U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino stated that his players lacked sufficient aggression during the 5-2 defeat to Belgium. He emphasized the importance of learning from the loss as the team prepares for the 2026 World Cup.
“To feel sometimes the pain is good,” Pochettino said after his team surrendered a first-half lead and was overwhelmed in the second half. Despite the scoreline, he highlighted numerous positive aspects observed in the dressing room.
“It is true that against Belgium we lose 5-2 and from there you can’t say nothing that can convince people that are positive things. But I think there are too many positive things that we are seeing in the dressing room, and all these types of result, it is better it is going to happen now.”
Pochettino: ‘We Were Not Aggressive Enough’ After USMNT Loss
First-Half Promise Turns into Second-Half Struggles
Following three consecutive friendly wins without a defeat since September, the match represented a setback. However, Pochettino found encouragement in the first half, where he believed his side outperformed Belgium.
Weston McKennie gave the U.S. the lead, but Zeno Debast equalized for Belgium just before halftime, starting a run of five unanswered goals from the Europeans.
“We were not aggressive enough,” Pochettino noted, pointing out that midfielders failed to press Belgian opponents or support right back Tim Weah. Weah faced challenges containing Belgium’s Jérémy Doku in one-on-one situations.
“It’s only a game. It’s only a game that nothing [went] for us,” he added. “Disappointed with the result, but seeing the performance, we cannot say [any individual player] didn’t perform.”
Opposing Views from Belgium Coach
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia echoed some sentiments, describing the U.S. as better than the final score suggested.
“We started bad, but also because USA was more aggressive than us,” Garcia said. He expressed satisfaction with his team’s response after conceding, equalizing before the break and dominating the second half.
“We have big qualities in attack, and we can score against all the teams,” Garcia added.
Key Areas for Improvement Identified
Pochettino attributed the second-half collapse to a drop in intensity. “The first half is the way we want to play. … It’s only about to keep this level.”
He argued that when matching Belgium’s intensity, the U.S. was competitive or superior, but maintaining that level proved challenging. Additionally, quality in the final third was lacking.
“In the key areas, we didn’t have the right energy,” Pochettino said. “We were much more in the last third, we had better numbers. But they [Belgium] were very decisive.”
Johnny Cardoso’s halftime substitution was planned in advance due to discomfort, despite a solid performance. “Good performance from Johnny. But we need to listen also the player and the medical staff. That was the plan before, to play 45 minutes.”
Next Challenge: Portugal Friendly
The USMNT faces Portugal in a friendly match soon after this defeat. For live updates and detailed Resultados Futbol Hoy from international fixtures like USMNT vs Belgium, stay informed on key performances and scores.
Check Resultados Futbol Hoy for the latest soccer results and analysis to follow the team’s World Cup journey.