Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT had a chance to restore some confidence in the team on Sunday when they met Canada in the third-place game of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Call it a chance wasted, dropped, and flatlined, as the Yanks suffered through a second-straight loss to continental competition on home soil just 15 months away from the oh-so-rare chance to compete in a home World Cup.
MORE — USMNT 1-2 Canada recap, highlights | Player ratings | Pulisic reaction
The Yanks had an opportunity to write off Thursday’s semifinal loss to Panama as a bad day of finishing and a single error from the goalkeeper, but instead looked like the very same team that lost to Los Canaleros despite making five changes to the Starting XI.
Mauricio Pochettino can point to a laundry list of injuries and absences including one of the world’s top left backs in Antonee Robinson, but fans and pundits will be left wondering if this group of players is underachieving at best, and toxic at worst — especially if it’s true that Pulisic, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time under the new gaffer, refused to come off before taking a free kick in the second half as Pochettino launched a triple sub.
Toxic fumes emerging from USMNT, who renew fears of a wasted home World Cup
This loss isn’t Gregg Berhalter’s fault, to be sure. For all of the perceived faults of the now-Chicago Fire manager, the national team players have done a fantastic job backing Berhalter by remaining an idealess, underachieving mess of massive talent since his second stint ended. There is no question that the gifts of this group are immense, but the residue left by this international break reinforces so many old questions. Players like Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, and Yunus Musah had every opportunity to show that the problems inside the talent pool were not fundamental, but delivered two substandard performances. For every nice storyline, like Timothy Weah rebounding from his red card against Panama at Copa America with a strong pair of games, there are big questions. Why does Giovanni Reyna remain an afterthought despite the change in manager? Is there a No. 8 to put between Tyler Adams and Pulisic? And, is there a goalkeeper and center back duo that can hang with good, let alone elite, attackers at a World Cup? If the Yanks cannot beat Panama and Canada on home soil, how will they look when Turkiye and Switzerland visit for June friendlies? And can they even reach the Gold Cup final a few weeks after that? Most importantly, is the relevance of all of these questions 15 months before a home World Cup a signal of impending doom for what was hoped to be the generation to bring unprecedented success to the red, white, and blue?
Christian Pulisic silenced by Canada to end miserable break
This was a terrible performance with the ball from Pulisic and the Yanks, who had 56 percent of possession but were out-shot 8-2 and put just a single shot on target — Agyemang’s goal that was hit right at Canada keeper Dayne St. Clair, but bounced off the keeper and into the goal. Pulisic is the key component of the USMNT attack, but the side managed just nine touches in the box at the time he left the game (Canada was well over 30). He was again — as is often the case in CONCACAF — targeted by Canada and led the game in fouls suffered with four. He won most of his duels but touched the ball just 21 times. Agyemang was the only starter on either side besides Canada’s Alphonso Davies — who left after 12 minutes with an injury — to have fewer touches than Pulisic. For two games, Pulisic did almost nothing. Those are two atypical showings from a player who may be, or become, the best in USMNT history, but when they come in the final stage of a tournament and conclude — perhaps — with ignorance of a substitution? Oof.
Weston McKennie a man without a home
One of the players who often steps up when things are dull for the USMNT is Juventus star Weston McKennie, but Pulisic’s partner-in-crime joined his teammate in having a substandard week in the national team shirt. McKennie is always busy but his passing was miserable and his dribbling failed as well. The way Pochettino lined up his Yanks, McKennie was perhaps the only consistent bet to link Tyler Adams and the back line to the attack, and the Texan responded with a scattershot day. McKennie made a number of recoveries and interventions at the back, but his play in the build-up helped deliver those opportunities to Canada. Neither Panama nor Canada have a strong midfield, and the U.S. have a huge problem if McKennie shows like this against Turkiye and Switzerland.
Mauricio Pochettino’s stock sinking like a stone
Again, there were many USMNT players unavailable to Pochettino including Antonee Robinson, Johnny Cardoso, Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman, and Folarin Balogun. But the reason many clamored for a manager more experienced than Gregg Berhalter was to overcome windows like these. And we cannot pretend that Panama and Canada were at 100 percent themselves. Like Berhalter’s teams in the attacking third, Pochettino’s team looked clueless at times and he did almost nothing to change it. The effort was there but the sloppiness was real. Pulisic and McKennie were no better than replacement-level talent on the roster. He’ll also have to revisit the players he left off the team at nearly every level of the team — Ethan Horvath, Kristoffer Lund, Gianluca Busio, Alex Zendejas and Haji Wright. A team that had only ever won this tournament now has a fourth-place finish. It’s ugly. And he has to do much better as friendlies and the Gold Cup are all that remain before the World Cup. Just about the only good thing to come out of this break was the emergence of Diego Luna, more time in the team for a healthy Tyler Adams, and continued proof that Weah’s skill set is a bit of a unicorn in the USMNT set-up.
