Bill Connelly
Multiple Authors
MARIETTA, Georgia — United States coach Mauricio Pochettino mentioned he is considering some tactical tweaks to assist get star attacker Christian Pulisic again to his finest in entrance of the aim.
The U.S. performs Portugal on Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, after a one-sided 5-2 loss to Belgium on Saturday through which the Americans — together with Pulisic — failed to convert probabilities.
Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun had been foiled by good saves from Belgium’s Senne Lammens within the first half, and Pulisic created strong alternatives from quick-strike sequences within the 14th and 52nd minutes however failed put correct makes an attempt on aim.
Pochettino mentioned that whereas he was inspired by the probabilities that his staff created in assault — and added that defensive breakdowns had been clearly the bigger subject — the dearth of medical ending annoyed him.
“I think when you see the stats of the game,” Pochettino mentioned, “I think we have clear chances to score.” The Argentine additionally advised that his muted response to McKennie’s aim, which put the U.S. forward within the thirty ninth minute, was partly due to this frustration.
“My gut feeling, it wasn’t good,” Pochettino mentioned. “Because when we scored, [it] should be the third goal, not the first one.
Pulisic finished with three shot attempts, but none of those found the back of the net in his seventh straight U.S. match without a goal. His last national team goal came against Jamaica in November 2024 — and he hasn’t scored in any respect in 2026 for membership or nation.
The former Chelsea winger’s final aggressive aim of any sort got here on Dec. 28, however in his previous 12 matches for AC Milan, he failed to score from any of his 29 shot attempts. He has created just one assist in that span, as well.
After a brilliant start to his club season — Pulisic scored six goals with two assists in his first seven matches in all competitions — he was first slowed by a hamstring issue, then missed time early in 2026 with a knee injury.
While preaching about the need for sustained intensity, even in international friendlies, Pochettino did suggest that he had been thinking of ways to get Pulisic back on track.
“We know that [Christian] can rating,” he said, but “perhaps tomorrow [they could try] to assist him to begin.”
That could mean altering the makeup of the lineup to facilitate more opportunities for him, or it could simply mean shifting Pulisic’s positional alignment.
“Maybe we assist a little bit bit to [get him] a little bit bit extra nearer to the aim,” Pochettino said, adding that no plan to that end had yet been finalized. “That is an concept after Saturday that’s in my thoughts.
“We need to assess with the medical staff and the coaching staff and the player.”
Regardless of missed alternatives, defensive breakdowns and a let-off in depth had been clearly on the coronary heart of Saturday’s defeat.
“Until we conceded the third goal, I think we did very well with Belgium,” Pochettino mentioned. “After the massive likelihood [for] Christian within the field, we concede the [second] aim. And then, one other likelihood that we create with [Tim] Weah, after which we concede the penalty. And this second was actually robust for us.”
Belgium took the lead by Amadou Onana within the 53rd minute, then went up 3-1 thanks to Charles De Ketelaere‘s profitable penalty. Before the U.S. might try one other shot, Dodi Lukebakio had scored twice to make it 5-1.
Monday wasn’t the primary time Pochettino has expressed frustration along with his staff’s depth ranges and famous that there have been loads of examples of the depth he is in search of.
“Watch football,” Pochettino mentioned. “If you watch the sport [between] France and Colombia, that’s the depth.”
France defeated Colombia 3-1 on Sunday in a pleasant exterior Washington D.C.
“They play like this was the final of the World Cup. And France, when [they] saw the intensity and the aggression of Colombia, said, ‘If we [aren’t] intense, they kill us.'” Pochettino mentioned. “That is the intensity. Do you think that [France head coach Didier] Deschamps or [Colombian coach] Nestor Lorenzo, they told the players: ‘We need to be intense.’ Or did you see some punch, some kill in every single moment?”
Pochettino mentioned he in the end hoped that Saturday’s defeat might change into a helpful studying expertise.
“I am so happy that happened because there’s still time to realize that we need to compete,” he mentioned. “[France-Colombia] wasn’t a ‘friendly’ game. [It was] really competitive.
“The gamers want to consider in that. If not, what are we doing right here?”
