USMNT Stock Watch: Unpacking the Concacaf Nations League disaster

Doug McIntyre

Soccer Journalist

It’s difficult to think of any member of the U.S. men’s national team whose reputation was left fully intact following last week’s Concacaf Nations League debacle in Los Angeles, where the Americans lost to Panama and Canada and saw chief rival Mexico hoist the trophy for the first time.

Taking a hard look at where the player pool stands is nonetheless imperative right now, precisely because the failure was so complete.

Mauricio Pochettino has major decisions to make. The USMNT‘s star coach now has just one more competitive tournament — this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup — during which to assess his squad and make the necessary adjustments in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S. in less than 15 months’ time.

With just over nine weeks to go before Pochettino’s selections assemble in Chicago for their pre-Gold Cup training camp, here’s a snapshot of his options.