United States of America Men’s national team lags behind 2-0 loss against portugal Tuesday in a friendly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
After a competitive start to the match for both sides, the visitors finally took the lead in the 37th minute Francisco Trincao He fired a shot past American goalkeeper Matt Freese. In response, the US continued their attacking pressure but ultimately failed to convert any of their chances until halftime.
Portugal doubled their lead after halftime. in the 59th minute joao felix He hit the ball at the right time from outside the box, making the score 2-0 in his favour. Portugal grew in confidence after several substitutions in the second half and despite not finding the net again, their efforts were enough to secure a 2–0 scoreline by the final whistle.
American coach Mauricio Pochettino and his roster will now begin final preparations this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Pochettino is expected to announce his team’s roster for the tournament in May.
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Manager’s rating out of 10
Mauricio Pochettino, 5– Glass Half Full: The US were dynamic after making six changes to their starting XI and created several chances in the final third. Glass Half Empty: The Decision to Start Over Christian Pulisic Was proven to be inaccurate as a striker, and amidst his poor performances, the team was not as efficient as it should have been in attack.
There were brief moments of magic for the USMNT, which made an exciting start to the friendly, but it was also a strange time for Pochettino to experiment in the last game before selecting his World Cup roster.
Player Rating (0-10; 10 = Best, 5 = Average)
gk matt freeze6 — He could do little to prevent Portugal’s two goals, but he still allowed those shots. quick escape from a bruno fernandes Try, and deny a powerful shot Nuno Mendes In the second half, his highlight reel will go down.
df antony robinson6 — Not bad defensively, looked dangerous going forward, and also had a powerful shot from distance. He wasn’t as involved as he was in his last game, but he still highlighted why he’s a starter for the US
df chris richards6 — After an early mistake by the captain with a mistimed pass, he quickly progressed with a strong presence in the backline. It wasn’t a perfect 90-plus minutes, but his intervention helped limit the opponents to just two goals.
df alex freeman7 — The youngest member of the XI has probably cemented his place in the starting roster. Freeman made brilliant runs forward, made attractive tackles and dribbled the ball with ease in the final third.
mutual fund Sebastian Berhalter5 — A good all-around game from the midfielder, who at times struggled to keep pace with Portugal. A shot from distance highlighted their early confidence, as did some lofted passes.
mutual fund aidan morris4 — Morris left space for Portugal to score his first goal and notably ran back in when he could have stopped Trincao. His tackling and distribution looked better as the game progressed, but the errors loomed large for the USMNT.
forenoon timothy weah5 — He was occasionally involved in applying pressure to the opponent, but it was clear that more was expected from the winger, who needed to be active. Won only one of his five duels.
forenoon malik tillman7 — A promising evening for the young player. He was highly active with his key passes, chance creation and clever movements with the ball. The energetic starter was arguably the best American on the field.
forenoon Weston McKenney5 — Linked up well with the front line and won a vital foul in a dangerous area. At times he was quiet in the first 45 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to drop his stock as a key man for the USMNT.
FW Christian Pulisic, 3 — His frustration highlighted by unnecessary yellow cards, it was an off night for the attacker, whose decision-making as a striker was questionable. Despite the fact that it was not his natural position, he failed to take advantage of his opportunities.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes do not receive a rating)
family welfare patrick agyemang7 — Better center point in the striker position than Pulisic. Helped to win the ball back and made some attractive passes in the final third.
df max arfston5 — His passing on the left could be better and it is difficult to say he is a better option than Robinson on the left.
mutual fund Tanner Tesman5 — Not bad moving forward with the ball, although more was expected of him defensively.
df joe scali4 — Could not make much impact in his limited time on the pitch.
family welfare Folarin Balogun5 — Like Scally, he did not have much time to make his mark on the match, but he provided some good passes and runs.
mutual fund cristian roldanN/A — Subbed on in the 79th minute.
forenoon gio reynaN/A — Subbed on in the 79th minute.
forenoon Brandon AaronsonN/A — Subbed on in the 79th minute.
df Mark McKenzieN/A — Subbed on in the 91st minute.
