USMNT completes 'perfect' group stage that was anything but

ARLINGTON, Texas -- If we're looking lone astatine the numbers themselves, determination should beryllium nary complaints astir the United States' cleanable three-for-three radical signifier tally successful the 2025 Gold Cup.

Back-to-back-to-back victories, 8 goals scored, conscionable 1 allowed --- and each with an alternate roster that was missing a agelong database of cardinal players, including Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, and skipper Christian Pulisic.

With a maximum full of 9 points clinched, and with the backdrop of needing momentum successful their last authoritative matches earlier co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. are present erstwhile again charging into the knockout circular of the Concacaf competition.

Or are they?

"Overall it was a bully performance, possibly we were not arsenic [clincal] with the chances we had, I deliberation we should person scored more," said a not precisely celebratory caput manager Mauricio Pochettino aft Sunday's constrictive 2-1 triumph implicit Haiti astatine AT&T Stadium. "It was a monolithic situation for america due to the fact that it is simply a precise bully squad that played direct."

Although Pochettino did spell connected to praise his roster and a game-changing similar Malik Tillman that opened up the scoresheet, 1 couldn't blasted the manager for looking much relieved than elated aft the last whistle.

Looking backmost astatine the archetypal fractional of the USMNT's last radical signifier match, tensions were initially precocious aboriginal connected aft Haiti spoiled the American's pb with an equalizer successful the 19th minute. Pouncing connected an mistake that progressive defender Tim Ream and goalkeeper Matt Freese attempting to merchandise the shot from the back, Haiti's Louicius Don Deedson silenced the Texan assemblage with his extremity that leveled the scoreline astatine 1-1.

In response, the U.S. began to gradually make information going guardant but, arsenic Pochettino noted earlier, determination was nary existent ratio erstwhile it came to their attempts successful the last third. For agelong stretches of the match, the clash began to consciousness reminiscent of their erstwhile result, a constrictive 1-0 triumph implicit Saudi Arabia that featured a deficiency of dynamic play and plentifulness of predictable movements with blimpish distribution.

Instead of a beardown decorativeness to the radical stage, Sunday's lucifer was connected the way towards becoming different wake-up telephone for a backup roster that, not truthful agelong ago, went done a four-game losing streak up of the Gold Cup.

Haiti welcomed the script astatine hand, yet sitting further backmost and absorbing unit arsenic the U.S. struggled with breaking them down.

Tillman, for what it's worth, single-handedly attempted to alteration the communicative successful the 2nd half.

Fighting to gain what would person been his 2nd brace of the radical stage, the PSV Eindhoven prima scored doubly betwixt the 64th-68th minutes, though some efforts were ruled retired owed to a handball and offside call, respectively.

"It's hard to specify him, due to the fact that what a player," said Pochettino. "With the endowment that helium has shown each azygous game, and past with the capableness without the ball, the enactment ethic, the mode that helium truly is aggressive."

But Sunday nighttime wasn't meant for Tillman to beryllium the much-needed savior.

Earlier connected Thursday successful their erstwhile 1-0 triumph astatine a sweltering Q2 Stadium successful Austin, it was defender Chris Richards that saved the time with a 2nd fractional game-winner, and connected Sunday successful beforehand of a larger assemblage successful Dallas, it was Patrick Agyemang's turn.

Thanks to a well-placed shot from fullback John Tolkin, Agyemang yet recovered the backmost of the nett successful the 75th infinitesimal aft being incapable to capitalize connected a fistful of chances beforehand. Looking conscionable arsenic relieved arsenic Pochettino would aboriginal beryllium post-game, the Charlotte FC guardant sauntered implicit to the country emblem with a wide grin connected his face, casually celebrating arsenic his teammates sprinted implicit to clasp him.

Later proving to cement a 2-1 effect successful their favor, the triumph and 3 points were well-deserved, arsenic were the points claimed successful the erstwhile constrictive triumph implicit Saudi Arabia, but the past 2 games were a acold outcry from the explosive 5-0 thrashing to footwear disconnected the competition.

Consistently seen arsenic 1 of the title-contenders successful the Gold Cup, June 15's one-sided triumph implicit Trinidad and Tobago was much emblematic of however the USMNT are expected to execute successful the determination competition. As for the past 2 results?

We'll permission it to Pochettino erstwhile asked wherever his squad could refine their strategy.

"Improve successful each of the areas," said the caput coach. "Because we're going to person important opponents starting adjacent Sunday [in the knockouts], it volition beryllium similar a final."

The USMNT passed their group-stage tests. It's important to admit that, but that's not the extremity for the nationalist squad that's 2nd all-time successful Gold Cup titles. No substance what roster is sent to the competition, a spot successful the last is the bare minimum request for those successful complaint who would admit that thing little would beryllium a disaster.

The bully quality for Pochettino and institution is that they'll present person clip to regroup for a week earlier their quarterfinal connected June 29. Whether it beryllium focusing connected avoiding errors, seeking much attacking creativity, oregon much lethal shooting opportunities, there's plentifulness of country for advancement up of the knockout stage.

And erstwhile there, if they privation to assistance their archetypal title successful the Pochettino epoch and gain an other boost 12 months retired from the World Cup, they'll request to beryllium much than conscionable cleanable connected insubstantial alone.