CHESTER, Pa. — The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 208 days and the U.S. males’s nationwide staff are regularly taking optimistic steps ahead in hopes of being a contender.
Saturday’s 2-1 pleasant win over Paraguay at Subaru Park prolonged the USMNT’s present unbeaten run to 4 matches and confirmed just a little little bit of every thing. It featured a primary aim in 20 months for Gio Reyna, a third-straight scoring window for Folarin Balogun, a stellar efficiency from Max Arfsten, and even a prolonged scuffle between each groups in entrance of the benches.
Whereas the USMNT’s efficiency total was removed from good, they confirmed battle and togetherness, which is what Mauricio Pochettino desires from them always. Nonetheless, he additionally desires them to proceed bettering with the minimal alternatives that they’ve left till the match begins.
“What we have to do is create the platform for our gamers to carry out and also you noticed at present that each one of our gamers confirmed their high quality to play entertaining soccer,” Pochettino informed reporters in his postmatch press convention. “I believe we created probabilities, we had been higher at being a staff that could be very aggressive and tough to beat which is nice.
“Generally thought that isn’t sufficient,” he added. “We have to maintain going, we have to maintain bettering. We have to arrive on the World Cup in our greatest form, our greatest type, and present that the staff just isn’t about 1-2 names, it’s concerning the staff, the collective and the togetherness.”
Reyna and Balogun delivered the targets on Saturday for the USMNT, stepping up in opposition to a cussed Paraguay backline. Reyna’s highly effective header rang off the crossbar and in after 4 minutes whereas Balogun completed off Reyna’s deflected cross for the USMNT’s successful aim with 19 minutes to play.
Each gamers might have come into camp on completely different runs of type, however each will depart Philadelphia tonight with added confidence heading into Tuesday’s showdown with Uruguay. Pochettino praised each gamers for his or her affect in Saturday’s win, crediting Reyna and Balogun for including to the USMNT’s battle as a unit.
“Gio scored and did a great job tonight,” Pochettino stated about Reyna. “He confirmed why he began and he has confirmed that he’s a participant that should enhance and play extra for his membership, however he can rating and help and all the time has a solution to affect the sport. He can learn the sport and discover the traces for passes. I believe he was a nightmare for Paraguay.
“He [Flo] scored the successful aim and if you’re within the World Cup, he was incredible as a result of it wasn’t simple to battle,” Pochettino stated about Balogun. “The 2 central defenders for Paraguay are excellent and aggressive and a number of South American groups will make it powerful, however Flo is bettering day-by-day, week-by-week and might want to keep constant.”
The USMNT backline was picked aside on Paraguay’s solely aim of the match as Alex Arce’s diving header snuck previous Matt Freese within the ninth minutes. Outdoors of that, Freese was not often troubled within the match, making only one extra save on Miguel Almiron’s long-range strike within the second half.
Pochettino’s three-back system continued with Tim Ream, Miles Robinson, and Joe Scally teaming up collectively within the coronary heart of the protection. Though the USMNT didn’t maintain its first lead for greater than 5 minutes, Pochettino believed his protection was calm and relaxed for many of the match.
“I used to be a bit frightened that we conceded so rapidly within the first half, however I believe we had been very relaxed after that,” Pochettino stated. “I’m very proud of the efficiency as a result of we had been relaxed. We need to dominate the opponent and be removed from our aim. I felt that we weren’t rushed and we appeared comfy which is what I need to see. We’re shifting in a great way.”
The USMNT will now flip their consideration in direction of a rematch in opposition to Uruguay on Tuesday in Tampa, the identical staff they eradicated them from the 2024 Copa America.