United States Men’s National Team Bested By Portugal 2-0 In International Friendly
On Tuesday night in Atlanta, the United States Men’s National Team wrapped up its March international window with a 2-0 defeat to Portugal. Coming off a brutal 5-2 beatdown by Belgium just days prior, this was supposed to be the bounce-back game. Instead, it became the eighth consecutive loss against European competition. Ouch.
The Great USMNT False 9 Experiment
Mauricio Pochettino is a brilliant manager, but his lineup against Portugal looked like something concocted during a late-night session of FIFA 26. Making six changes to his starting XI, Poch decided to deploy Christian Pulisic in a False 9 role.
Predictably, it didn’t quite pan out. Pulisic looked isolated, often dropping deep to hunt for the ball and running headfirst into a wall of Portuguese defenders. He was eventually subbed off at halftime, continuing a frustrating goal drought that dates back to December for his club, AC Milan.
To make matters worse, guys like Weston McKennie and Tim Weah were buzzing around the final third, but without a true focal point to finish their service, the United States’ attack felt about as dangerous as a butter knife.
Portugal Capitalizes On Costly Mistakes
Here’s the reality of playing top-tier European talent: if you make a mistake in the midfield, they will absolutely punish you. And Portugal, even without megastars Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva, has plenty of guys who can make you pay.
After a fairly bright start where the United States Men’s National Team actually looked like they remembered how to play fluid soccer, disaster struck in the 37th minute. A sloppy turnover in the middle of the park allowed Vitinha to orchestrate a lightning-fast counterattack. Bruno Fernandes fed a cheeky backheel to Francisco Trincão, who slotted the ball past Matt Freese to make it 1-0. It was exactly the kind of clinical finish the United States had been desperately searching for all night.
Then came the second half. The wheels completely fell off when João Félix found himself with acres of space at the top of the penalty area following a corner kick in the 59th minute. Félix casually hammered a beautiful volley off the post and into the back of the net, hitting the iconic “go to sleep” celebration just to rub some extra salt in the wound. Goodnight, indeed.
Silver Linings In the Defensive Third
If you’re desperately searching for a reason to smile through the tears, let’s talk about Freese. Stepping into the starting goalkeeper role over Matt Turner, Freese was an absolute rock. You can’t blame him for either of the goals, and he produced several jaw-dropping saves that kept the score from getting downright embarrassing. If there was an open competition for the number one jersey before this window, Freese just grabbed a megaphone and shouted his name into the mix.
Alex Freeman also deserves a nod. The young right-back had the terrifying task of keeping Nuno Mendes quiet, and for the most part, he actually pulled it off. Freeman was active on both sides of the ball and showed the kind of fearless energy this roster desperately needs right now.
The Clock Is Ticking For Pochettino
With just over two months left until the World Cup kicks off on home soil, the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear. Pochettino has to name his final 26-man roster on May 26, and after this March window, he probably has way more questions than answers.
The United States Men’s National Team showed flashes of intensity, but flashes don’t win World Cup games against teams like Paraguay, Australia, or Türkiye in Group D. The defensive shape needs a massive overhaul, the midfield passing has to tighten up, and somebody needs to step up and put the ball in the back of the net.
