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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 31: Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States reacts during the first half against Portugal during an International Friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/USSF/Getty Images) Getty Images After building momentum last fall under manager Mauricio Pochettino, two friendlies in the March international window have proven a harsh wakeup call for the United States men’s national team. The Americans were badly outplayed in a 5-2 loss to Belgium in Atlanta on Saturday, and only marginally better in a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in the second fixture on Tuesday night. The results extended the United States’ losing streak against European opposition to 10 matches. More concerningly, the combination of player performances and managerial decisions produced more questions than answers with regards to Pochettino’s vision for the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup this summer. Here are three of the biggest unknowns as we tick down toward the announcement of the tournament squad on May 26. What Is The End Goal Of Experimentation? Past USMNT managers would have faced the final international window prior to a World Cup looking to nail down minor details around their team’s tactical identity. We can safely assume that is not Pochettino’s MO. From switching back into a four-back system in both matches (having played mostly a 3-4-3 this fall), to playing Tuesday’s first half without a true striker on the pitch, it was clear the Argentine was still tinkering in both games rather than leaning into a clear tactical identity. The question is whether this represents deep fundamental questions about what Pochettino believes is his best strategy, or merely the use of every last moment of lower leverage competition to search for more possibilities on the fringes of an already decided identity. The former…

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Filed under: News - @ April 1, 2026 10:26 am