Doug McIntyre
Soccer Journalist
The idea that the United States men’s national soccer team can simply roll out a third- or fourth-string lineup in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup and still contend for the regional championship against the mostly full-strength likes of Canada or Mexico took a major hit on Tuesday, with Switzerland embarrassing a green American side 4-0 in its final pre-tournament friendly in Nashville, Tennessee.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino made nine lineup changes following Saturday’s hard-fought 2-1 loss to another powerful European foe in Türkiye, and the Swiss carved through the hosts’ defense with ease, scoring all four goals in a 23-minute stretch in the first half. Pochettino removed five of those starters at halftime, but their replacements could only stop the bleeding.
Just over a year out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted bythe U.S., the national team is, for various reasons, without as many as 10 regulars this summer, including star forward Christian Pulisic, midfielder Weston McKennie, fullback Antonee Robinson, and strikers Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi. Pochettino also left several of those picked for Concacaf Nations League losses to Panama and Canada in March off this summer’s squad. Their replacements didn’t cover themselves in glory on Tuesday, displaying both unforced errors and the same worrying lack of urgency that plagued the varsity squad in March.
Here are a few quick thoughts on Tuesday’s contest.
Play of the game
Nineteen-year-old Swiss winger Johan Manzambi added insult to injury when he fired the visitors fourth past a helpless Matt Turner in the 36th minute
Turning point
Turner spilled a shot that allowed Monaco striker Breel Embolo to tap home the back-breaking third:
Key stat
Tuesday’s defeat was the Americans’ fourth straight, its longest losing streak since 2007. That was part of a string of five consecutive defeats. Three of those came in Venezuela in the Copa América group stage, when the U.S. also used what amounted to a “C” team. The USMNT had lost four in a row at home only once before Tuesday, way back in 1988.
What’s next for the USMNT?
The U.S. opens its Gold Cup group stage schedule on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, California. Who will Poch choose to start against the Soca Warriors?
A number of players surely earned a spot on the bench for the Gold Cup following Tuesday’s debacle. Others — Patrick Agyemang, Diego Luna, Malik Tillman — can probably expect to log big minutes over the next couple of weeks. They need to fight for their World Cup lives this summer. For others, it could already be too late.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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