This international break has been disappointing for the United States men`s national team, culminating in a 2-1 defeat to Canada in the Concacaf Nations League third-place game, following a previous loss to Panama. The midfield struggled to control the tempo, leading to a disjointed performance. With the World Cup approaching, concerns are growing about the readiness of squad depth players.
To avoid disappointment at the World Cup, the USMNT needs to improve quickly. This match against Canada was a chance for Mauricio Pochettino to evaluate the squad. Here`s a look at individual player performances:
Goalkeeper
Matt Turner (90 mins) – Rating: 5
Turner made several good saves, but the goals conceded were difficult to stop.
Defenders
Joe Scally (45 mins) – Rating: 6
Scally played decently in the first half, making strong challenges in his limited playtime.
Cameron Carter-Vickers (90 mins) – Rating: 5
Carter-Vickers was adequate defensively but struggled with long passes to the attack. The defense collectively faltered on Canada`s first goal, highlighting a need for improvement.
Mark McKenzie (90 mins) – Rating: 5
McKenzie made some solid defensive plays, but overall it was a quiet game for him.
Max Arfsten (90 mins) – Rating: 4
Arfsten struggled to adapt from wing-back to fullback, giving away possession too frequently.
Midfielders
Tyler Adams (69 mins) – Rating: 5
Adams didn`t see much of the ball as Canada focused their attack on the wings, resulting in a performance below his usual standards.
Weston McKennie (69 mins) – Rating: 4
Like Arfsten, McKennie was careless with the ball, leading to turnovers that Canada capitalized on.
Diego Luna (90 mins) – Rating: 7
Luna was a standout performer, providing a great assist and actively seeking to create attacking opportunities, showing World Cup squad potential.
Forwards
Christian Pulisic (69 mins) – Rating: 4
Pulisic had another quiet game, with only 21 touches. He struggled to ignite the USMNT attack when they needed a spark. His current performances are insufficient for the team`s aspirations.
Patrick Agyemang (78 mins) – Rating: 7
Agyemang scored an excellent goal and looked threatening with his runs. However, the team still needs to improve at getting the ball to him in dangerous areas.
Tim Weah (90 mins) – Rating: 6
Weah is another attacker who didn`t receive the ball in threatening positions often enough, indicating a systemic issue within the team.
Substitutes
Marlon Fossey (45 mins) – Rating: 6
Fossey attempted to inject energy from the wing in the second half, but the wide players` struggles persisted.
Gio Reyna (21 mins) – Rating: 6
Reyna delivered a good set-piece but had to drop too deep to get involved in the game.
Yunus Musah (21 mins) – Rating: 6
Musah entered in the second half seeking to add fresh impetus but didn`t make a significant impact.
Tanner Tessmann (21 mins) – Rating: Incomplete
Tessmann saw limited ball time after coming on.
Brian White (12 mins) – Rating: Incomplete
White had minimal time to influence the game, touching the ball only eight times.
Manager
Mauricio Pochettino – Rating: 6
Pochettino experimented with the squad, and it seemed promising in the first half before deteriorating. He aims to manage expectations, but concerns are mounting.
Adrian Whitmore