"Friendly games are what you play with your friends." That's Mauricio Pochettino's own diagnosis of what's gone wrong — and it's a damning one when you're nine weeks out from hosting a World Cup.
The USMNT coach spoke to reporters Thursday and admitted what the spring results already made obvious: not having to qualify for the 2026 tournament has hollowed out the competitive edge his squad needs right now. "We knew it would be a problem, how to approach the games, because we have already qualified," he said. "We are fighting to change that mindset, (we) need to create that habit that we are fighting."
The numbers back him up. Belgium put five past the US on March 28. Portugal shut them out 2-0 three days later. That's seven goals conceded, two scored, across back-to-back March friendlies — and Pochettino felt his players weren't aggressive enough in either game.
A coaching problem as much as a mentality one
Here's the uncomfortable truth Pochettino is dancing around: you can't blame the automatic qualification format and then expect sympathy. Every host nation in modern World Cup history has faced the same preparation challenge. The difference is what the coaching staff does about it.
Pochettino's response — citing Morocco's 2022 semi-final run as proof that anything is possible — is optimistic, but it doesn't address how a team that looked this passive against Belgium suddenly flips a switch in June. Morocco were a tight defensive unit built on belief and structure. Right now, the USMNT look like a group waiting for the tournament to make the games feel real.
With the US playing home games in front of their own fans, the expectation is clear: get out of the group stage, minimum. Anything less would be a failure by any honest measure. If the defensive performances in these friendlies are a guide, their World Cup odds deserve a harder look from anyone betting on a deep run.
"Why not?" Pochettino said, when asked about going far. It's a fine sentiment. But sentiment doesn't fix a back line that shipped five to Belgium.
