USMNT, with another clunker, loses to Canada in Nations League third-place match

Yahoo

24-03-2025

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After Thursday's stunning loss to Panama, the U.S. men's national team promised a response. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino assured fuming fans that a sleepy CONCACAF Nations League semifinal 'didn't describe, or doesn't describe, how we are.' Players said they'd 'look in the mirror' and 'raise the bar.' And yet, in Sunday's third-place match against Canada, they did none of that.
They lost to their northern neighbors, 2-1, and deserved every last ounce of the defeat.
They managed one solitary shot on goal over the game's first 84 minutes.
In the face of criticism and doubts, they talked about how, 'if we want to be praised, we have to give people something to praise us about,' as midfielder Tyler Adams said Saturday. Instead, they regressed, and further disillusioned their supporters, and inflamed doubts about their readiness for a World Cup on home soil next summer.
All involved promised that, after the 1-0 loss to Panama, Sunday's performance would be better. This Nations League consolation match would 'be an important game to see how we react,' Pochettino said Saturday.
'Mentality obviously needs to change,' Adams said hours later.
'We're gonna come out with that fighting spirit,' Tim Weah added.
In the interim, they had one-on-one talks and a 'beautiful meeting,' Weah said, in which Pochettino pleaded for 'killer mentality' and more. The message, Weah said: 'We have to want it. We have to want to be here 100%. We have to fight.'
But on Sunday, they floundered. For most of the first half, they didn't take the risks nor show the 'aggression' they said they would. In a stadium that was once again nine-tenths empty at kickoff, they played dull soccer, and conceded a 27th-minute goal before they'd even taken a shot of their own.
Tani Oluwaseyi nets his first international goal for Canada 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/ILRzoOZ54p
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
Diego Luna tried to inject life into the USMNT, and into another sleepy game. He started an attacking move from the right side of midfield, and, with a driving off-ball run, propelled it into the penalty box. He poked a clever pass to Patrick Agyemang, who equalized with a firm finish.
That @MLS connection 🔗Diego Luna leaves it on a plate for Patrick Agyemang who buries the @USMNT equalizer! 🇺🇸👏 pic.twitter.com/ePr5kinEIZ
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
Neither Luna nor Agyemang, though, could erase the mediocrity around them. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, the team's two Italy-based stars, were quiet. Adams and Weah looked nothing like their typically active selves. The USMNT was once against stagnant.
And not long after halftime, they conceded again. In the 59th minute, Jonathan David put Canada up 2-1.
Jonathan David with a perfect left-footed strike to put Canada ahead at SoFi Stadium 💫 pic.twitter.com/4dpMVzn5ZS
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
And that's how it ended, just as friendly between these two teams ended in September, with the U.S. beaten — and with all sorts of questions swirling about both the talent and the passion of this generation of USMNT players.
Canada beat USA and take third place in the CONCACAF Nations League 💪🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/SgH0jCphMK
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 23, 2025
Another dismal performance for Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. men's national team as they lose the third-place match on home soil. Next up, the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Final. pic.twitter.com/4d6tszH8Dx
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
David delivering for Canada! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/WRVGdH6rOK
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 23, 2025
78' - SubstitutionIN: Brian WhiteOUT: Patrick Agyemang pic.twitter.com/lwXYSMEgVi
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
5 - Jonathan David (2 goals, 3 assists) has five career goal contributions against the USMNT, more than any other player since his first match against the U.S. in October 2019. Difference. pic.twitter.com/UIUGacPMev
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) March 23, 2025
Tanner Tessman, Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna replace Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.
🇨🇦 2-1 🇺🇸Jonathan David puts @CANMNT_Official in front. 💫 pic.twitter.com/icmL0JCFbN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 23, 2025
Jesse Marsch visibly frustrated after being shown a red card and sent to the locker room in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match 🟥 pic.twitter.com/i93Qkgkzl7
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
Jonathan David puts Canada back on top with a close-range golazo after a defensive lapse by the U.S.
A deserved goal.
After the U.S. failed to play out of its own defensive third, Ahmed splits Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie with a pass to Jonathan David.
Mark McKenzie, in a 1-v-2 situation in the box, stands off David, who finishes with his left foot.
2-1 to Canada.
After Jonathan David slipped in the box — and after the Adams tackle, which was a more justified shout for a penalty — Marsch fumed and ran all the way onto the field, in front of the U.S. bench, raging at the referee.
Had to be restrained by staff.
The referee didn't give it. Replays showed it was borderline.
Nonetheless, it was a clumsy tackle from Tyler Adams, who hasn't been good today (after being one of the few U.S. players who put in a respectable performance against Panama)
This first half has a January camp look and feel. It is more about emotion and mistakes than actual ability and design—it's a tough watch. Diego Luna is the most active and bright on both sides of the ball. #USMNT
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) March 23, 2025
This has not been a good U.S. performance, by any stretch of the imagination.
But Diego Luna did exactly what he was brought in to do: provide a spark.
He picked up the ball on the right, came infield with it, released it, and continued his run all the way into the left half of the penalty box. There, he received it in stride, and poked a clever pass to Patrick Agyemang for the U.S. goal.
Some questioned whether Luna could hang at this level.
Consider those questions answered (at least for now, today). 1-1.
That @MLS connection 🔗Diego Luna leaves it on a plate for Patrick Agyemang who buries the @USMNT equalizer! 🇺🇸👏 pic.twitter.com/ePr5kinEIZ
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
35' - GOAL - Diego Luna with the pass to Pat who finds the back of the net!
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
The USMNT responds with a goal of their own after some remarkable playmaking by Diego Luna, who gets the ball to Patrick Agyemang inside the box for an easy look and blast into the net!
GOAL 🇨🇦It's TANI TIME 😎 Tani Oluwaseyi scores his first for the #CanMNT 🇨🇦 and it's 1-0 over the #USMNT 🇺🇸 just before the half-hour mark ✨🔴 Watch LIVE on OS and @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/3okdcRpRPj
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) March 23, 2025
🇨🇦 Canada leads the U.S. in three straight games for the first time since 1985.🇨🇦 Canada has scored first in consecutive AWAY games vs the U.S. for the second time. Other was two games in 1926 and 1957.
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) March 23, 2025
Canada beat USA and take third place in the CONCACAF Nations League 💪🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/SgH0jCphMK
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 23, 2025
Another dismal performance for Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. men's national team as they lose the third-place match on home soil. Next up, the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Final. pic.twitter.com/4d6tszH8Dx
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
David delivering for Canada! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/WRVGdH6rOK
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 23, 2025
78' - SubstitutionIN: Brian WhiteOUT: Patrick Agyemang pic.twitter.com/lwXYSMEgVi
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
5 - Jonathan David (2 goals, 3 assists) has five career goal contributions against the USMNT, more than any other player since his first match against the U.S. in October 2019. Difference. pic.twitter.com/UIUGacPMev
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) March 23, 2025
Tanner Tessman, Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna replace Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.
🇨🇦 2-1 🇺🇸Jonathan David puts @CANMNT_Official in front. 💫 pic.twitter.com/icmL0JCFbN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 23, 2025
Jesse Marsch visibly frustrated after being shown a red card and sent to the locker room in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match 🟥 pic.twitter.com/i93Qkgkzl7
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
Jonathan David puts Canada back on top with a close-range golazo after a defensive lapse by the U.S.
A deserved goal.
After the U.S. failed to play out of its own defensive third, Ahmed splits Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie with a pass to Jonathan David.
Mark McKenzie, in a 1-v-2 situation in the box, stands off David, who finishes with his left foot.
2-1 to Canada.
After Jonathan David slipped in the box — and after the Adams tackle, which was a more justified shout for a penalty — Marsch fumed and ran all the way onto the field, in front of the U.S. bench, raging at the referee.
Had to be restrained by staff.
The referee didn't give it. Replays showed it was borderline.
Nonetheless, it was a clumsy tackle from Tyler Adams, who hasn't been good today (after being one of the few U.S. players who put in a respectable performance against Panama)
This first half has a January camp look and feel. It is more about emotion and mistakes than actual ability and design—it's a tough watch. Diego Luna is the most active and bright on both sides of the ball. #USMNT
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) March 23, 2025
This has not been a good U.S. performance, by any stretch of the imagination.
But Diego Luna did exactly what he was brought in to do: provide a spark.
He picked up the ball on the right, came infield with it, released it, and continued his run all the way into the left half of the penalty box. There, he received it in stride, and poked a clever pass to Patrick Agyemang for the U.S. goal.
Some questioned whether Luna could hang at this level.
Consider those questions answered (at least for now, today). 1-1.
That @MLS connection 🔗Diego Luna leaves it on a plate for Patrick Agyemang who buries the @USMNT equalizer! 🇺🇸👏 pic.twitter.com/ePr5kinEIZ
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) March 23, 2025
35' - GOAL - Diego Luna with the pass to Pat who finds the back of the net!
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 23, 2025
The USMNT responds with a goal of their own after some remarkable playmaking by Diego Luna, who gets the ball to Patrick Agyemang inside the box for an easy look and blast into the net!
GOAL 🇨🇦It's TANI TIME 😎 Tani Oluwaseyi scores his first for the #CanMNT 🇨🇦 and it's 1-0 over the #USMNT 🇺🇸 just before the half-hour mark ✨🔴 Watch LIVE on OS and @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/3okdcRpRPj
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) March 23, 2025
🇨🇦 Canada leads the U.S. in three straight games for the first time since 1985.🇨🇦 Canada has scored first in consecutive AWAY games vs the U.S. for the second time. Other was two games in 1926 and 1957.
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) March 23, 2025