If Mauricio Pochettino wished to be taught extra in regards to the depth of the U.S. males’s nationwide crew participant pool, he certain received a lesson on Tuesday evening.
The Argentine coach’s younger and experimental USMNT lineup was roundly embarrassed 4-0 by Switzerland in a pleasant match in Nashville, in a sport that served because the Individuals’ last costume rehearsal for the Concacaf Gold Cup, which Pochettino’s squad opens on Sunday in opposition to Trinidad and Tobago (kickoff at 6 p.m. ET on FOX).
The massive takeaway? If this crew goes to make any noise in any respect on the 2026 FIFA World Cup on dwelling soil a yr from now, the USMNT regulars can’t get again quickly sufficient.
For causes too numerous to completely recap right here, Pochettino is with out most of what most would take into account his strongest doable lineup this summer time. Christian Pulisic isn’t there. Neither are Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest, Weston, McKennie, Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Joe Scally, Tanner Tessmann or Tim Weah.
Coronary heart and soul midfielder Tyler Adams, the USMNT’s captain on the 2022 World Cup, sat out Tuesday’s debacle due to a foot harm that will but rule him out of the Gold Cup.
Take a dozen of essentially the most seasoned gamers out of any nationwide crew, and the outcomes may not be fairly. Then there’s the truth that Pochettino got here into this two-exhibition set — the U.S. misplaced 2-1 to Türkiye in Connecticut final Saturday — planning to make use of virtually all of the 26 gamers on his roster.
The plan backfired, with the U.S. conceding all 4 objectives throughout a 23-minute span halfway via the primary half.
“It’s my duty, the choice of the selection of the beginning 11,” Pochettino stated afterward. “It went within the flawed path from the start. We have been by no means once more within the sport in opposition to an excellent crew like Switzerland, with skilled gamers, a crew that’s enjoying rather well. [So] my first thought is to not blame the gamers, it’s guilty ourselves.
“That was my resolution and that call didn’t work.”
Sebastian Berhalter (L) and Quinn Sullivan (R) have been inserted within the beginning lineup in opposition to Switzerland. (Photograph by Carly Mackler/USSF/Getty Photos)
Pochettino began 20 totally different gamers over the 2 contests, and he has now fielded 65 gamers in all since changing Gregg Berhalter on the U.S. helm final September.
“With greater than 60 gamers, it is troublesome to have the continuity or steadiness,” Pochettino stated. “We modified loads, [both] the beginning 11 and the roster.”
Simply two gamers began each video games, and Pochettino left the skilled likes of Chris Richards and Tim Ream on the bench in Music Metropolis, although Ream was amongst various subs who got here on within the second half and helped shut down the Swiss over the ultimate 45 minutes.
However the younger starters have been totally outclassed by a Swiss XI that included European standouts like Manchester Metropolis heart again Manuel Akanji, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka and Borussia Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel. Fullbacks Max Arfsten and Nathan Harriel have been badly uncovered defensively.
It was the fourth consecutive loss for Pochettino’s crew, all of them at dwelling. Approaching the heels of the regulars’ last-place end at March’s Concacaf Nations League finals, the hope was that a couple of of the understudies would run with the uncommon alternative to log large minutes in a match setting. Some have: Diego Luna continues to impress. Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman may nonetheless have a giant Gold Cup. So too may the U.S.
It simply doesn’t appear doubtless. Final yr’s 5-1 drubbing by Colombia foreshadowed a historic Copa América failure, because the Individuals turned the primary host nation to not advance from group play within the 108-year historical past of that competitors.
Pochettino will little question subject his strongest doable lineup within the Gold Cup. The U.S. will nonetheless be severely shorthanded. That doesn’t bode properly for his or her possibilities in opposition to aggressive foes who’ll be principally intact.
Two years in the past, Panama eradicated a third-string USMNT within the Gold Cup semis. Three of these video games have been within the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela, the place the Individuals despatched a “C” squad and paid a steep worth, ending final of their group with a negative-6 objective differential.
Certain, a crew of U.S. reserves famously shocked Mexico’s regulars within the 2021 Gold Cup last. However that hasn’t been the norm traditionally. It isn’t even the final word objective.
“After working one month collectively, some gamers that perhaps you don’t assume have the likelihood to be on the roster on the World Cup, could possibly be,” Pochettino stated. “Possibly somebody can shock us. It’s about alternative. However you’re taking a threat whenever you compete with this degree of opponent.”
This roster remains to be able to displaying properly on the Gold Cup, although. If they’ll come collectively as a crew, discover a lineup that clicks and catch lightning in a bottle, they continue to be able to making a deep run.
Nonetheless the outcomes go the remainder of this summer time, it’s clear that Pochettino will want each doable weapon at his disposal a yr from now to make the World Cup marketing campaign a hit.
“The boys are so motivated to play within the Gold Cup,” Pochettino stated. “The sensation after Türkiye was good. We made 9 modifications and the combos didn’t work. That’s it.
“We are able to lose [this game], however we will win the Gold Cup and arrive on the World Cup and do properly.”
We’ll see.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports activities who has lined United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Observe him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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