ATLANTA – For roughly a year and a half since taking charge of the U.S. men’s national team, Mauricio Pochettino has tried to find the best version of the squad, introducing new players and testing various formations. The results have been mixed, according to CBS Sports.

Pochettino’s Final Experiment

In his 24th and final game before naming his World Cup roster, Pochettino attempted a new formation, using four defenders and placing Christian Pulisic as a No. 9. The setup aimed to get Pulisic his first goal of 2026, but the experiment ultimately failed as the USA lost 2-0 to Portugal, according to CBS Sports.

Weston McKennie was positioned as a central attacking figure, moving further forward than Pulisic at times. The U.S. players showed intensity in pressing forward, with Pulisic taking three shots before being substituted at halftime. McKennie’s performance was notable, following his strong showing against Belgium, where he was all over the pitch, according to CBS Sports.

McKennie praised Pochettino for allowing players to move freely and switch roles, saying, ‘I think he sees the abilities that we have and allows us to kind of freely move in between each other and switch roles,’ according to CBS Sports.

Defensive Issues Persist

Despite the attacking efforts, defensive problems proved costly. Francisco Trincao scored the first goal in the 37th minute, exploiting the U.S. team’s overly ambitious attacking shape that left gaps behind them, according to CBS Sports.

Pochettino had warned his players during a hydration break that this could happen, noting that Portugal had already identified the U.S. team’s tendency to leave gaps, according to CBS Sports.

‘In possession, we wanted to play with Weah and [Antonee Robinson] so high, giving the channel on the side to attack,’ Pochettino said. ‘But in that situation, we need to be better because when the ball is 50-50, when we don’t have clear control of the ball and the clear capacity to move from one side to another, if you lose the ball and you’re a fullback in that moment that’s playing like a wingback, he’s too high,’ according to CBS Sports.

Joao Felix added a second goal in the 59th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error where the U.S. had all their players in the box but left three Portuguese players unmarked outside the penalty area, according to CBS Sports.

Pochettino attributed the error to the heavy number of substitutions both teams made, creating confusion about players’ roles on set pieces, according to CBS Sports.

Looking Ahead to the World Cup

Despite the loss, the U.S. players took a glass-half-full approach, arguing that matches against Portugal and Belgium offered a glimpse of what is required to make the leap to the World Cup, according to CBS Sports.

‘I think when you play against those teams, it’s a lot less chaotic,’ Sebastian Berhalter said. ‘I think it’s a lot more controlled and guys have great first touches so pressing makes it even harder but it’s not as all over the place in the center in the sense of you’re waiting and waiting and when you get your chance, you’re going,’ according to CBS Sports.

However, the U.S. are now on an eight-match losing streak against European sides, their second-worst run against opponents from that continent, according to CBS Sports. Their final pre-World Cup friendly is against Germany, with a European foe in Turkiye awaiting in the Group D finale after they officially qualified for the World Cup hours before the U.S. team kicked off in Atlanta, according to CBS Sports.

Pochettino expressed hope that the U.S. team can beat a top-tier foe in the World Cup, saying, ‘Always, there’s hope the first time is going to be in the World Cup,’ according to CBS Sports.