Will coach Mauricio Pochettino's US men's national team figure it out in time for next year's World Cup?

Boston Globe

18 hours ago

But first, there is the matter of the Gold Cup. The US will take a four-match losing streak (longest since 2007) into the opener against Trinidad and Tobago in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday. Again, the Americans will be deprived of the Serie A quartet — Weston McKennie and Tim Weah (Juventus) and Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic (Milan). But even their experience did not prove to make a difference in defeats to Panama and Canada in the Nations League in Los Angeles in March.
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'The players are motivated, and maybe we can win the Gold Cup and arrive at the World Cup and do well,' Pochettino said. 'This is not going to have a massive impact on our emotions. We are going to be ready, I am not worried about that.'
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Yet the real challenge for the US, 'A' team or otherwise, will be in the World Cup, when it is again faced with European competition.
The US has not defeated a Euro foe in eight games (0-6-2) since taking a 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Dec. 18, 2021, friendly in Carson, Calif. As for World Cup matches against Euro competition, the US has compiled a 3-14-7 mark, with only one victory since 1950. The US actually won its first two World Cup games against European countries — Belgium (3-0) in 1930 and England (1-0) in 1950. Since then, the only World Cup win over a Euro foe was a 3-2 decision over Portugal in 2002, when the Bruce Arena-coached US squad made it to the quarterfinals.
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Playing in the CONCACAF region limits options for national team competition. But there is no reason to lag behind in player development. Switzerland, too, was going young, and Johan Manzambi, 19, did not seem to have a problem making an impact in his international debut in a recent 4-2 win over Mexico.
Before the Switzerland game, Pochettino said he wanted his players to fight 'like wolves or lions.' But it is difficult to impose yourself physically on a group as technical as the Swiss. The US seldom could get close enough to make a hard tackle, at least not until second-half stoppage time, when Patrick Agyemang and Johnny Cardoso were cautioned.
What Pochettino might not have realized is the US lacks tactical and technical sophistication, weaknesses exposed when facing European foes. Top-level competitors would have been expected to recognize alignment flaws and adjusted to the advances on the wings of Manzambi and Dan Ndoye, who both scored goals. But it wasn't until the second half that the US began limiting Manzambi and Ndoye, only after Pochettino added an extra defender.
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As for the attack, Pochettino has work to do. The US, like many teams, is committed to high-pressing, mostly for the sake of attempting to create offense. The problem is, if the press is not working, there is little to fall back on. And the better European opposition is not easily knocked off its game by pressing tactics. So, there is only so much Pochettino can do, besides getting his players to chase around with ferocity. It is up to the players to figure out how vary the pace of the game, what to capitalize on, when to improvise.
Pulisic and friends should provide solutions, once they return to the fold. But will they be enough to make a difference in the World Cup? Supporters are going to have to spend the next year wondering.
Frank Dell'Apa can be reached at