The USMNT: One Step Forward, Two Back, and Nothing in Between

The United States men’s national team was soundly defeated by Mexico in the 2025 Gold Cup final, a result that should have surprised no one given the quality on both sides. For Mauricio Pochettino, it was a bitter blow: all that’s left now is the World Cup in what increasingly feels like a wasted cycle for the program.

There was only one team on the field in Houston for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, and it was Mexico. Despite taking an early lead, the United States managed just three shots on goal and six shots total to Mexico’s eight and 16, while holding only 40% possession. But those stats only tell part of the story. Mexico showed more grit, hunger, and footballing culture, while the U.S. men’s national team looked bereft of ideas and lacked the quality to break down Mexico’s steady defense.

In a four-year cycle that has seen the USMNT play multiple CONCACAF Nations Leagues and Gold Cups in addition to a Copa América, all that remains competitively is the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s been a disappointing cycle: Sure there were the pair of Nations League titles in 2023 and 2024, but there hasn’t been much else to write home about overall.

Playing their best soccer under interim manager B.J. Callaghan, the team collapsed under Gregg Berhalter’s second stint during the Copa América and has never really got going under Mauricio Pochettino.

To make matters worse, this Gold Cup has left the program in a state of limbo. Who really makes up the USMNT? Most of the core players — who have barely worked with Pochettino — remain an enigma in terms of how they’ll perform under his system. Some bubble players, also based in Europe, were surprisingly left off the roster in favor of domestic talent.

It’s fair to say fans and pundits have learned very little from the USMNT’s sluggish run to the Gold Cup final, aside from identifying three or four players who might deserve longer looks.

No One to Blame But Themselves

U.S. Soccer has only itself to blame. By allowing players to take “breaks” and not fighting clubs to release talent like Gio Reyna, who is clearly not in Borussia Dortmund’s plans, Pochettino lost valuable time coaching a third-string squad, most of whom have proven they’re not ready for a World Cup level.

Injuries and rehabs for Sergiño Dest, Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson, and Folarin Balogun left the team severely depleted. Meanwhile, players like Tanner Tessmann, Marlon Fossey, Alejandro Zendejas, Gianluca Busio, and Joe Scally were head-scratchingly left off the roster in favor of others several steps below their level.

U.S. Soccer’s halfhearted approach to the Gold Cup was Mexico’s gain. El Tri now have a three-title lead over the U.S., hitting double digits with 10 Gold Cup wins, including three of the last four editions.

The roster assembly seems like a message to European-based players who chose vacations over playing, just when the program needed a lift. The third-string squad did what it could, producing sluggish performances throughout the tournament before being punched in the face by a superior side.

In the end, this culture of players picking competitions and “working out deals” with European clubs, either by selectively representing the national team or minute-managing them, was enabled by U.S. Soccer and reinforced under Berhalter. The result has been catastrophic. A year out from the World Cup, the player pool remains unclear for reasons that have nothing to do with form.

So, What Did We Learn From the Gold Cup?

Not much. Even if the U.S. had won, it would have been a hollow victory, as few players from this squad have a realistic shot at the final World Cup roster.

Still, a win would have given the program a much-needed shot in the arm. Instead, the USMNT continues to stay at rock bottom, becoming alarmingly comfortable with playing poorly, and worse yet, losing.

Roster-wise, a few players did raise their stock. Diego Luna, when surrounded by the A-team, could be a valuable addition. Luca de la Torre was serviceable and merits continued looks. Malik Tillman, a Pochettino favorite, finally produced something for the national team.

A step below, Sebastian Berhalter helped his cause but still doesn’t look like A-roster material. Matt Freese, while not overly impressive, deserves more chances in a wide-open goalkeeper race.

Then there were players who left a lot to be desired. Pochettino told us plenty with the players he barely used: Mark McKenzie played just one game, Paxten Aaronson got only nine minutes, and Brenden Aaronson is starting to look like nothing more than a filler player at this point.

Johnny Cardoso had a dreadful summer and will need an excellent club season in Europe to regain his manager’s trust.

What Now?

Up next for the USMNT is a string of friendlies, then the World Cup, which has been hailed by U.S. Soccer and MLS as the long-awaited “breakout moment” for soccer in America.

That huge push to bring the sport fully into the mainstream now rests in the hands of a group of players who have come up short at nearly every turn since 2023. Worse yet, whether it’s the A-squad, B-squad, or an MLS-heavy lineup, the USMNT continues to play worse and worse.

A culture of losing has infected the program. Stuck in the middle is Pochettino, who on a $6 million-a-year contract, has so far spent more time coaching third-stringers than the actual A-lineup. He now has to piece together some semblance of momentum for the World Cup and hope to reach a Round of 16.

No matter how anyone spins it, the current state of the USMNT means that just making the Round of 32 in 2026 will feel like an achievement.

Plenty of lessons were there to be learned from this summer’s Gold Cup. Unfortunately, none of them were good.