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The United States Men’s National Team played their first match since the Copa America crash and it was one to forget as we lost 2-1 to Canada on Saturday. It was the first loss on home soil to the Canucks since 1957 and yet another game that shows just how far the USMNT must go. Under interim manager Mikey Varas, the USMNT had a shuffled lineup, including changes like Patrick Schulte as starting goalie in place of Matt Turner, but they looked like a group of guys playing together for the first time.
Without USMNT stalwarts like Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson, it was an opportunity for players deeper in the pecking order to step up. However, some did not do that enough to lead to a victory. It’s a strange situation for the USMNT, as they await the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as head coach and against a Canadian team that knows who they are and how they want to play, the USMNT’s weaknesses were exploited.
It’s a worrying match, but not one that feels like it’s a signal of things to come. The team needs a new mentality to be instilled and that’s not something an interim manager can do all at once, but it’s something Pochettino will have time for before he returns to competitive play in the Concacaf Nations League in November . It’s also a chance for some of these players who competed against Canada to look at their own game and see what needs to be improved if they want to stay in the pecking order.
“With the ball it’s up to me. After three training sessions I asked a lot of them. As for the first goal, that’s up to me. Both because when you don’t have much time to work and you play in a certain way you create the confusion. The players are going to take responsibility for the quality of the action, but I think we were too static, so my translation of the ideas was not clear enough, because you should not be static You should not pass the ball to pass the ball. You try to speed up the game as quickly as possible, you know?” Varas said after the match.
“On the other hand, the mentality is with the players. Sorry, and they know it. They know it, we speak the truth to each other. I love those guys, but they know it. The mentality to fight and flee and I can’t do that for them, that’s their business.
It’s not a new problem, as these cracks were already visible under Gregg Berhalter, but it is an issue that needs to be resolved. The USMNT did improve after replacements were introduced, but by then it was too late to fight back. Let’s look at the good and bad points of the match:
Schulte makes his case with goalkeeper
Playing time has been a concern for many areas around the USMNT, but chief among them has been goalie. On transfer deadline day, Matt Turner left Nottingham Forest, where he was a back-up, to remain second-choice goalkeeper at Crystal Palace. In the meantime, Patrick Schulte has made a strong case for the Columbus Crew and the American U-23s at the Olympic Games. It was an opportunity the Columbus Crew man deserved. While his defense didn’t do much to help his cause, Schulte did everything he could to keep control of the game, making saves on two strong chances for Canada.
There was also a lot to like about the 23-year-old, confident with the ball at his feet and in his penalty area when making crosses. If he can keep up these performances, the goalkeeper can get into positions he doesn’t have to worry about.
Tim Ream’s role needs to be reduced
In 2022, the emergence of Tim Ream for the World Cup was a welcome surprise, helping the USMNT to the round of 16. His rapport with Antonee Robinson and his veteran leadership have been a key part of stabilizing the side’s defense, but now as he prepares for 2026, every game Ream starts is a missed opportunity to find out who will partner by Chris Richard will be in defense at the 2026 World Cup.
Ream was directly responsible for Canada’s second goal with a pass that is a prime example of when playing at the back goes wrong.
It’s okay to recognize that players who have done a lot for the national team in the past may not be the best guys to take the team forward. It’s a position Walker Zimmerman was in, but now it’s Ream. With Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie on the bench it would have been a good time to see what they can bring to the table, but instead there was a 36-year-old defender who could retire before the World Cup. .
These are moments that show some of the systemic problems with US Soccer, things that Pochettino will have to address in his role. As a manager who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and shake things up, making the right choices will be a positive change.
Mentality is a problem
Varas spoke well about the fact that the players were not ready for the match in the first half and that they need to take responsibility for that, but there is a deeper question as to why this happened. You shouldn’t motivate a team after the opposing coach, Jesse Marsch, said he would beat them 2-1but instead they turned around and let him do it. It’s an area where the national team has been slipping since Gregg Berhalter’s second spell in charge began, but they need to leave their comfort zone.
It doesn’t apply to the entire pool, as players like Aidan Morris have shown they want to be there and fight for the badge, but it’s somewhere the team has been sliding lately. This is another issue that shows how deep Pochettino will have to dig to get this team where they need to be, but it also can’t be done overnight. Making wholesale changes against New Zealand will be a start, but a member of the team will also need to go the extra mile to become the person on the field who can make those changes happen.
Previously it was Adams who rallied the troops, but with the Bournemouth midfielder increasingly injured these days, no one has wanted to cast that vote lately. Figuring out who that player is will be critical to solving some of the on-field issues.