Many of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) have again made the decision to opt out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. While the extra rest should serve them well, it does mean another opportunity to gel under new manager Mauricio Pochettino has passed them by. What do we know about the US’ true best selection and what does that mean for next summer’s World Cup?
What Is The Gold Cup?
The Gold Cup is the Continental Championship for The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) to crown the top national team in the region. It takes place every two years and until recently was the undisputed top prize in CONCACAF football. While the tournament has consisted of a group phase followed by knockout rounds throughout the years, it has expanded twice recently, in 2019 it expanding to its current size of 16 nations, some of them non-CONCACAF invitees.
Its status atop the confederation has been in jeopardy recently with the introduction of the CONCACAF Nations League. A system also now in place in Europe, Nations Leagues see nations split into different tiers for group play in international windows previously used for friendlies, with promotion and relegation between the leagues allowing sides to move up or down. Since the Nations League has arrived, it has become the tournament the biggest nations send their full sides to, while the Gold Cup has seen more rotation for Europe-based players.
Who Are The USMNT’s Star Players?
The USMNT has an unprecedented level of big names on the roster compared to its historical place within the sport. Some of the key names for the United States include:
- Christian Pulisic: The US captain had an up-and-down time at Chelsea due to injuries but has starred for AC Milan in recent seasons
- Gio Reyna: The son of former US great Claudio Reyna, Gio has perhaps the highest ceiling for an American but has seen his career stall
- Antonee Robinson: On the flip side, Robinson has kicked on to a new levelseasons, even earning some big club transfer speculation this past January
The USMNT’s Performance On The Big Stage
On the domestic front things begin to look rosier for the current golden generation. In the Gold Cup, a lack of prioritization has not done much to change things at first blush. The Cup has continued to change hands between the US and Mexico as it has since it was last defended by Mexico in 2011. What that hides, however, is a shock semifinal exit to Panama in the most recent edition prior to the ongoing tournament.
The Nations League, conversely, got off to a rip-roaring start for the States. The USMNT captured the first three Nation’s Leagues crowns, having prioritized it and sent their best to win it. Unfortunately for them, this streak ended earlier this year with yet another semi final defeat to Panama, furthering the cloud of uncertainty over the side.
The Mauricio Pochettino Era
One major change the team has undergone was the hiring of Mauricio Pochettino last summer. While the United States had success under German boss Jurgen Klinsmann, Pochettino represented a coup when it comes to the level of manager available for pursuit. A successful manager across multiple European leagues, Pochettino had just been let go by Chelsea despite having had his team red hot for the second half of the year after seemingly having figured out how to wrangle Chelsea’s disjointed transfer plans into a functioning side.
Pochettino came in on the back of an embarrassing Copa America, with the US invited to host a special expanded South American Championship, only to crash out in the group phase after, stop me if you’ve read this before, losing to Panama in the decisive game, undoing an otherwise creditable showing against the group’s two South American sides.
His first windows were not great, drawing to a weak New Zealand side, losing to both Canada and Mexico and, on the bright side, actually beating Panama (in a friendly.) The positive vibes of a good January window came undone as the March window saw not just the loss to Panama but also to Canada in the third place match. A pair of losses to Turkey (2-1) and Switzerland (4-0) had fans feeling negative about their prospects this summer, only for the side to run off three wins and an 8-1 aggregate score to top Group D heading into single-elimination play.
How Good Is The USMNT Actually?
On an individual level this is clear and away the most talented player pool the USMNT has ever had at its disposal, a boon to the digital version in EA Sports FC. Both at the top-end, where elite players like Pulisic and Weston McKennie are playing regular minutes at clubs not used to featuring critical American players, and in the depth, where players who may have been easy starters playing at their level in the past now find themselves off of rosters entirely.
As a team things get more dicey. The lack of consistency over the last decade was meant to end with Pochettino, only to see the team look more unreliable than ever. While the strong results in the group stage show that Pochettino may be adjusting to CONCACAF competition, he was brought in to do well at the World Cup, and performance against big sides, even when bringing their full complement, have yet to leave fans thrilled. With the first kick a year away still there is time for Pochettino to settle things down, but it will have to be quickly.
How Far Will They Go In 2026?
This is the question on everyone’s lips and it’s hard to say at present. The talent is there to put on a run on home soil that leaves fans proud, as there is enough there to challenge any team on their day. Unfortunately, there’s little to show that Pochettino has figured out how to get the team to have its day with any consistency.
I am a firm believer that Pochettino is a brilliant manager, much to my chagrin as an Arsenal fan, and would back him to get things sorted and manage a respectable showing next summer. For now, though, that remains hopeful thinking based far more on the talent he’s shown elsewhere than at the helm of the national team.
At best, a few breaks and a few big days could see them push on to a semifinal berth unmatched in modern times, but at worst another embarrassing group flameout remains in play.
What are your thoughts on the USMNT? Do you think this generation has it in them to do something special or will US fans face more disappointed in one year’s time?
