CHESTER, Pa. — The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 208 days and the U.S. men’s national team are gradually taking positive steps forward in hopes of being a contender.
Saturday’s 2-1 friendly win over Paraguay at Subaru Park extended the USMNT’s current unbeaten run to four matches and showed a little bit of everything. It featured a first goal in 20 months for Gio Reyna, a third-straight scoring window for Folarin Balogun, a stellar performance from Max Arfsten, and even a lengthy scuffle between both teams in front of the benches.
While the USMNT’s performance overall was far from perfect, they showed fight and togetherness, which is what Mauricio Pochettino wants from them at all times. However, he also wants them to continue improving with the minimal opportunities that they have left until the tournament begins.
“What we need to do is create the platform for our players to perform and you saw today that all of our players showed their quality to play entertaining football,” Pochettino told reporters in his postmatch press conference. “I think we created chances, we were better at being a team that is very competitive and difficult to beat which is great.
“Sometimes thought that is not enough,” he added. “We need to keep going, we need to keep improving. We need to arrive at the World Cup in our best shape, our best form, and show that the team is not about 1-2 names, it is about the team, the collective and the togetherness.”
Reyna and Balogun delivered the goals on Saturday for the USMNT, stepping up against a stubborn Paraguay backline. Reyna’s powerful header rang off the crossbar and in after four minutes while Balogun finished off Reyna’s deflected cross for the USMNT’s winning goal with 19 minutes to play.
Both players may have come into camp on different runs of form, but both will leave Philadelphia tonight with added confidence heading into Tuesday’s showdown with Uruguay. Pochettino praised both players for their impact in Saturday’s win, crediting Reyna and Balogun for adding to the USMNT’s fight as a unit.
“Gio scored and did a good job tonight,” Pochettino said about Reyna. “He showed why he started and he has confirmed that he’s a player that needs to improve and play more for his club, but he can score and assist and always has a way to impact the game. He can read the game and find the lines for passes. I think he was a nightmare for Paraguay.
“He [Flo] scored the winning goal and if you are in the World Cup, he was fantastic because it wasn’t easy to fight,” Pochettino said about Balogun. “The two central defenders for Paraguay are very good and competitive and a lot of South American teams will make it tough, but Flo is improving day-by-day, week-by-week and will need to stay consistent.”
The USMNT backline was picked apart on Paraguay’s only goal of the match as Alex Arce’s diving header snuck past Matt Freese in the ninth minutes. Outside of that, Freese was rarely troubled in the match, making just one additional save on Miguel Almiron’s long-range strike in the second half.
Pochettino’s three-back system continued with Tim Ream, Miles Robinson, and Joe Scally teaming up together in the heart of the defense. Although the USMNT didn’t hold its first lead for more than five minutes, Pochettino believed his defense was calm and relaxed for most of the match.
“I was a bit worried that we conceded so quickly in the first half, but I think we were very relaxed after that,” Pochettino said. “I am very happy with the performance because we were relaxed. We want to dominate the opponent and be far from our goal. I felt that we were not rushed and we appeared comfortable which is what I want to see. We are moving in a good way.”
The USMNT will now turn their attention towards a rematch against Uruguay on Tuesday in Tampa, the same team they eliminated them from the 2024 Copa America.
If there is one attacking thing about Dest to criticize is his inability to put in a cross. Weah is better at that. Dest will rarely put in a cross into the box which is something he needs to work on even at the club level.
sounds nice but that wasn’t a first choice and the problem for a while has been whether the regulars are a bit soft.
Dest and Reyna combined well on the right side in the first half, something that gave Paraguay fits. Scally and Miles did well backing them up defensively something that allowed the two to attack repeatedly. If Dest and Reyna can continue to work together, it will be a thing of beauty. They just need to provide more service to the forward, whoever it is.
Boy I disagree with you on Scally. Almiron was eating him for lunch all night and Dest had to keep racing back to help him. When Joe got forward he would routinely have a lack of ideas and pass directly to Paraguay leading to breaks the other direction. For me Scally was easily our worst player.
yes
more than one player in the buildup said they have a natural rapport with reyna. balogun made similar comments. to me one of the missing links on this team for years is some guys who can anticipate each other and combine. ie looking like you played together before.
we have to work way too hard for what we get. attentiveness to chemistry, please.
that and free kicks/corners other nights but this particular ref swallowed his whistle so we didn’t get many chances. easy goals.
Reyna looks to combine, Pulisic wants you to combine for him. Reyna at least after the first couple windows has often looked to set people up first and score himself second. I’m not saying Reyna is better, they’re just different styles.
JR
I always felt a big part of Gio’s characteristic came from his time with his Uber Erling where it was made clear to Gio that the right thing was to get Haaland the ball in a good spot.
It’s why Gio was called the American Dream.
From the start they were not going to give an inch to Paraguay. In the 9th minute Roldan takes down a player about ten yards into the defensive half. It was Parguay’s first foray forward. About ten seconds later after again being denied a path forward, Paraguay play back to a CB who sends a ball forward to the US defensive side near the center circle where Miles clatters into the back of the Paraguay player as he heads the ball. Both were clear fouls and clear messages to Paraguay they weren’t going to get anything for free.
Also, there was no whining and crying about noncalls from the US. They brought the fight and took as good as they gave. The fact they gave -maybe even instigated- was a huge surprise for me.
Sebastian gotta control his temper, dude went to playing rugby. 😆 lol. I did miss Reyna and his flair. Everyone can stay healthy for March, Banks performancesat Augsburg improve and Turner return form, we will have a nice team. We have a nice WC then move on from Poch after 2026.
We have an Ives sighting on the Call it What You Want Pod! Good to see the O.G. His prediction same starting 11 minus Scally and Balo.
That was great! Nice to see him!
That was probably the best our press/counter press has looked maybe in the Poch era. There have been times in the last nine months when we were Swiss cheese trying to pressure even poorer teams.
The press was aggressive and consistent…except on the goal sequence. Gio was too deep and left the CB with too much time to pick his pass. Dest was forward marking wide which left Scally one v one.
The CB hit an inch perfect pass and Almiron hit a world class one timer of a cross. I thought Scally had actually played it well. You’d think Almiron would take a touch.
I wasn’t the only one who thought Scally had it covered. If you watch the Miles Robinson…he’s sprinting back because the Arce had already started his run as the CB hits the long ball. To his credit Miles seems to have the pace to make up for letting Arce initially get behind him. But once the ball takes a bounce Miles hesitates just for a spit second (Arce doesn’t) which is all the pace and precision of the one timer cross needs to beat him.
don’t tell me the CBs handled that well. and it was a point guard problem. are you kidding me. they couldn’t even get within yards of their men, and ream can’t even stay with the play to help out.
Just curious, have we seen our team work this hard off the ball especially pressing with multiple players trying to win the ball back with such aggressiveness for an entire 90 minutes? I can’t remember an effort like that in recent memory
might it have something to do with this bunch includes a lot of marginal guys who are 1 off night away from not even making the roster? hmm. it’s getting rewritten after the fact as reyna’s night but i saw a whole list of guys coming into the game where i thought it was last chance saloon.
i also think if a team is picked and programmed right that was the natural response to paraguay beating us about. match the intensity.
IV,
“it’s getting rewritten after the fact as reyna’s night but i saw a whole list of guys coming into the game where i thought it was last chance saloon.”
No rewriting. This is what Pochettino wanted.
No WC qualfiers to build identity and toughen everyone up?
Then make it so that everyone has to fight for their place.
Except for CP , no one is assured of a WC spot.
Don’t believe that?
Tonight they did not have Tyler, Weston, Jedi, Richards, Malik,Weah, Jonny and CP.
Eight guys who, if fit , in form and healthy, could be starters.
Eight out of 11.
We fielded a B team vs Paraguay.
And they looked like they had an idea of how they want to play.
We beat Paraguay by scoring two on a team who conceded 10 goals in 18 WC Qualifying CONMEBOL matches.
Paraguay was not the usual crap that the USMNT has often faced.
And for those of you who still think MLS players are a disadvantage, this tournament is being played in the USA, in MLS venues. It’s a small thing but they all add up.
Vac: only 2 MLS stadiums the rest are NFL stadiums, well I mean they’re all NFL stadiums but ATL and Seattle get to half fill their NFL stadiums.
JR
Yeah, it’s a small thing but those things eventually up.
I’ve said in the past that I think Pochettino got handed a shit sandwich with this job.
Well, it’s still early but so far it looks to me like his plan, whatever it is, is on track.
It’s clear to me that he should not be fired at this point. I still think we could get grouped but we all should know more after Dec 5 when the draw happens and we know who we have to face.
By the way it’s too damn bad that Seba Berhalter did not score.
The idea of a scoreline reading Reyna, Balogun, Berhalter would have been so cool.
We’ve had plenty of times without a number of our so called starters.
I don’t recall the last time we were that aggressive with that many players collectively working to win the ball back for an entire 90 minutes.. no matter who was in the lineup.
US better be ready for a dirty Uruguay team. They are going to foul like crazy. Reyna and co better be ready.
Pochettino was an Argentinian center back
Uruguay is managed by his mentor, Bielsa.
If our guys don’t know exactly what to expect from Uruguay then someone somewhere is not paying attention.
This will not be a game for the faint of heart.
And will be a great test if they can play as hard as they did tonight vs a much grittier team. Hopefully they can do so without getting baited into something stupid
A lot of these guys played Uruguay just last summer. Some of them played them in 2022, Dest and Ream played against them in 2019. Uruguay is not drastically different physicality wise from Ecuador or Paraguay. Uruguay has more talent than certainly Paraguay and likely Ecuador (at least the roster we faced), but they’ve struggled since last summer 5-10-4 since they beat the USA in Kansas City. They are also missing some key pieces Nunez, Pellistri, Valverde, and Rochet are all missing. I do expect both Araujos and Ugarte to start that didn’t against Mexico.