Three months after a dismal 2024 Copa América group stage exit, the United States men's national soccer team returned to action for the September international window under different management and a renewed desire from team members to prove themselves.
But the promise of change and growth lasted mere minutes on Saturday as Canada exposed the Americans' ongoing weaknesses and lack of harmony with a 2-1 victory in Kansas City, Kansas.
In what could have been the perfect opportunity to dispel concerns of a downward spiral and instill hope to an apprehensive fan base, Saturday's limp performance emphasized the immense work that must be done by the U.S. team on the path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Stars and Stripes entered the friendly against Canada carrying the burden of the negative Copa América results from a tournament in which they made history by becoming the first host nation not to advance to the knockout rounds since the group stage was introduced in 1975. The U.S. also had never been eliminated from the group stage in 19 previous international tournaments played on American soil, including the 1994 World Cup.
U.S. Soccer underwent a 10-day review process to analyze the team's unsatisfactory performance at the Copa before sporting director Matt Crocker announced the firing of coach Gregg Berhalter, for a second time.
With interim manager Mikey Varas at the helm, however, the team's listlessness was laid bare for all to see on Saturday. The recurring mistakes began in the first half, as the Americans insisted on playing from the back against a high-pressing Canada under coach Jesse Marsch. Like Uruguay and Panama at the Copa América, the Canadians knew they could pressure the Americans into making mistakes in their own half. It came as no surprise, then, that the opening goal from Canada's Jacob Shaffelburg followed exactly that protocol. After U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte initiated the play, the Americans' defense coughed up possession after just three passes, turned the ball over and allowed the Canadians to take the lead.
Beyond defensive struggles, the Americans also failed to create any offensive opportunities as the lack of connection inspired just one shot in 45 minutes. For the first time since facing Qatar in the 2021 Gold Cup -- 52 games in total -- the U.S. was outshot by 10. It's not as surprising considering it had a pass completion rate of 75.4% in three Copa América group stage matches, which ranked 14th out of 16 teams at the tournament. The team saw a pass completion rate of 75.5% in the attacking third, the third-worst percentage of the first round of the Copa América. Berhalter attempted to impose a possession-based game that didn't suit the players available. The instructions often translated to a confused midfield and an offensive advantage for the opponent.
The same could be seen against Canada under Varas, who even admitted to transmitting confusion to the players.
"The translation of the ideas weren't clear enough because you shouldn't be static and you shouldn't pass the ball just to pass the ball," Varas said after the match. "You're trying to accelerate play as quickly as you can."
Saturday's second half saw an improvement and a slight increase of intensity by the United States. Despite the goal by Canada in the 58th minute that revealed defensive errors by Tim Ream and Chris Richards, the USMNT managed to cut the deficit by half with a goal by Luca de la Torre. Substitute Aidan Morris played an integral role in the build of the play, working precisely in the final third while de La Torre did well to find space. But like three months ago, a 25-minute spurt of energy and slight moments of offensive brilliance was never going to be enough to secure a win against a strong opponent.
In the end, Saturday's loss broke even more unwanted records for the Americans, losing to Canada on home turf for the first time in 67 years. The defeat also snaps a 23-game unbeaten streak against their northern rivals, the longest U.S. streak versus any opponent in team history, according to Opta.
What is clear is that with just under two years until the nation co-hosts the World Cup, the U.S. must quickly get to work on developing a strong style of play and identity on the pitch. Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Mauricio Pochettino is set to be named the new manager in the coming days, providing a glimmer of hope for the team's future. The former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss -- labeled by Ream as a "high-quality, high-level manager" -- has his work cut out for him. Pochettino -- or any new manager of the American team -- will need to untap the potential of the deemed "golden generation" with a schedule that doesn't offer any real tests until the start of the World Cup.
Will the combination of friendlies, the Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup allow the USMNT's new boss to forge a competitive unit? The right combination of players is perhaps there, but the loss to Canada proved there are a litany of weaknesses that need to be addressed if the 2026 World Cup co-hosts want to avoid plunging to even more historic lows.