It seems hard to think anything can be gleamed from a 5-1 thrashing, regardless of who is on the end of the win or loss. However, for USMNT, last night was far less about the scoreline itself — though
that was really fun to watch — but more about the players on the pitch putting the performance on. With the last match of 2025 in the books, and only a handful of prep matches left before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, here is a bit of what we learned from last night’s USA vs Uruguay friendly.
“This is the United States National Team”
One thing we learned from this match, don’t call them the c-team, at least not to Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s face. Sure, in this business and in sports, there is always a sense of ‘regular starters’, the ‘backups’ and in soccer we tend to see a third level of players typically called the ‘reserves’ where a lot of the younger prospects reside. On paper, the lineup put out last night on just two nights rest from the teams previous win of Paraguay would be considered to a lot of people as the reserve team. A group of young players and fringe former starters that were looking for a glimmer of hope that maybe they too could do enough to be called for the 2026 World Cup roster.
As a coach though, especially as the head coach, you don’t want to get into those type of narratives as it risks cultivating poor confidence and drama within any given side. That’s why what Pochettino said post match last night hits so hard. When asked about his ‘regular starters’ Poch hit back, “I don’t want to be negative, ‘no regular players’ what does that mean? It’s so disrespectful…..this is the United States National Team.” That type of energy is exactly what is needed after nights like this. Letting the young guys know they aren’t outliers, but part of the group, while letting the ‘regulars’ know that nothing is promised or guaranteed, says it’s about putting in the work every single chance you get.
There’s a first time for everything
We also learned that there were a a handful of players in this group that had just been itching for the chance to score their first-ever international goal for the squad. Three players, Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman, and Tanner Tessmann all hit the back of the net for the first time for USMNT during last night’s big win in Tampa.
Berhalter arguably had the most creative goal, scoring off a set piece ripped from the training pitch. A quick one-two to get a better angle and then bending the ball with precision to send it upper levels and out of reach of the goalkeeper for the early lead. Alex Freeman had not just his first goal, but his first brace. His first goal was pure power with a header while it was the second one that sent everyone into a frenzy with some insane dribbling that snatched up a couple souls as he surged towards goal and into the back of the net with calm and coolness rarely seen in a player so young. Then it was Tanner Tessmann with a glancing header for the dagger.
What we really learned from all this is that even the players waiting in the wings are hungry. That wasn’t some scrub Uruguay side we saw last night, that was a team in immense form and they got absolutely obliterated by a young, hungry, creative United States side that hardly anyone, especially the visitors, expected to see on the night.
Perhaps the best chemistry is hunger
The biggest talking point around USMNT as the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws closer is the ‘chemistry’ talk. The worry that if this team doesn’t get a run of games with their so-called ‘regular players’ that they will go into the tournament lacking any chemistry, and thus will find themselves out early. But perhaps they don’t need chemistry, as we saw in this window as a whole, is that there are layers of players within this pool that are staying ready so they don’t have to get ready.
Gio Reyna was away for months and in some of the worst domestic form of his career, but went into the team and looked like he hadn’t missed a single beat. He wasn’t just scoring either, but creating and serving up for others. Guys like Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman might be young but they aren’t afraid of the moment. Perhaps that’s why Pochettino was so adamant that there aren’t ‘regular players’ but instead a pool of talent a lot deeper than many had anticipated.
That said, yes, it is always a good idea to get the group you presume would be your typical starting XI for the World Cup, however it may look, and get them at least a couple of matches together to build timing, get familiar with positioning, all of the tactical stuff, etc., but who knows, maybe keeping the entire group hungry and on their toes will lead to a deep, magical, cinderella-esque run this summer.
What did you learn from the this International Break window? Leave a comment below!
