Luka Dončić with the 2 Pt
1-on-1 with former star Clint Dempsey on state of U.S. men's national team
With just 15 months to go until the biggest World Cup ever, the USMNT is arguably in crisis. A torrid start to 2025 saw them lose all three games in the CONCACAF Nations League Finals with the pressure building on an underperforming set of players and Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino. The team's all-time joint scorer couldn't hide his concern at the team's recent performances but believes that eventually this squad can come good.
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Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
A reality check for the USMNT: Why Poch's plan backfired in an ugly loss
If Mauricio Pochettino wanted to learn more about the depth of the U.S. men's national team player pool, he sure got a lesson on Tuesday night. The Argentine coach's young and experimental USMNT lineup was roundly embarrassed 4-0 by Switzerland in a friendly match in Nashville, in a game that served as the Americans' final dress rehearsal for the Concacaf Gold Cup, which Pochettino's squad opens on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago (kickoff at 6 p.m. ET on FOX). The big takeaway? If this team is going to make any noise at all at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil a year from now, the USMNT regulars can't get back soon enough. For reasons too various to fully recap here, Pochettino is without most of what most would consider his strongest possible lineup this summer. 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. Heart and soul midfielder Tyler Adams, the USMNT's captain at the 2022 World Cup, sat out Tuesday's debacle because of a foot injury that may yet rule him out of the Gold Cup. Take a dozen of the most seasoned players out of any national team, and the results might not be pretty. Then there's the fact that Pochettino came into this two-exhibition set — the U.S. lost 2-1 to Türkiye in Connecticut last Saturday — planning to use almost all the 26 players on his roster. The plan backfired, with the U.S. conceding all four goals during a 23-minute span midway through the first half. "It's my responsibility, the decision of the choice of the starting 11," Pochettino said afterward. "It went in the wrong direction from the beginning. We were never again in the game against a very good team like Switzerland, with experienced players, a team that is playing really well. [So] my first thought is not to blame the players, it's to blame ourselves. "That was my decision and that decision didn't work." Pochettino started 20 different players over the two contests, and he has now fielded 65 players in all since replacing Gregg Berhalter at the U.S. helm last September. "With more than 60 players, it's difficult to have the continuity or balance," Pochettino said. "We changed a lot, [both] the starting 11 and the roster." Just two players started both games, and Pochettino left the experienced likes of Chris Richards and Tim Ream on the bench in Music City, though Ream was among a number of subs who came on in the second half and helped shut down the Swiss over the final 45 minutes. But the young starters were thoroughly outclassed by a Swiss XI that included European standouts like Manchester City center back Manuel Akanji, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka and Borussia Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel. Fullbacks Max Arfsten and Nathan Harriel were badly exposed defensively. It was the fourth consecutive loss for Pochettino's team, all of them at home. Coming on the heels of the regulars' last-place finish at March's Concacaf Nations League finals, the hope was that a few of the understudies would run with the rare opportunity to log big minutes in a tournament setting. Some have: Diego Luna continues to impress. Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman could still have a big Gold Cup. So too could the U.S. It just doesn't seem likely. Last year's 5-1 drubbing by Colombia foreshadowed a historic Copa América failure, as the Americans became the first host nation not to advance from group play in the 108-year history of that competition. Pochettino will no doubt field his strongest possible lineup in the Gold Cup. The U.S. will still be severely shorthanded. That doesn't bode well for their chances against competitive foes who'll be mostly intact. Two years ago, Panama eliminated a third-string USMNT in the Gold Cup semis. Three of those games were in the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela, where the Americans sent a "C" squad and paid a steep price, finishing last in their group with a negative-6 goal differential. Sure, a team of U.S. reserves famously shocked Mexico's regulars in the 2021 Gold Cup final. But that hasn't been the norm historically. It isn't even the ultimate goal. "After working one month together, some players that maybe you don't think have the possibility to be on the roster at the World Cup, could be," Pochettino said. "Maybe someone can surprise us. It's about opportunity. But you take a risk when you compete with this level of opponent." This roster is still capable of showing well at the Gold Cup, though. If they can come together as a team, find a lineup that clicks and catch lightning in a bottle, they remain capable of making a deep run. However the results go the rest of this summer, it's clear that Pochettino will need every possible weapon at his disposal a year from now to make the World Cup campaign a success. "The boys are so motivated to play in the Gold Cup," Pochettino said. "The feeling after Türkiye was good. We made nine changes and the combinations didn't work. That's it. "We can lose [this game], but we can win the Gold Cup and arrive at the World Cup and do well." We'll see. 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 . recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Azteca Stadium to feature hybrid field, modern amenities for 2026 World Cup
Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — A hybrid field, updated locker rooms, elevators and hospitality zones are among the new features of Azteca Stadium for the 2026 World Cup, the owners said Wednesday. Sports entertainment company Ollamani also confirmed the stadium will reopen March 28, which will be 75 days before the start of the World Cup as Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced recently. 'The centerpiece of the stadium's renovation is the people who visit it. Our main objective is to substantially improve their experience in every way,' stadium director Felix Aguirre said in a statement. The iconic venue closed last May for renovations ahead of next year's 48-team competition hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. The 83,000-seat Azteca, which recently was renamed, will host five games including the tournament opener. It also hosted the first matches in the 1971 and 1986 World Cups. Ollamani, which is affiliated with Grupo Televisa, Mexico's largest television network, also said the stadium will have bigger capacity, but did not specify how many extra seats it will have. It will be the second time that Azteca has a hybrid pitch — one was installed in 2018 but returned to natural grass a year later. The poor field conditions in November 2018 forced a last-minute change of venue for an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams. 'The pitch, being subjected to intensive use, will have a new ventilation and suction system, thereby achieving better recovery, stability and resistance,' Ollamani said in a statement. The new locker rooms will be located at the center of the stadium under the luxury boxes and with a tunnel leading to the pitch. Before, they were located in the north and south part of it. 'The project includes new facilities in the competition areas, improving the experience of the player, fans and media in line with the most modern stadiums in the world," the company said. The plan includes installing large LED screens inside and outside the stadium. Before the renovations, the stadium had just two big screens that were installed in 2015. Ollamani did not provided specific details about elevators or escalators. In the past, the only way to move between the lower and upper sections was using an old ramp. The hospitality zones were also a necessity. The old stadium had a small concession area outside the venue, but inside there were no food courts and the fans were forced to buy from the vendors roaming the seating area. Among other renovations, the stadium owners also announced a new press box area, improved restrooms, a 200-unit CCTV surveillance system and a new sound system. Originally, a major renovation was planned including a shopping center and hotel, but residents of Santa Úrsula, a popular neighborhood located south of the capital, opposed them. Ollamani said that the facade and the roof will be renovated 'to improve the stadium appearance without losing its essence.' Earlier in the year, the owners released images of work done on the pitch and the lower seats. The luxury boxes apparently haven't been touched because some owners refuse to release them to FIFA. The box owners recently filed a complaint with Mexico's consumer protection agency seeking clarity over use of the seating for the 2026 World Cup. ___ AP soccer: recommended in this topic
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jose Iglesias' slick sliding stop
Thomas Tuchel won't panic after England suffer shock loss to Senegal Thomas Tuchel insists there is 'no need to panic' despite England suffering a shock 3-1 friendly defeat at home to Senegal a year out from the World Cup. Among the favourites for glory in North America, the Euro 2024 runners-up received a wake-up call as the German head coach's honeymoon period came to a crashing end at the City Ground. England were booed off for the second time in four days as Saturday's stultifying 1-0 qualification win against minnows Andorra was followed by a first ever loss to African opposition on Tuesday evening. 1:03 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
