What we learned as USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino on red alert after miserable CONCACAF Nations League showings

Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT had a chance to restore some confidence in the team on Sunday when they met Canada in the third-place game of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Call it a chance wasted, as the Yanks suffered through a second-straight loss to continental competition on home soil just 13 months away from the oh-so-rare chance to compete in a home World Cup.

The Yanks had an opportunity to write-off Thursday's semifinal loss to Panama as a bad day of finishing and a single error from its goalkeeper, but instead looked like the very same team that lost to Los Canaleros despite making five changes to the Starting XI.

Mauricio Pochettino can point to a laundry list of injuries and absences including one of the world's top left backs in Antonee Robinson, but fans and pundits will be left wondering if this group of players is underachieving at best and toxic at worst — especially it's true that Pulisic, wearing the captain's armband for the first time, refused to come off before taking a free kick in the second half as Pochettino launched a triple sub.

Christian Pulisic silenced by Canada to end miserable break

This was a terrible performance with the ball from Pulisic and the Yanks, who had 56 % possession but were out-attempted 8-2 and put just a single shot on target — Agyemang's goal that was hit right at Canada keeper Dayne St. Clair but turned off the keeper and into the goal. Pulisic is the key component of the USMNT attack but the side managed just nine touches in the box at the time he left the game (Canada was well over 30). He was again — as is often the case in CONCACAF — targeted by Canada and led the game in suffered fouls with four. And he wont most of his duels but touched the ball just 21 times. Agyemang was the only starter on either side besides Davies — who left after 12 minutes with an injury — to have less touches than Pulisic. For two games, Pulisic did almost nothing. Those are two atypical showings from a player who may be or become the best in USMNT history, but when they come in the final stage of a tournament and conclude — perhaps — with ignorance of a substitution? Oof.

Weston McKennie a man without a home

One of the players who often steps up when things are dull for the USMNT is Juventus star Weston McKennie, but Pulisic's partner-in-crime joined his teammate in having a substandard week in the national team's shirt. McKennie is always busy but his passing was miserable and his dribbling failed as well. The way Pochettino lined up his Yanks, McKennie was perhaps the only consistent bet to link Tyler Adams and the back line to the attacks, and the Texans responded with a scattershot day. McKennie made a number of recoveries and interventions at the back, but his play in the build-up helped deliver those opportunities to Canada. Neither Panama nor Canada have a strong midfield, and the U.S. have a huge problem if McKennie shows like this against Turkiye and Switzerland.

Mauricio Pochettino’s stock sinking like a stone

Again there were many USMNT players unavailable to Pochettino including Antonee Robinson, Johnny Cardoso, Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman, and Folarin Balogun. But the reason many clamored for a more experienced manager than Gregg Berhalter was to overcome windows like these. And we cannot pretend that Panama and Canada were at 100% as well. Pochettino's team looked clueless at times and he did almost nothing to change it. The effort was there but the sloppiness was real. Pulisic and McKennie were no better than a replacement level talent on the roster. He'll also have to revisit the players he left off the team at nearly every level of the team — Ethan Horvath, Kristoffer Lund, Gianluca Busio, Alex Zendejas, and Haji Wright. A team that had only won this tournament now has a fourth-place finish. It's ugly. And he has to do much better as friendlies and the Gold Cup are all he has left before the World Cup. Just about the only good thing to come out of this break was the emergence of Diego Luna, more time in the team for a healthy Tyler Adams, and continued proof that Timothy Weah's skill set is a bit of a unicorn in the USMNT set-up.

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What we learned as USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino on red alert after miserable CONCACAF Nations League showings

Christian Pulisic silenced by Canada to end miserable break

Weston McKennie a man without a home

Mauricio Pochettino’s stock sinking like a stone

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