Losing to Panama again in a competitive match is a sign of concern for the United States men’s national team, but it’s also not a moment that shows that they’re doomed at the 2026 World Cup. Even when it comes to World Cup preparation, they’ll get to face either Mexico or Canada in the Nations League third-place game making it a much bigger affair than the average third-place game.
Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged that there is much work to be done, listing off mistakes like lack of pressing, long shooting, and intensity but capped things off succinctly.
“This responsibility is the responsibility of everyone and we need to find a way to compete better and that’s it,” Pochettino said.
This team does need to perform better and they’ll have a chance on Sunday to show that improvement or changes could be coming to the squad ahead of the Gold Cup. Pochettino has previously spoken about trust in the squad, both in having the trust of the squad himself but also in him being able to trust players and what they’ll do individually. It’s clear that players like Patrick Ageymang and Jack McGlynn gained that trust during January camp while others still have work to do to earn it.
Ahead of the World Cup, Pochettino needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of his entire squad and losses like this one to Panama can be more telling of what needs to be improved than victories, but let’s take a look at a few reasons why the USMNT still have plenty of hope moving forward:
This is a different team with Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun
After Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson has arguably become the second-most important player to the USMNT. The Fulham man is able to provide defensive guile while also joining the attack and stepping into midfield when needed. There aren’t many fullbacks in the world that can do what Robinson is capable of and there was a lot lost on the left side with Joe Scally operating between a third center back and as a left back. Sure, there are concerns that Robinson has no true back up, but even the number two left back — starting right back Sergino Dest — wasn’t in this camp. With both of them on the pitch, this is a completely different side. With both out (Dest just returned from injury), they were missed.
The USMNT would love to have more depth but that doesn’t just happen overnight and if any member of the core misses out, it creates a void that can’t be filled without changing the system. Chopping and changing things constantly isn’t sustainable for a team of the USMNT’s level. Folarin Balogun was also a big miss leading the line because even when he doesn’t touch the ball, his movement pulls players out of position to create space for the rest of the attack.
Most teams would struggle with their third-choice left back and striker in a match but the knock-on effect from both at the same time makes balancing a squad tough.
There is still time
Time works a few different ways. On one hand, it’s under 500 days until the World Cup, and that can be a moment to panic. But, there are 500 days until the World Cup, so there is time for growth, for players to move to new teams and challenge themselves and also for Pochettino to become more ingrained in American soccer. He has learned a lot in a short time since taking over in October of 2024 and will continue to soak up as much as possible in the remaining days between now and the World Cup. The players will also learn what he wants from them or end up on the fringes of the squad. Dest and other players will return to the squad and should only help.
If these issues are still cropping up later in 2025, that’s when concern will grow but there’s a lot for the USMNT to learn and one excellent finish from a Panamanian attacker can’t undo the good defensive work that the team did in this match. If Sargent’s shot goes in instead of hitting the post, it’s a different match which is where perspective is important.
Competition is key
If the USMNT won or lost this match, they’d face Canada or Mexico and that’s still the case. Competition is what the team makes of it and while things can mean more with a trophy on the line, if the players need a trophy to motivate themselves under Pochettino, there’s no point in even raising expectations for the World Cup. Already facing Türkiye and Switzerland in the summer ahead of Gold Cup play, the USMNT are scheduling the best matches that they can right now. Teams will still bring competitive squads to face the USMNT and there will be plenty to learn from those matches.
As long as they schedule high-level friendlies and World Cup tune-ups, there will be no shortages of challenges, and the Gold Cup could also have a stronger squad than normal with it being the final competitive set of matches before the World Cup. While the loss will sting for the fanbase, it’s better that it happen now and serves as a learning experience for what’s to come.
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