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U.S. defender Chris Richards celebrates a second-half goal against Saudi Arabia in a group stage match of the 2025 Gold Cup. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

R-E-L-A-X: 'Under construction' USMNT isn't the disaster you may think it is

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 3:33 PM ET

The United States Men’s National Team is in crisis. It lost two straight high-profile friendlies with a combined goal difference of -6. Its star players abandoned it at its most important juncture. The media can barely contain its contempt for the team, with major editorial outlets calling it a mess (ESPN) and lamenting that it’s going nowhere (Defector).

But the national team is also in the middle of a breakthrough. It won two straight high-profile Concacaf Gold Cup tournament games with a combined goal difference of +6. Its second-string players are excelling against the odds and developing vital competitive experience. The media is bullish on its prospects, with major outlets spotlighting its lesser-known players (Washington Post) and celebrating that the team can breathe again (ESPN).

Confused yet? You should be.

This is a strange period for the USMNT. The team has played four matches since the start of June with four very different results: a respectable but disappointing loss to Türkiye, an embarrassing blowout loss to Switzerland, a confidence-restoring rout of Trinidad and Tobago and a labored win against Saudi Arabia. The USMNT faced some big foes in those games, but its biggest challenge hasn’t come on the field. It’s come through the media.

The USMNT, sitting at the strange cultural crossroads it does, has always been a difficult team to talk about — but its narrative has never felt more whiplashed and more confused than it has recently. Depending on who you speak to, this USMNT is either an underdog or a favorite. It’s either the likable product of the United States' improved domestic soccer academies or a worthless bunch of Major League Soccer also-rans who aren’t worth your time.

Outrage and extremism sell. And perhaps that means the only thing people won’t call the USMNT is what it is: an average-to-good team missing several key players that's performing pretty much how it is expected.

It’s not a popular take. It has never been a popular take. It’s harder to write a good story about a middling team than it is to manufacture a wild one about a team that’s spinning off the rails. But if you’re a fan of the USMNT and you want to see it shape up in time for next summer’s World Cup, it’s important to wonder: Do outrage or extremism help the USMNT improve in any appreciable way?

No, they do not. Praise without thoughtful criticism is sycophantic; criticism without ideas for improvement is just bullying. What the USMNT needs now, more than anything, is an honest narrative. One that speaks to the messy middle in which it finds itself, not the largely imagined far-flung extremes that drive clicks.

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino knows this, and he is admirably balanced in his own assessment of his crew.

“We need to feel proud, but, at the same time, relaxed,” said Pochettino (per Goal.com) after his side beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 on Thursday to seal its spot in the Gold Cup quarterfinals. “In the same way we were talking after the two defeats against Switzerland and Turkey, it’s about staying calm. Because I feel we need to focus on the process that we’ve started.”

He’s right. To pull itself out of its middling doldrums, Pochettino’s team must work hard and trust its process. It won’t improve by tearing its hair out when it loses, and it certainly won’t improve by puffing its chest out when it wins.

“When everyone wants to destroy everything, sometimes you say, ‘No, we are OK,’” Pochettino said.

“We are under construction.”

If American soccer fans want their team to improve, they’ll have to lay off the extremes — and let Pochettino build.

The USMNT closes its Gold Cup group stage Sunday ( June 22) against Haiti in Arlington, Texas (7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports). With two wins in its two previous Gold Cup matches, the USMNT has already qualified for the knockout rounds of the tournament.

Alyssa Clang

Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you’re probably better off finding her here

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