USMNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Reyna Gets His Chance But Pulisic Worries Continue

The U.S. men's national team had a tough March international window, but there were some bright spots amid the losses.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 7:50pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a fragmented, multi-angled view of a soccer match, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the colors of the American flag.The USMNT's struggles in the March international window expose cracks in their World Cup preparations.Charlotte Today

The U.S. men's national team (USMNT) just wrapped up a disappointing March international window, suffering losses to Belgium and Portugal. However, manager Mauricio Pochettino saw some positives, including the return of defender Chris Richards, the emergence of goalkeeper Matt Freese, and the increased playing time for Giovanni Reyna. On the other hand, star forward Christian Pulisic continues to struggle with a goal drought, while veteran goalkeeper Matt Turner and defender Tim Ream had poor outings against Belgium.

Why it matters

With the 2026 World Cup just 10 weeks away, the USMNT's performance in the March window is crucial as Pochettino finalizes his 26-player roster. The team's struggles against top European opponents raise concerns, but the manager remains optimistic about the squad's depth and potential.

The details

The USMNT suffered a 5-2 thrashing by Belgium on Saturday and a 2-0 loss to Portugal on Tuesday. Despite the poor results, Pochettino highlighted several positives, including the return of defender Chris Richards, who made a surprising recovery from a knee injury to play 90 minutes against Portugal. Goalkeeper Matt Freese also established himself as the likely starter for the World Cup, making critical saves against Portugal. Meanwhile, Giovanni Reyna, who has seen limited playing time at the club level, was given more minutes by Pochettino, who believes international performance can supersede club form.

  • The USMNT just wrapped up the March international window.
  • The 2026 World Cup is just 10 weeks away.
  • Pochettino has stated he will finalize his roster by the next international window in May.

The players

Chris Richards

A Crystal Palace center back who was expected to miss the March international window due to a knee injury, but made a surprising recovery to play 90 minutes against Portugal.

Matt Freese

The New York City FC goalkeeper who has firmly established himself as the starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup, earning his first senior call-up only last year.

Giovanni Reyna

The Borussia Mönchengladbach attacker who has seen limited playing time at the club level but was given more minutes by Pochettino in the March international window.

Christian Pulisic

The star forward of the USMNT, who has struggled with a goal drought, going 15 games without a goal across all competitions and eight games for the U.S. soccer team.

Matt Turner

The USMNT's starting goalkeeper for the 2022 World Cup, who has seemingly lost his place to Freese after a poor outing against Belgium.

Tim Ream

The veteran center back whose defensive deficiencies were integral to the U.S.'s disastrous outcome against Belgium, struggling to hold down the space in the box.

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What they’re saying

“Although the USMNT didn't prove to be in top form, Pochettino insisted there were several positives to take away from the week and that narrowing his deep squad to just 26 players will be quite the challenge.”

— Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT Manager

What’s next

Pochettino has just the May international window left—games against Senegal and Germany—to get the USMNT back on track before World Cup kickoff on June 12.

The takeaway

The USMNT's struggles in the March international window have raised concerns about the team's form heading into the 2026 World Cup, but Pochettino remains optimistic about the squad's depth and potential. The manager will have one more chance in May to fine-tune the roster and get the team back on track before the World Cup begins.