Three takeaways as USMNT shows flaws in 2-1 Canada loss
The U.S. men's national team is effectively auditioning for a new manager, but Saturday's 2-1 loss to Canada isn't going to get rave reviews from Mauricio Pochettino (or anyone else).
A listless first hour left the USMNT with too big of a mountain to climb, even after interim coach Mikey Varas' substitutions injected some badly-needed life into the team. Jacob Shaffelburg gave Canada a 17th-minute lead after a messy sequence at the back from the U.S., which was the least Jesse Marsch's side deserved in a first half where at times it seemed like only one team got off the bus.
An improved second half didn't amount to a goal, and Canada pounced on a mistake from Tim Ream (who was also involved with the first goal) to claim what turned out to be the winner on Jonathan David's clinical 59th-minute finish. Substitute Luca de la Torre notched his first U.S. goal in the 66th minute as the hosts finally upped the intensity, but the USMNT couldn't conjure up an equalizer.
In the long term, that may be a good thing, as a draw would have been an unjust result. Canada deserved to claim its first win over the U.S. on American soil since 1957, and the sting of that fact is probably needed for the USMNT right now.
Here are the major takeaways from what, beyond being a loss to a regional rival, will go down as a troubling performance.
Next USMNT coach will demand more urgency
One would expect this in-flux version of the USMNT to be a situation where poor team performance might stem from the group being over-eager to impress Mauricio Pochettino, the team's all-but-confirmed incoming head coach. In moments like these, players can overdo it, pushing to make the big play that gains them an edge over competitors for playing time.
Pochettino — who per a Fox Sports report on Saturday is on track to be announced "in the next few days" — probably has plenty of thoughts on the USMNT's showing in Kansas City. It's hard to imagine any of them will be kind.
A first half interim coach Mikey Varas described as "static" in a halftime interview with TBS saw Canada comprehensively dictate the terms, creating higher-quality chances, control the spaces the game was played in, and leave Maxime Crépeau with little to do beyond vocally guide passing patterns and offer reminders of what the team's shape should be. It wasn't just that Canada had played well, but that the USMNT was so flat and disengaged.
It is fair to note that the USMNT was without Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, and Sergiño Dest, and those four make a massive difference in precisely the areas the U.S. struggled with.
However, it's not like this team lacks depth, with Yunus Musah a regular, and Johnny Cardoso and Joe Scally playing substantial roles on teams in elite leagues. Moreover, the passivity on display has crept in at times throughout 2024, with the first half calling to mind a disastrous second-half showing against Colombia before the Copa América. They also still fielded a lineup with more raw talent than Canada, yet — outside of Christian Pulisic's near miss in the 22nd minute — found any sort of foothold hard to come by.
With Ream misplacing passes and reliable hard workers like Brenden Aaronson letting the game pass him by, too much of this game saw the U.S. second-best. Pochettino seems poised to take a job that has suddenly started to look more difficult than it should be, and breaking the mental malaise within the ranks will be top of his list.
USMNT goalkeeper competition may be wide open
In a lineup featuring a few lesser-used USMNT players, the surprise in the team was pretty clearly Olympic starter Patrick Schulte getting the nod in goal. The Columbus Crew No. 1 was given his second senior cap, and apparently it came down to performance. Per TBS's broadcast, Schulte got the nod over Matt Turner, Ethan Horvath, and Diego Kochen based on his showings in training in this camp.
It's hard not to wonder whether this is also on some level due to Turner's lack of playing time in England, and Horvath's struggles for form at Cardiff City.
Unfortunately for Schulte, Shaffelburg's opener caught him anticipating a near-post effort, though any save would have been quite difficult given the caliber of the opportunity the USMNT handed Canada.
With the USMNT struggling with turnovers and some bizarrely passive defending at times, Schulte got chances to prove he can produce the big stop. If anything, the Missouri native was the best U.S. player in the first half, making multiple good saves as the team in front of him struggled with spacing and Canada's press.
Ultimately, the USMNT's starting job in goal still feels like it's Turner's to lose, but the longer he remains rooted to the bench at Crystal Palace, the more reasonable it is to evaluate all prospects. Horvath, Schulte, Kochen, and several more will all be wondering if this is their chance.
Schulte didn't quite announce himself as a serious contender as we move into a new era for the team, but he didn't harm his chances either.
Substitutes answer the call
The composition of the USMNT's front six is largely a settled issue, but that didn't stop some substitutes on Saturday from putting their best foot forward.
De la Torre and Aidan Morris, in particular, showed the kind of bite and assertiveness that Pochettino considers a non-negotiable. The Middlesbrough midfielder's anticipation and ability to win 50/50 battles inside the Canadian box was critical on the U.S. goal, as was De la Torre's composure.
Tenacity and calm were non-existent in the game's first half, and it's hard not to draw an immediate line under the USMNT's improvement with supposedly less notable names stepping into the fray.
Cade Cowell and Haji Wright may have made less of a direct impact, but their effort level was noticeable, while Ricardo Pepi was denied a late equalizer by Crépeau's shoulder after some smart movement.
Will Morris displace Adams or Cardoso? Is De la Torre going to get starts over Malik Tillman? It's unlikely, as Pochettino will surely know how vital it is to get the best U.S. players firing on all cylinders. However, showings like these from players who are often unused substitutes (or in Morris' case, trying to climb up to that run of the USMNT ladder) will make it far easier for a new coach to make demands. People listen a lot closer when they know their job is on the line.
You can't fool players, and if the guys further down the depth chart are nipping at everyone's heels, the next regime's changes should be accelerated without complaint. Otherwise, we'll see the new boss giving less-heralded options more starts, and the old starters will know why it happened.