The U.S. men’s national team was shut out 2-0 by Portugal in an international friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Tuesday, March 31.
Mauricio Pochettino’s final lineup selection before naming his roster for the World Cup was a head-scratching one. He decided to go without a true striker, opting for Christian Pulisic as a false nine.
After a mainly even first half, Portugal capitalized on a midfield turnover and hit the U.S. on the counter in the 37th minute. Vitinha played creator with a throughball that split the American backline and put Bruno Fernandes on goal, his backheel to Francisco Trincão led to a clinical finish for the opening goal.
After the break, the visitors took over the match and exuded their quality. João Félix extended their lead 15 minutes into the second half after being given arces of space at the top of the box off a corner kick to volley in a rocket off the post. Portgual was able to see out the rest of the match and take home the win.
Let’s take a look back at how the USMNT players fared in second consecutive friendly loss.
It would be harsh to put him at fault for either goal conceded. He made the saves he should’ve made and added one spectacular one at the end of the match. He’s probably locked down the starting job if it was ever in question.
He continues to impress both defensively and in attacking sequences. Going up against possibly the best attacking left back in the world, he kept Nuno Mendes quiet while on the field, a task many defenders across the globe cannot say they’ve accomplished. It’s clear he has a bright future with this team.
Richards is undoubtedly one of the most important players on this team. His inclusion in the lineup added some much-needed stability in the back. He just provides you with an air of confidence on the defensive side when he’s on the field.
He’s quietly put in some very respectable showings when he gets the chance. Could he sneak his way into a starting role with the struggles of Tim Ream? It’s certainly possible.
He was unable to get involved as much as he did against Belgium. That could’ve been by design after the team was exposed on the wings defensively on Saturday. While he wasn’t much of an attacking threat on the left side, he did fine defensively in his shift.
A bit sporadic at times, but he’s a constant worker in the midfield that never stops running and pestering the opposing team. He’s an interesting name possibly on the bubble for the final roster. This performance didn’t move the needle much in either direction.
The highlight of the match for him was a very good corner delivery in the first half that found a wide open Weston McKennie for a chance. At the very least, you have to think he makes the roster purely on his set piece abilities.
Once again he was asked to roam around the midfield, playing just behind Christian Pulisic in attack. He showed some nice combination moments with Weah and Tillman. He was once again on the end of team’s best chance during his 45 minutes, but couldn’t get a free header off a corner kick on goal. His role continues to evolve, but it’s clear he is a massive part of whatever Pochettino wants to do tactically.
Weah is clearly more effectively as a pure winger with little defensive responsibility than a wingback. He’s at his best when stretching the opposing defense and causing issues with his off the ball movement. This wasn’t his best showing, but it proved he needs to be a real winger instead of someone who needs to worry about defending.
Playing in a central forward role, there was a ton of responsibility on his shoulders in the buildup and to lead the attacking line. Unfortunately, his poor form continued despite the change in tactics as he struggled to keep possession in key areas of the buildup and often killed a lot of attacks by hesitating or not making the right decisions.
There are a lot of questions facing this team between now and the start of the World Cup and his form and role within the team is at the top of the list.
Another solid but not spectacular showing from the Leverkusen attacker. He continues to show a good understanding with his fellow forwards in the buildup, but the final product is a bit lacking.
Seemed to play in a more advanced role than his usual deep-lying spot. He didn’t have any noticeable errors or contributions.
Whenever he comes off the bench he always provides at least one moment of positivity. In this match, it was a very nice dribbling sequence where he got past a defender on the endline and set up Balogun for a half-chance. He seems like a good bet for a super sub role on the final roster.
Didn’t have much to do after coming on.
Played 23 minutes and only touched the ball eight times.
Didn’t really impact the match after coming on. He did get a small chance, but scuffed his shot.
Helped create a chance as soon as he stepped on the field and didn’t misplace a pass. He’s clearly got the skills to make an impact, but his role within the team is completely up in the air.
Congrats on another cap! He touched the ball seven times.
He’s still such a weird player for this team. He’s a high energy attacker that lacks a final product. Does he have a purpose on the final roster? Only time will tell.
Stoppage-time sub.
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