Mar 20, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; United States of America forward Christian Pulisic (10) reacts against Panama during the second half of a Concacaf Nations League semifinal match at SoFi Stadium.

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The ‘Lows and Lows’ of the US Men’s Soccer Team

Team USA suffered defeat in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal to raise more questions.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, the US Men’s National Team will be worried about their form – considering they are the hosts. On Thursday, the Stars and Stripes were knocked out of the Concacaf Nations League in the semifinal stage, losing 0-1 to Panama. The result speaks volumes about the worrisome situation of the men’s side. It is a telltale sign that while World Cup qualification may be automatically bright and secured, the future of their soccer isn’t.

A late goal by Cecilio Waterman meant that Mauricio Pochettino’s side was toppled once again, having lost to Panama in the Copa America last year as well. It was a performance that was termed “pathetic” by former USA attacker Herculez Gomez. Although Donald Trump has put pressure on the side to outdo themselves in next year’s World Cup, there are deeper issues that lie within the setup.

Make no mistake; this isn’t an issue of the recent past. When the team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, they made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Since then the question remains if there has been actual growth, or merely more big names in Europe with no noteworthy output.

The Disappointing Run for the US Men’s National Team Continues

Some might say that the USA dominated Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal. Having 67% of ball possession, 5 shots on target in comparison to 1 and nearly 90% pass accuracy seems impressive. Yet, it’s fair to say that not much threat was achieved with these statistics. It rounds up a rather disillusioned image that the country has been building about their men’s football team.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the US Women’s National Team has set the bar so high that very few teams in world sport can live up to it. With the way the USA runs their league, it is near impossible to rise above the ranks anytime soon. What has been labelled as a ‘golden generation’ purely comes down to the fact that the likes of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are putting them on the map in Europe.

Also Read: “An Absolute Embarrassment” – Fans Rip Into USMNT After Shocking CONCACAF Nations League Exit Against Panama

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the USMNT played a match without a single starter in the MLS for the first time. Naturally, the fans are bound to hype up their side, but to no avail. A World Cup Round of 16 exit followed by a Group Stage embarrassment in the 2024 Copa America gave them a harsh reality check.

Is Pochettino’s USMNT Just a Mirror Image of the Past?

For the longest time, a lack of quality and coordination has haunted the Yanks. There are moments of individual brilliance which aren’t backed up by consistent results. A 2024 analytical report suggested that while the USA ranked within the Top-15 among teams in the Copa America and Euros (for number of players part of top European clubs), there is a lack of difference makers.

Fans are beginning to criticise the fact that there are no significant results outside their comfort zone. The same complaint can be attached to past managers such as Bruce Arena, Dave Sarachan and Gregg Berhalter. “We are USA, you cannot win with your shirt,” former Tottenham and PSG boss ‘Poch’ declared after Thursday’s loss.

“You need to show, and you need to come here and be better and suffer and win the duels and work hard. If not, it’s not going to be enough.” The Argentine has won five games and lost two after being chosen to manage Team USA.

Can Mauricio Pochettino be the man to turn things around for the US Men’s National Team? Only time will tell.

Christian Pulisic

CONCACAF Nations League

Mauricio Pochettino

USA

USMNT

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.