Mauricio Pochettino’s first big test away from home as the United States men’s national team did not end well. The Argentine manager began his USMNT coaching stint with a 2-0 victory over Panama in Texas on Saturday. The Stars and Stripes then traveled down to Guadalajara on Tuesday to face bitter rivals Mexico.
It happened to be the first time since 2012 that the USMNT played a friendly on Mexican soil. The hosts ended up beating their opponents 2-0 in the feisty affair. After the defeat, a frustrated Pochettino urged patience from the American fans. After all, the coach only just recently entered the fray, and his squad on the night was without multiple key players. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Ricardo Pepi were among the stars to miss the match.
USMNT has recently avoided scheduling overseas friendlies
While the loss to Mexico is certainly disappointing, it should also be a learning experience for U.S. Soccer. The USMNT usually plays well at home, particularly against fellow CONCACAF teams. The organization is quite aware of this, which is why they typically schedule fixtures in the States.
Tuesday’s loss in Mexico was only the USMNT’s third match outside of America since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Stars and Stripes also traveled to Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago in 2023. Both of these fixtures were CONCACAF Nations League matches.
Playing top opponents, especially abroad, will be the best way for Americans to prepare for major tournaments. Outside of Mexico, the USMNT is generally favored to win against every other CONCACAF team in the region. These are the only two teams from the confederation currently inside the top 35 of FIFA’s rankings.
Before preparations for the last World Cup, U.S. Soccer sparingly scheduled tough matches overseas. For instance, the USMNT played in Switzerland in May of 2021 and faced off against England and Italy across the pond in late 2018. The Americans could not manage to win any of these significant tests.
The last time that the Americans won an away game against a fellow FIFA top 20-ranked team came back in 2015. Germany hosted the USMNT in June of that year at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. The Americans triumphed on the night thanks to goals by Mix Diskerud and Bobby Wood. The goalscorers have not featured for the national team since 2016 and 2018, respectively.
Pochettino’s team needs to face top teams to improve
U.S. Soccer may defend the decision to avoid top overseas friendlies by pointing to the placement of Copa America 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. The typical South American competition was hosted by the United States earlier this summer. The prestigious worldwide competition in two years is also coming to America as well.
However, the USMNT could better prepare for top matchups in big competitions by putting themselves in tougher environments. This was evident in the team’s dismal display at Copa America 2024. If the Stars and Stripes are to improve under Pochettino, they are going to need to schedule games against more competitive teams. This is particularly the case with fixtures away from home.
