ASN’s Brian Sciaretta presents up his Monday reflections on the USMNT after the ugly loss to Belgium in Atlanta
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
March 29, 2026
7:55 PM
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THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL staff was served with a chilly dose of actuality on Saturday night time in Atlanta once they had been trounced 5-2 by Belgium. It raised critical questions in regards to the staff. The chief amongst them is whether or not the U.S. staff is nearer to the staff that defeated Uruguay 5-1, or the staff that was simply pounded by Belgium?
The reply is probably going someplace within the center.
Then the query turns into about route. We all know the U.S. staff can, on its finest day, be fairly good. We additionally know that this staff is just a yr faraway from an embarrassing show on the 2025 Nations League remaining rounds the place it misplaced to Panama and Canada. The staff has been wobbly and rocky heading into its remaining vacation spot on the World Cup and Pochettino must get this staff to some degree of consistency.
As everybody, together with Pochettino, has famous after this sport is that this efficiency and consequence could be good for the U.S. staff. Nobody goes to recollect this consequence simply as nobody ever remembers how groups carry out in friendlies main as much as World Cups. There have been loads of good ends in friendlies for groups that might quickly go onto fail on the World Cup. Additionally it is true that groups have been lackluster in spring friendlies and would later go onto have World Cup success.
Type, confidence, and momentum can all change very, in a short time. Nothing goes change the truth that Belgium has extra expertise than the U.S. staff. However the U.S. staff can nonetheless give itself a greater probability to win. Afterall, success will rely upon lastly with the ability to beat European staff.
Listed here are a number of ideas
A story of responses
Even within the win over Belgium, the U.S. staff was inconsistent. The staff began off effectively and was going head-to-head with the top-10 Belgian staff. The excessive level of the night time for the USMNT was Weston McKennie’s thirty ninth minute purpose when he made a stealth run into the field to direct an Antonee Robinson nook into the online.
That’s not good. Pochettino mentioned on Friday that he doesn’t just like the time period “friendly” for these video games as a result of suggests the video games should not critical. But when these video games are critical, the U.S. wants to search out methods to struggle via powerful occasions, decelerate opponents, and discover one other degree. As a substitute, the staff rolled over.
Tactical errors
Regardless, a three-man backline formation appears to play to the staff’s strengths. Fullbacks Tim Weah and Robinson are sometimes a lot better suited with the ability to get into the assault. Plus, with central defenders a weak point on this staff, having extra on the sector at any given time helps them cowl for one another in addition to the fullbacks.
Then you definitely get to a participant like Max Arfsten who likes to get ahead and nonetheless performs the left again place like a winger. He nonetheless appears naive in protection, and that was additionally seen on this sport. A proper again like Sergino Dest (not on this roster) additionally advantages with extra defensive protection.
Weah was given an enormously troublesome task of defending Jeremy Doku, a world class winger. It was a state of affairs the place there wanted to be a greater game-plan tactically to present Weah assist. Enjoying in a again 4, the U.S. appears very weak to groups with prime wingers.
Even with the U.S. staff brief on central defenders with accidents to Miles Robinson and Chris Richardson, gamers like Joe Scally, Alex Freeman, and Tanner Tessmann can pitch in.
This staff is could be vulnerable to being very leaky defensively. It’s a query why Pochettino moved away from the three-man backline at a time when it appeared to play to the strengths of the staff.
Notes on particular gamers
Johnny Cardoso was pulled at halftime, which could have finally helped his case to make the World Cup staff on condition that Belgium romped after he left. However that doesn’t imply Cardoso was nice both, or that the U.S. staff fell aside as a result of he wasn’t there (the USMNT didn’t play worse within the second half extra so than Belgium raised its sport and the U.S. didn’t have a response).
Cardoso is so troublesome to determine. There have been many gamers who’ve struggled to translate membership type over to nationwide groups (not simply the USMNT), however the hole between membership type and nationwide staff for is unusually huge for Cardoso. Finally, he seemingly makes the ultimate roster however until he performs and performs effectively in opposition to Portugal, he would possibly enter World Cup camp as a distant backup unlikely to play quite a bit.
It was excellent for the U.S. staff to have Antonee Robinson again, however it was additionally attention-grabbing to see him taking set items, sometimes crossing isn’t a power for him.
However Robinson taking corners can be noteworthy as a result of it means Christian Pulisic wasn’t taking them. Pulisic has been the U.S. staff’s finest participant however it has been a very long time since he has been harmful on set items.
Matt Turner might have made an announcement to return to being the staff’s No 1 however did himself no favors on this sport. No, the loss was not his fault. Sure, he made a number of good saves. However sure, he additionally might have completed higher on a minimum of one Belgian purpose. He additionally made issues more durable than needed. Matt Freese seemingly begins the Portugal pleasant, seemingly because the staff’s No. 1 until he has a really unhealthy sport.
Even when he’s in a robust run of type with Monaco, Folarin Balogun sometimes doesn’t at all times get a number of touches. Towards Belgium, Balogun solely had 14 touches over 71 minutes. However on this sport, Balogun was invisible and wasn’t even bothering Belgium a lot along with his sometimes sensible runs. Finally, that comes all the way down to chemistry and getting him on the identical web page as the opposite attackers is a precedence.
