The USMNT will embark on its last set of friendlies before the World Cup by taking on Belgium, an opponent that will be the toughest test the team has faced under Mauricio Pochettino. However, it’s a test the Americans should be up for. After an up and down start to his tenure, Poch seems to be developing a winning formula for the USA. The team is riding a five game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2-0 win against Japan in September. In the most recent games, the Stars and Stripes beat Paraguay 2-1
and handed Uruguay a rough defeat in a 5-1 loss to finish out 2025.
Belgium are a team in transition with the golden generation that arrived the last time the teams met at the 2014 World Cup making way for a new wave of young talent. The job of manager Rudi Garcia will be to blend his veterans with younger players perhaps with an eye towards winning a knockout game or two in 2026. The team comes into the friendly having qualified fairly easily focused on possession and aggressively attacking opponents.
De Rode Duivels have a talented and creative team that looks to play solidly up the middle while giving wingbacks freedom to get forward. Especially important to the team is left back Maxim De Cuyper, his creativity and interplay with Jérémy Doku should make the American right side defenders wary throughout the match. Another advantage the team has is that is it very tall. Thomas Meunier is 6’ 3,” Zeno Debast stands at 6’ 2,” Amadou Onana is 6’ 5,“ and forward Charles De Ketelaere is 6’ 4.” This could obviously cause some issues on set pieces for the USA, not only in defending them but in finding ways to score also.
For the USA, the team seems to have settled on a formation, tactics, and core group of players. That gives Poch a lot of flexibility not only tactically, but also in terms of the personnel he wants for how the team plays. It seems like a three center back formation is likely, but it’s not clear who will start alongside Chris Richards. Poch may go with an experienced player like Tim Ream on the left who, while having lost a step, is still the best passer out of the defense and a steady veteran presence on the pitch. It will be interesting to see how Weston McKennie fits into the team, his versatility and consistent contributions all over the pitch make him invaluable. Another option against Belgium could be to start Tanner Tessmann next to Johnny Cardoso with McKennie pushed up field and Malik Tillman on the bench.
However the team lines up, its formation gives it a lot of ability to adjust to either playing in transition or trying to build from the back and create scoring chances in possession. While a core group of players has emerged, Poch will want to see how players on the bubble fare against teams who are expected to reach the knockout rounds in the World Cup. Miles Robinson is a skilled 1v1 defender and may play his way into a start with a good showing this window, Sebastian Berhalter and Aiden Morris offer different abilities but a spot backing up attacking and defensive midfield is on the line for the players. With the forwards, the second and third striker spots are likely Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang’s to lose with Haji Wright staying back in England this window.
While this is just a friendly, the vibes around the team have been improving. A result is still important, but how the team plays, the way it looks like it is continuing to gel, and the fight the players show for each other will be key against Belgium. At this point, the big picture is coming into focus and Poch should be looking at ways the team needs to fine tune parts of its game going into the World Cup.
