Why The USMNT Could Struggle at the 2026 World Cup
The USMNT could struggle in next year’s World Cup, and even though this was just a friendly, it means a lot to know where you are as a team. It felt like a wake. The post-game press conference, that is. Voices were low, faces were long, but the words were stubbornly, almost defiantly, positive. The United States men’s national team had just been dismantled 2-0 by a clinical South Korea, a match where they looked less like a cohesive unit and more like strangers pulled together for a pickup game. Yet, to hear them tell it, everything was fine.
“I don’t think it was a bad performance,” U.S. captain Tyler Adams said, his face a mask of sincerity. Manager Mauricio Pochettino went a step further, claiming his squad was “better than South Korea,” pointing to a lopsided shot count as his evidence.
You have to admire the company line, the unified front in the face of what any pair of eyes could see was a disjointed, often listless, performance. But admiration doesn’t win soccer games. And right now, the on-field product is screaming a different, much more concerning story than the one being told in the press room. This isn’t just a bump in the road; it feels like a flashing, blaring warning sign. There’s a real chance the USMNT could struggle, and badly, when the world comes to our doorstep.
A Glaring Lack of Identity
From the opening whistle, the South Koreans played with a purpose that was painfully absent from the American side. Their plan was simple yet devastatingly effective. They went direct, aiming for the world-class blur that is Son Heung-Min, stretching a brittle U.S. backline until it was thin enough to snap. And snap it did.
The space that opened up underneath was a canyon. On the first goal, Lee Jae-Sung, under no pressure whatsoever, threaded a perfect ball to Son, who left defender Tristan Blackmon looking like he was stuck in concrete. The second was a comedy of errors, a chaotic scramble ending with a cheeky backheel into an open net. On both plays, the American defenders were a postcode apart, isolated and easily conquered.
“There were moments where guys were getting pulled a little bit more than we usually do,” veteran defender Tim Ream admitted, a concession that felt like a gross understatement. The midfield offered little more than a polite suggestion of defense, their pressing triggers seemingly on a delay. Adams put it best: “When you’re too late to jump, you end up chasing shadows, and that’s what it felt like at times.” Chasing shadows. That’s the most honest assessment of the night.
When Do Results Actually Matter?
It’s one thing to lose. It’s another to look lost. The frightening question for fans is this: When was the last time this team put in a truly compelling 90 minutes against a legitimate, World Cup-level opponent? You might have to rewind all the way to the 0-0 draw with England in Qatar. An eternity in soccer years. With this being said, it shows the USMNT could struggle massively when the time comes to play even better opponents.
Pochettino, in his defense, is trying to manage expectations. He speaks of process, of building toward 2026. He even invoked the ghost of Argentina’s 2002 World Cup flameout as a cautionary tale against peaking too early. “Results won’t be important until next summer’s World Cup,” he insisted.
That’s a line that might work in a normal cycle. But this is anything but normal. The timeline is compressed. A World Cup on home soil is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to capture the nation’s heart, to elevate the sport to a new plane. You can’t do that by losing friendlies and telling everyone not to worry, and this is why people think the USMNT could struggle at the World Cup. Momentum, confidence, and belief are built brick by brick, win by win. You can’t just flip a switch in June 2026 and expect magic to happen.
A High-Stakes Gamble with Time Running Out as the USMNT Could Struggle Next Year
The clock is ticking loudly. Yet the manager seems to be in a constant state of experimentation, tinkering with lineups and giving minutes to players who feel like long shots to make the final roster. It’s a massive gamble. Pochettino is betting that he can spend precious preparation time searching for hidden gems and still have enough runway to forge his first-choice eleven into a formidable force.
He’s betting that chemistry, the invisible force that separates good teams from great ones, can be conjured on short notice. It’s a bet that risks sending the team into the tournament of a lifetime unprepared for the brutal reality of what awaits them, in which the USMNT could struggle.
The American public has been promised a golden generation, a team ready to take on the world. What they’re seeing right now is a group that looks vulnerable, a team with more questions than answers. The talk of positivity is fine, but talk is cheap. “I think the results will arrive soon for sure,” Pochettino promised. The question every fan is asking is, how soon? Because the corner he needs to turn is getting sharper, and the runway is getting shorter with every passing match. Which is why many think that the USMNT could struggle next summer.
