Doug McIntyre
Football journalist
It’s starting to make sense now. When members of the United States men’s national team report to the annual camp of the United States men’s national team one week until 2025, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the US ( along with Canada and Mexico) will be just one calendar. a year away.
But before we look ahead to what should be an interesting next 12 months for the USMNT, let’s take a quick look at the last 12. Because 2024 was full of drama from start to finish for the Americans, who won another title over their biggest rival, bombed. from a major domestic competition, fired their longtime coach and got one of the best in the world as his replacement. How did the US get here?
Let’s read the directions.
A horrible start
Well, it wasn’t an easy attack for the MLS-based USMNT that opened the season against Slovenia in San Antonio, Texas. The first real hint that 2024 could be a campaign for the Americans under coach Gregg Berhalter came when Christian Pulisic and a strong squad arrived in Dallas in late March to defend their Concacaf Nations League title. winners in 2021 and 2023.
The hosts faced already semi-finished Jamaica at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington County, but that didn’t stop the Reggae Boyz from surprising the US by taking the lead in the opening minutes. The score remained the same until the 95th minute. The Jamaican’s goal saved Berhalter’s side, giving them a second chance to win a game they deserved to lose on the whole. Haji Wright scored twice in overtime to give the Americans a 3-1 victory and a day against eventual rival Mexico. But it foreshadowed the problems of the coming months.
A brief summary of the League of Nations
Despite a pro-Mexico crowd of nearly 60,000 at Jerry World, the US dominated its arch-rivals from start to finish en route to another historic victory of history and a third consecutive Nations League crown. The night would have passed. Tyler Adams, the USMNT’s 2022 World Cup captain who missed all of 2023 with a recurring hamstring injury, opened the game’s long-awaited surprise before halftime.
Gio Reyna, another star who was often injured, sealed the win in the second half. Afterwards, Adams addressed Berhalter’s critics while Reyna, in his first talks on the matter since Qatar, said his clash with the coach at the World Cup was behind both men.
As the players and staff headed out into the rainy north Texas night to celebrate with the trophy, the sounds were loud. The performance against Jamaica felt like a game, and they have won both March games by multiple goals. At that time no one knew that it would be the highlight of the whole year.
Another flashing red warning sign
It was as good as the Three Nations League was on the peat, the priority from the beginning of 2024 is obviously the Copa América – the competition of the South American continent – which would include six teams of ConcaCAF completes the field of 16 countries and is played mostly in the United States. NFL stadiums.
Before the big event, US Soccer organized two matches, against Colombia and record five-time World Cup champion Brazil. Red, white and blue come together Coffee Growers first, outside Washington DC Ninety minutes later they were beaten 5-1 – the biggest loss in Berhalter’s era.
What was most disturbing was the apparent lack of combat. Colombia led by two before the contest reached the 20th minute. Tim Weah pulled one back for the home side, but the visitors scored three more in the second half. Four days, and after much debate, the much-improved Americans played Brazil to a 1-1 draw. At that time, the deep run of the Copa was still felt.
The Copa América disaster
The first game, a 2-0 win over Bolivia, went well. Of course, the US could have increased its target difference. But the three points saw them progress, along with star-studded Uruguay, to the quarterfinals in their second group game.
A win over the Panamanians in Atlanta and the hosts would be all they deserve. But Weah’s first, uncharacteristic red card reduced the Americans to 10 men for the final 72 minutes of a fatal 2-1 loss. Needing to beat Uruguay in its first game of the round, the US was unable to score in a 1-0 victory. Ten days later, Berhalter was out of a job.
United States vs. Uruguay Highlights | 2024 Copa America
The era of Mauricio Pochettino begins
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon two years from now, American football manager Matt Crocker has promised to hire a top-level coach. He exceeded realistic expectations by offloading Pochettino, a 52-year-old Argentinian who worked with some of the world’s best players during successful spells with top European clubs Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Pochettino won his first game, 2-0 over Panama in an October friendly. And in his second game in control, a loss by the same score to Mexico in El Tri later that month, the Americans have shown improvement. In November, the USMNT beat Jamaica home and away to reach the semis of the 2025 Nations League – and finish their 2024 campaign on top.
Doug McIntyre is a football reporter for FOX Sports. A staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he’s covered United States national men’s and women’s teams in FIFA World Cup matches on five continents. Follow him @Posted by DougMcIntyre.
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Christian Pulisic
United States
America’s Cup
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