U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, with 10 regulars out, reached deep into the pool to try to inject competition.
Switzerland ran through the U.S. in the first 45 minutes as if it were a training exercise.
The loss was a massive gut punch for a U.S. team that is already down.
The World Cup starts in 366 days.
Even knowing the pieces that were missing on Tuesday night, things around the U.S. team feel as grim as ever.
The United States was at what seemed to be its lowest point since losing out on the 2018 World Cup in Couva, Trinidad, eight years ago. A. The men’s national team lost to Switzerland 4-0 on Tuesday.
Of course, the situation was very different.
The stakes in that game were real. On the field was America’s top squad. This was a friendly matchup with what is aptly referred to as a C team. Yet the U. A. has just suffered four consecutive losses for the first time since 2007. After a poor showing during the March window, its top player decided not to attend the Gold Cup and instead took the summer off. Us. S. With ten regulars out, coach Mauricio Pochettino dug deep into the pool to try to bring some competition.
It was evident Tuesday night that he went too far.
Switzerland passed through the U.S. S. as though it were a training exercise during the first forty-five minutes. Within the first 36 minutes, the Swiss scored four goals. The shortcomings on the U. A. The end was innumerable.
Switzerland gained possession in the twelfth minute with minimal opposition from the United States. A. In the U, a Swiss center back carried the ball far. S. . half without much difficulty, and a pass to the top of the box was unassisted, allowing for a simple entry pass. After that was deflected into his path, Dan Ndoye scored with ease in the thirteenth minute.
After Johan Manzambi dribbled easily by U, Michel Aebischer scored ten minutes later. S. Max Arfsten was left behind. A weak shot, again without any pressure, was pushed in front of goal by Matt Turner ten minutes later. It made Breel Embolo’s empty-net finish simple.
Three minutes later, Manzambi scored with a left-footed shot after dribbling through the midfield. It seemed as though a U hadn’t even tried to tackle. S. play.
The first time the U.S. quarter ended, the crowd jeered as the halftime whistle blew. A. had a 4-0 deficit at halftime since 1980.
“It’s simple to see that everything is falling apart and that we won’t be able to recover,” U. S. Walker Zimmerman, a center back, told TNT Sports following the game. However, if you look at the build-up to 2022, we defeat Morocco 3-0, and they advance to the semifinals. Things evolve. That separated by six months. Therefore, the world is not ending. We acknowledge and accept that it is insufficient. The disappointment arises from that, but we must change the course and ensure that we never come out that way again. “.”.
During the half, Mauricio Pochettino made five changes. There would have been more justification.
Following the team’s 2-1 loss to Turkey on Saturday, Pochettino praised their perseverance and hard work. He said he didn’t care about soccer errors. that those could and would be resolved in due course. However, maintaining steady performances from one game to the next was crucial.
The U. A. failed to do so on Tuesday in a significant manner.
The Americans are now carrying the bitter taste of their defeat into the Gold Cup. Additionally, Pochettino must deal with the fact that his bench is smaller than he may have anticipated for this tournament.
For a U, the loss was a huge gut punch. S. a team that has already failed. Pochettino will now have to figure out how to get out of the hole. In his first 10 games as manager, he has dropped to .500 with five wins and five losses, and he has lost four straight games.
366 days remain until the World Cup begins. Even with the missing pieces, Tuesday night’s events in the U.S. S. . The team feels as depressed as ever.
Top image: AP Images/SPP/Sipa USA/Reily Rogers.
