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Mar 29, 2026 07:15+06:00
'If it needs to happen, let it happen now' - USMNT learn painful lesson after Jeremy Doku torments defense: Winners and Losers from 5-2 loss to Belgium
Winners & Losers | USA | Belgium | FEATURES | USA vs Belgium | Friendlies | C. Pulisic | M. Turner | W. McKennie
Defensive errors and an unplayable Jeremy Doku exposed the USMNT in a heavy loss to Belgium, raising fresh concerns ahead of the World Cup.
ATLANTA -- It’s not easy to find nuance in a 5-2 loss, but after the U.S. Men’s National Team were thumped by Belgium on Saturday, manager Mauricio Pochettino went looking for it anyway.
There was plenty to pick apart. The U.S. defense were mistake-prone and lacked intensity, while the finishing fell short. And in the moments that mattered most, the U.S. didn’t just come up empty - they handed control to Belgium, who punished them time and again. There will be no shortage of lessons for Pochettino and his staff, even if time is running out to learn them.
That's where Pochettino got to the nuance part of this, though. The scoreline didn't tell the full story, he said, and his counterpart, Belgium boss Rudi Garcia, agreed. For much of the match, the USMNT played with Belgium. The problem was that, in the moments they didn't, Belgium made them pay, putting up a total number of goals that would be concerning despite positives from the Americans.
"It's true that data says a little bit sometimes," Pochettino said, "And, yes, you can manipulate it in the way that you want, but it's true that, when you lose 5-2, you cannot say anything to convince people that there were positive things. The thing is that there were positive things that we are seeing now in the dressing room, and from there, we can build."
There’s plenty of building to do. After a breakthrough fall, the USMNT’s flaws came rushing back on Saturday in Atlanta. They were slow to close down, lacked intensity and struggled to communicate. And in the moments where the game could be decided, they were too naive. Belgium - like the Netherlands side that eliminated the U.S. at the last World Cup - were able to “suffer,” as Matt Turner put it, staying organized and disciplined when it mattered. The U.S., by contrast, unraveled as soon as the game demanded the same.
Could it be a good thing, then, that this happened now? Maybe. It's not necessarily a sign of things to come, as last cycle's September humblings against Saudi Arabia and Japan had little impact on the eventual World Cup run. Ultimately, this may be just a speed bump. It could be a lesson. Or it could be a concerning preview. Ultimately, no one will really know until this summer.
"I think we can arrive with the wrong idea that we are so good, we are so handsome, we are so well-dressed, we are Americans," Pochettino said. "It's good to feel this if we want to win the World Cup, if we want to get out of the group, and if we want to beat Paraguay. If we want to beat these types of opponents, do you think they are not going to fight?"
"It's always better that this type of result is going to happen now," he added. "Of course, I prefer another result, but if it needs to happen, let it happen now because we know what we are going to face in these next games."
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Mercedes-Benz Stadium...
LOSER: The USMNT's defending
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There's no one person to point fingers at. This is a loser by committee because it took a full team effort to capitulate in the way the USMNT did.
"We dropped a little bit of intensity," Pochettino said postgame. "In other actions, we had superiority, but we weren't aggressive enough, like in the way we considered the first goal. In this action, I think we have 10 players inside the box, but we weren't aggressive enough. We need to keep that energy up the whole time. I think that is the challenge. That challenge is a good reality check for us because now is the moment to feel this type of situation."
To Pochettino's point, Belgium's goal avalanche largely came as a result of collective errors. Outside of the penalty, which Pochettino said was dubious to begin with, every other Belgium goal featured a group breakdown of some kind. Players were funneled the wrong way, help defenders didn't press, and shooters were given too much room to roam. That's not an individual failure, but rather a failure by a bunch of individuals.
Would it have changed if star center back Chris Richards had been healthy? Perhaps, but again, this wasn't a one-man breakdown. The USMNT's backline, midfield, and attack all played their part in equal measure, and each unit will need to up the energy and communication if they want to avoid a similar fate against Portugal.
WINNER: Jeremy Doku
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Absolutely unplayable. Nothing else really needs to be said. Sometimes, a team runs into a $50-100 million-valued winger that puts every defender you have in a blender. The USMNT saw it earlier this fall against Son Heung-Min, and they saw it again on Saturday.
At this level, one winger can take over a game. Doku did just that, beating defenders at will and drawing so much attention that the rest of Belgium’s attack opened up around him.
"You have guys like Doku, who can expose you in different ways," said Tim Weah, who was the one primarily responsible for defending the Manchester City star. "Trying to get more guys out there to where you know he doesn't have the freedom to get close to our box and dribble. Those are little things that you can adjust in training. I think this is our first time we played against such a prolific winger like that."
In his postgame press conference, Pochettino gave Weah credit for how he handled Doku, instead pointing to the lack of help around him. The game plan was to defend Doku as a pack, but all too often, communication broke down, allowing him to isolate a defender and do what he does best: dribble.
It's a timely reminder of what the U.S. could see this summer. Players like this are what the World Cup is built on - and the U.S. will see plenty more of them.
WINNER: Weston McKennie
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It'll feel like McKennie's goal came a lifetime ago. The game was so different at that moment, and the vibes didn't resemble anything like the ones the USMNT ended up with.
The goal was important, though, because it confirmed something the U.S. needed to see: that the Juventus McKennie travels. McKennie has been crucial for Juve this season, popping up with crucial goals in the biggest moments. He did that on Saturday, running to the back post unopposed and finishing with ease. It was another example of how dangerous McKennie is on set pieces and of how quickly he can change a game in general.
Everything that followed made that moment feel insignificant. The focus, rightly, will be on Belgium’s goals, not the USMNT’s opener. Still, if there was a positive, it was Weston McKennie - a reminder of how important he’ll be as this team leans on him more heading toward the World Cup.
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LOSER: Christian Pulisic
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While McKennie's form can't be questioned, Christian Pulisic's has. Those questions weren't answered on Saturday.
Pulisic had no shortage of good looks against Belgium. He had three shots, but all but one of them were off target. On another day, Pulisic buries one, maybe two. It didn't happen this time, and it had its consequences. Just moments after one Pulisic missed chance, Belgium broke the other way to score the go-ahead goal.
"I feel I can do better on one of the chances," he said. "It's frustrating for me. It's been a tough patch, but I feel confident in the way I'm playing, and I feel good creating chances. I just have to stay positive and keep going, but I have to be more clinical, for sure, in those moments because you miss that and then they go and score and it changes the game."
He's not panicking, though. At this point in his career, Pulisic has had every level of good and bad form. It always turns around, one way or another.
"I know I can hit a ball off my knee and it can go in," he says. "Things will change. I'm not going to panic now. By this summer, things are going to change. That's all I can do: be positive."
WINNER: Patrick Agyemang and Ricardo Pepi
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Pochettino harped on the need for high levels of intensity. He got that from his two substitute strikers.
With time running out, the duo combined for one final positive moment to help the U.S. end the game on something of a relative high. Pepi pressed and won the ball back, deflecting a pass straight into the path of Agyemang. The Derby County striker made no mistake, firing a shot into the back of the net to pull one back from close range.
"Just coming off the bench, you want to make an impact," Pepi said postmatch. "Whether it's assisting or scoring a goal, in my head, I'm just ready to help the team. Assisting or scoring, that's my job."
Both Pepi and Agyemang did their jobs on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see what type of opportunities they get to do them again in Tuesday's clash with Portugal.
LOSER: Matt Turner
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When asked about the goals postgame, Pochettino said you couldn't put them on Turner. He's right. Could Turner have done better on one or two of them? For sure, but there was no howler mixed into Belgium's five finishes.
Turner, though, knows the score. In his last two appearances in a USMNT shirt, he's had to pick the ball out of the back of the net nine times. It's a rough number, but it's real, and Turner knows it's tough to really overlook.
"The scoreline is what it is at the end of the day," Turner said. "It's frustrating because the optics aren't great when you concede five goals. I think that means that, on the business end of the pitch, on both sides, we can do better."
So what's next for Turner? To start, he was quick to put his hands up and say that he needs to be better. He hopes he gets another chance, although time is running out ahead of the World Cup.
"I'm always going to evaluate myself very fairly," he said. " I've stood in front of here and criticized myself many times, but tonight, I felt like I did have some good moments. I was able to make some good saves, but I just wish I could have had one or two of the goals back because I don't think the scoreline reflected the balance or flow of the game."
LOSER: Kit clashes
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Not the most consequential of takeaways this game, but one that impacted the match nonetheless.
Here's what happened: prior to the game, both teams submitted photos of their kits for referee approval. Then, on gameday, both sets of uniforms were inspected again. Everything was given the okay and both sides played in their planned shirts, but just seconds into the match, it became clear that the kits were something of a problem. The tops were too similar, and the combination of the USMNT's blue shorts and Belgium's blue socks didn't help much, either.
Technically, either team could have changed shirts in the second half. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Belgium's secondary kits had already been shipped to Chicago, the site of their upcoming game against Mexico, which meant both teams simply had to deal with the shirts as they were.
'If It Needs to Happen, Let It Happen Now' – USMNT Learns Painful Lesson as Jeremy Doku Torments Defense: Winners and Losers from 5-2 Loss to Belgium
