdraw from camp altogether. Defender Sergiño Dest hurt his hamstring in March and it's no guarantee he'll be back for the World Cup. And the team is still missing its 2022 World Cup captain, midfielder Tyler Adams, who tore a knee ligament in December.
But last month, the USMNT experienced the flip side when two key players returned to the lineup after missing time. Defender Richards, who tweaked his knee earlier and missed the game against Belgium, was back and effective for Portugal. And Robinson, who was dogged for months by knee pain after a surgery last year, was excellent in his return to the field in both games.
"There was no certainty on my end that I was going to be fit and available and make it, because it just seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel," he told reporters Friday. "But thankfully, I feel like I'm past the point now."
Depth isn't necessarily a dealbreaker in the World Cup, where it's typical for fewer than 20 of the 26 players on a country's roster to see the field. An American team at full strength could have a lot of real talent on the pitch.
BTW: The Americans' group stage schedule is now set
A playoff game on Tuesday sent Türkiye (ranked No. 22 in the world) to the final spot in Group D. The U.S. played all three of its group stage opponents in 2025, losing to Türkiye and beating Australia (ranked No. 27) and Paraguay (ranked No. 40). The Americans ambition will be to win the group, but none of these teams will be pushovers, and it's possible that the U.S. could fail to advance.
Here's the USMNT's upcoming schedule:
- Sunday, May 31: international friendly vs. Senegal in Charlotte, N.C.
- Saturday, June 6: international friendly vs. Germany in Chicago
- Friday, June 12: World Cup group stage vs. Paraguay in Los Angeles
- Friday, June 19: World Cup group stage vs. Australia in Seattle
- Thursday, June 25: World Cup group stage vs. Türkiye in Los Angeles
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