The U.S. men’s national team walks away from the March international window without a win or even a point on the board, a disappointing week for a team seeking to build confidence—not crush it—just weeks out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
Sure, we should consider that the Stars and Stripes faced two of the world’s greatest teams right now: Belgium and Portugal, ranked ninth and fifth respectively. Yet, having set sights on a historic semifinal run this summer, the USMNT would have hoped to at least match the UEFA giants.
Instead, the U.S. conceded seven goals and managed just two for themselves across both matches. Belgium embarrassed the U.S. 5–2 on Saturday, before Portugal finessed them 2–0 on Tuesday.
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino must go back to the drawing board; however, the Argentine boss isn’t as dejected over the friendlies as might be anticipated.
Pochettino’s Reaction to the March International Window
“We have to play games like this because even if it’s painful, it’s the only way to improve,” Pochettino said postgame. “It’s the only way to learn. It’s the only way to see how these top players and teams compete.”
Pochettino found positives in the team’s overall competitive energy, especially in the first halves of both games.
“Today, I think we competed really well,” Pochettino said after Tuesday’s match. “Like again with Belgium, in the first half and 15– 20 minutes of the second. It’s in the small details where we lose the game.”
The USMNT actually led Belgium 1–0 until the European side equalized in the waning minutes of the first half. The U.S.’s high intensity in the opening half often put the Belgians on their back heels. It wasn’t until the second half that the American wheels fell off.
Likewise, against Portugal, the U.S. had a very disciplined and cohesive first half, especially defensively—likely eager to prevent another five-goal collapse. Although Portugal held most of the game’s possession, the U.S. continually capitalized on opportunities when it found the ball, making repeated drives into the final third, despite inevitably being fruitless once inside the box.
The USMNT is capable of drastic improvement. By Tuesday, the Americans had already completely revamped their defensive shape and commitment to covering every player on the field, important aspects of the game that were treated carelessly in the second half against Belgium. It was just a momentary defensive collapse on a quick counterattack that gave Portugal its first goal in the 37th minute. A poor defensive setup on Portugal’s corner kick gave the Europeans their second goal in the 59th minute.
If the U.S. can learn to maintain their defensive poise in fast transitions and on set pieces and turn its frantic shots into finessed finishes, perhaps a rematch of Tuesday’s game would look quite different.
“I think we were competing well, but we still need to learn a lot,” Pochettino said.
Overall, the March camp was a success in the eyes of the manager, who hopes to have his finalized World Cup roster by the end of May, when the USMNT plays its last two tune-up friendlies before the final tournament against Senegal and Germany.
“I think this camp is very positive,” he added. “ ... the next roster is going to be the roster that is going to be involved. I think it's too many things that we need to assess and to see in the next few weeks.
“Yes, I am more positive now than before because seeing the team compete, we are not far away. It's only details that we need to prove.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mauricio Pochettino Draws Surprising Conclusion From the USMNT’s Winless International Window.
