The USMNT entered the Gold Cup on a four-game losing streak, their longest since 2007. Playing the 100th-ranked team in the world according to FIFA can be a palate cleanser. While the game wasn’t perfect, notching a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago is the start this team needed after a dismal start to the year.
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino continued to mix and match players to find the right starting XI. The lineup against Trinidad and Tobago included seven players with seven or fewer caps for the USMNT. The ageless Tim Ream captained the team and paired with tenured centerback Chris Richards along the backline.
This game belonged to Diego Luna and Malik Tillman, though. Tillman started the scoring for the USMNT and finished with a brace. His movement, passing, and work rate continued to make him the best player on the team during this window so far. Luna’s non-stop energy and passing pushed the team. He was unfortunate not to be credited with a goal as his late first-half shot caromed off of Patrick Agyemang before hitting the back of the net.
The USMNT’s dominant victory was expected. Even with a roster devoid of many top stars, the sheer gulf in talent was enough to guarantee the victory. Trinidad and Tobago were never able to sustain possession and weren’t effective with their counterattack. The US finished the game with 71% of the possession and 91% passing accuracy.
Pochettino’s side should feel fairly comfortable with the rest of their group matches. The USMNT will face Saudi Arabia next on Thursday, June 19, at Q2 Stadium. The Saudi Arabia team was invited to the Gold Cup after they were announced as the host country for the 2034 World Cup.
Currently ranked 58th in the world, the Saudi team will provide the best challenge of the group. They have won the Asian Cup three times and qualified for the World Cup on seven occasions since 1994. Their roster, under new coach Hervé Renard, comprises many of the same names as those who shocked Argentina 2-1 in the 2022 World Cup.
It felt like Pochettino was still trying to see how a few players fit with this team in their match against Trinidad and Tobago. He’ll have to bring his best XI against Saudi Arabia to ensure the USMNT doesn’t take this match for granted.
The last fixture in the group is against the island nation of Haiti, currently ranked 83rd in the world. The USMNT holds an 8-9-6 record all-time against Haiti, but haven’t lost to them since 1973.
Most fans and pundits normally wouldn’t think twice before saying that the US will win their group. After the poor performance against Switzerland recently, some might have doubts now. If they come out unified with their pressing and continue to pass as they did against Trinidad and Tobago, then they should see success in both matches.
Winning the group is the bare minimum the USMNT has to accomplish in this Gold Cup.
How important is the Gold Cup to the USMNT’s preparation for next year’s World Cup? The answer to that depends on who you listen to. Many former players, like Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, have argued that the 24 months leading up to the World Cup are crucial. They’ve taken shots at players like Christian Pulisic for voluntarily sitting out this summer.
Those players have fought back with Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams defending Pulisic’s decision, while Pulisic’s dad is all over social media trying to shame Donovan. This public feud shows how much the culture of the USMNT has eroded since this “golden generation” has taken over. With every new European contract, the entitlement grows.
Pochettino has recently stated it’s not his job to reset the culture on this team, and he’s right. The culture is set in the locker room by the players, and Pochettino has to decide which players are there for themselves and which ones are there for the crest. Will he have the gumption to leave off some of the best players if it comes to it?
The truth is, the majority of the players on Pochettino’s Gold Cup roster aren’t going to be involved in the 2026 World Cup. Players like Ream, Tillman, and Luna likely will be, which is why it’s important that they have individually good performances. The longer the USMNT can stay in the Gold Cup, the more opportunity they have to stay in form.
Because of injuries and players who chose to skip the Gold Cup, the USMNT won’t have the opportunity to build chemistry by playing together in official competitions. That doesn’t mean that they won’t perform well next summer. The team’s top players are professional athletes. Pochettino’s job isn’t to instill his system, but to put the players in a position to showcase their best attributes to help the team win.
One of Pochettino’s biggest obstacles at this point, and a reason the Gold Cup is important, is filling the question marks at both striker and in goal. Agyemang has proven in his few starts to have raw talent, height, and strength to be a target player up front. Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi have been injured lately, and Josh Sargent’s amazing club form doesn’t seem to translate to the USMNT.
On the goalkeeping front, Matt Turner and Zach Steffen have been keeper 1A and 1B for a while now. Injuries and lack of playing time have kept either from cementing their name as the only option. Patrick Schulte, battling injuries himself, and Matt Freese are proving they can push for the starting role.
The USMNT has just under a year to be prepared to host the 2026 World Cup. A lot can change in that amount of time. Most of the players will have a whole club season to improve their form. Someone like Damion Downs might shine so bright that they make it impossible for Pochettino to leave them off the roster.
One thing is for sure: Winning this year’s Gold Cup gives the fans something to hold on to. With only a couple more international windows to see their team compete, and trying to get the taste of the horrible four-game losing streak out of their mouths, the fans need something to be positive about.
Ending this window on a six-game winning streak, especially with the distractions it started with, will build the excitement that USSF and all of North America need before the World Cup. The USMNT doesn’t need to win the Gold Cup, but the fans sure do.
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