LOS ANGELES STADIUM — I knew this USA team could cook, but it threw some special sauce in on Friday night. The USA gave us a little bit of everything — and then some — in the first half of its win over Paraguay. Mauricio Pochettino’s team was dominant from the opening whistle to the … Read more
LOS ANGELES STADIUM — Matt Freese will start in goal for the U.S. men’s national team in its World Cup opener vs. Paraguay on Friday. Freese, who plays for MLS club New York City FC, made his debut for the Americans almost exactly a year ago on June 7, 2025. He has never played in … Read more
Los Angeles Stadium (INGLEWOOD, Calif.) — Sitting at the dais the day before his first match in charge at a World Cup, United States national team boss Mauricio Pochettino went back to the beginning of his tenure at the helm of the tournament co-hosts. Pochettino said back in September 2024 at his introductory press conference … Read more
U.S. Men’s National Team Training Base (IRVINE, Calif.) — Under cloudless sky at the beginning of Tuesday’s practice session, Matt Freese and Matt Turner shuffled their feet and drove to their left and right as they took shots under the watchful eyes of the USA goalkeeper coaches, Toni Jimenez and Jack Robinson. Just three days from now, … Read more
There were plenty of bright spots for the United States men’s national team in their 2-1 loss to No. 10-ranked Germany on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago: Antonee Robinson’s wonder strike, Christian Pulisic’s confidence and the play from the fullbacks. However, the jury is still very much out on the situation in goal with … Read more
As Patrick Agyemang strolled through the lobby of the U.S. men’s national team’s 5-star hotel in the swanky Buckhead district of Atlanta late last month, the mother of two young soccer fans approached the lanky young striker. “Are you a player?,” she asked. Agyemang stopped, flashed his 1000-watt smile and, somewhat sheepishly, confirmed that he … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) — Two games against elite competition. Two losses that left fans of the United States men’s national team short of any confidence that the country’s squad has any hope of making a deep run when it co-hosts the World Cup in just more than two months from now. Three days after a … Read more
Alexi Lalas doesn’t want the United States men’s national team to brush aside goalkeeper Matt Turner’s performance in its 5-2 loss to Belgium in Saturday’s friendly. With the World Cup just over two months away, Lalas believes Turner’s outing on Saturday was devastating enough that it should cost him the opportunity to compete for the … Read more
For the first time in the 30-year-history of Major League Soccer, the starting World Cup goalkeeper for the U.S. men’s national team is expected to come from the domestic league, which kicks off its 2026 season on Saturday. Think about it. The top American keeper at each World Cup since MLS was founded in 1996 … Read more
The last time we did this exercise we began with a word about why the importance of formations in soccer is generally overrated. Since the way teams initially set up means little, and because it’s been almost three full months since the U.S. men’s national team took to the field, let’s consider the very real … Read more