Alarm bells are ringing for Mauricio Pochettino's squad with the Gold Cup on the horizon and the U.S. now losers of four straight
There was plenty of blame to go around at Geodis Park on Tuesday night, but Mauricio Pochettino was eager to shoulder as much of it as he could. This was his fault, he said. He took a risk, and that risk didn't work. The result of that? A 4-0 battering and, in this case, a hard lesson learned.
In truth, Pochetitno was far from the only one who will be having flashback about this Switzerland shellacking. Nathan Harriel and Walker Zimmerman made a mess of the first goal. Max Arfsten did little to stop the second. Matt Turner parried the third right into danger, while Mark McKenzie was turned like a top on the fourth.
Those are just the goals. The players on the other side of the ball did little to help, as the U.S. press was nonexistent and the forwards were all too silent.
Pochettino, as the architect of this four-match losing streak, says he'll bear the brunt of the blame. It was Pochettino who selected an experimental and limited-cap XI, one that featured nine changes and few of his established regulars. It was Pochettino that put those players in positions where the struggled to succeed. And ultimately, it was Pochettino who pulled the plug, allowing the U.S. to survive through a 0-0 second half and salvage some form of pride with the veterans thrown into the game.
"It's our responsibility, and my responsibility was the decision of the starting XI," Pochettino said after the game. "I wanted to give the possibility to others on the roster to play. That is the reason we took, but it's something that went in the wrong direction in the beginning. I think that was my first thought. To blame ourselves because it was our decision.
"I think the combination of the starting level of the team, I think wasn't at the pace, but this is about learning and then saying 'Move on.' In the second half, we changed the system and provided more calmness to the team."
At the moment, the mood surrounding the USMNT is anything but calm. Alarm bells are ringing with the Gold Cup on the horizon and the U.S. now losers of four straight, with Pochettino now 5-5 in his first 10 matches. This group, the one that will now head to that Gold Cup, was exposed against Switzerland. From top to bottom, everyone had a bad day.
Can they bounce back? Is there anything they can salvage from the worst loss of this still-new Pochettino era – and worst shutout for the USMNT since they lost 4-0 to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying in 2016? Pochettino believes so. We'll find out in the Gold Cup, which starts against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday night.
"I think were are much better players, a much better team and much better coaches after a defeat like this, because you learn," he said. "If you're intelligent, you learn."
The U.S. has a lot of learning to do and little time to do it. The Gold Cup is days away and, after another rough night, the U.S. is limping into it.
GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Geodis Park.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Matt Turner
There were question marks before. Now there is considerable concern. When you're mired in a goalkeeper competition, you can't afford to make mistakes, and Turner made a massive one.
"The last thing you want is for balls to be rippling back into the net like that," Turner admitted, "so, yeah, it was frustrating."
Excuse him for the first goal, which would have been a tough save, but was possible. No chance on the second, given the collapse that led to it. The third, though? That was all Turner, as he parried the ball straight into the path of Breel Embolo for the world's easiest finish. Could he have caught it? Could he have pushed the shot somewhere else? Would a different goalkeeper have done better with it?
That last question, in particular, will be the one that will be the talking point. Even with a reported Lyon move looming, Turner's status is on shakier ground than ever, thanks to a underwhelming performance.
"Obviously, I hope to play every game at the Gold Cup, but I don't think that my performance tonight necessarily warrants being the out-and-out starter all the time," Turner said. "For me, I'm just going to continue to work hard in training and try to earn my opportunities when they present themselves.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWINNERS: The second tier watching from home
When this USMNT Gold Cup squad was announced, Pochettino explained that the reason several notable players were left out was because he believed he had others who deserved a chance to prove themselves. They haven't, at least so far, and those watching at home must be feeling like their temporary exclusion will only be that.
Players such as Joe Scally, Josh Sargent, Tanner Tessmann, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alejandro Zendejas and Auston Trusty were among those left out of the team. All are generally part of the USMNT's second tier – not quite starters, but are capable of starting when called upon. All will feel better about their chances after watching those nipping at their heels fall flat.
That's not to say that each of those guys doesn't have something to prove. All have question marks. That group is, generally, more proven than the one that is involved in this Gold Cup. And through these two games, there's little evidence that group is better. Things can change quickly, of course, and a deep Gold Cup run would enhance those on the squad. But at the moment, it's not been impressive.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Brian White
Another case of a newer player going against one of the game's best. Manuel Akanji is a Premier League champion. Brian White is not. That was painfully evident.
Whenever there was a duel between the two, Akanji threw White aside with ease. It was a different level of strength and skill than White is used to seeing in MLS. Akanji trains with Erling Haaland every day – why would he be concerned about White?
Pochettino removed him at halftime, turning to the physicality and size of Patrick Agyemang. Fortunately for the Charlotte star, Akanji, too, was off at halftime, although, to his credit, Agyemang instantly tested the Switzerland backline far more than White did during his 45 minutes on the field on Tuesday.
White is a good player, a talented finisher who makes the most of his opportunities in the box. On Tuesday, he was never allowed to get close, though, exposing some of the parts of his game not at a elite level.
"It's a good opportunity but, at the same time, you take a risk in competing with this level of opponent," Pochettino said. "Akanji, Manchester City, one year ago wins the Champions League. (Ricardo) Rodriguez, (Granit) Xhaka, so many good players. When you face these types of players and a team that is very solid, like Turkey, yes, it's a risk."
Getty ImagesWINNERS: Supersubs
At halftime, down 4-0, Pochettino knew he needed a change. He made several, sending in an army of the players who have no doubt earned his trust.
Patrick Agyemang, Diego Luna, Tim Ream and Malik Tillman were joined by Pochettino newcomer – but Bundesliga veteran – John Tolkin. From there, the game was more neutral. Was it perfect? By no measure. The U.S. still struggled to create and never really got a foothold. It was better, though, closer to 50-50, which was good even if Switzerland was taking their foot off the gas. The second half was a 0-0 affair.
It's pretty clear now that this roster can be split into two parts: the players Pochettino knows and trusts and those with something to prove. Those substitutes, by and large, make up the former camp. All will play big parts in the Gold Cup and, potentially, in the games to come beyond this summer's tournament.