GOAL US writers analyze the USMNT's 2-0 loss to South Korea and debate whether Pochettino's side can rally against Japan

Well, that was painful. Analyze the angles, think about the specifics, and break down the tactical minutiae all you want: what did the USMNT actually learn from their 2-0 defeat to South Korea on Saturday night? Manager Mauricio Pochettino rotated (again), the U.S. lost (again).

It's very hard to find excitement in this team. Of course, Son Heung-Min and South Korea were good, but it did seem a markedly low effort victory. They strolled past the Americans, who had few tactical ideas out there.

So, are there any positive takeaways? There are decisions to criticize, and some learnings to be found. More broadly, there's also the small matter of playing a better team on Tuesday night – a Japan squad that just held a far superior Mexican side to a 0-0 draw without playing particularly well. No way that this can go wrong.

GOAL US writers break down another drab U.S. performance, and ask what's next, in the latest edition of… The Rondo.

ImagnWhat's the biggest takeaway from the USMNT loss?

Tom Hindle: That it's not about personnel as much as the fact that the U.S. don't really have a reliable system to work with. Pochettino rotated heavily and left out some guys, but none of those really intelligent professional footballers seemed to know what they should do with, and without, the ball. That's probably bad. 

Ryan Tolmich: There are World Cup-quality players in this player pool, but not all of them are playing. Mauricio Pochettino has embraced positional  competition, but it hasn't worked. That's argely because the newcomers he wanted to compete for spots aren't as good – or even as promising – as the old guard. In an attempt to root out complacency, Pochettino has inadvertently proven why some of those players were complacent to begin with. There's no reason to really panic, at least not yet. But it is time to course-correct and start putting the best team on the field.

Alex Labidou: It appears as if Pochettino hasn’t grasped a key component of what it means to be a national team manager: Building pride. As a club  manager, playing a friendly means just that. But on an international level, this isn’t Tottenham vs. Shanghai Shenhua. While supporters might not remember their club’s preseason record, they still remember, for example, when the U.S. beat Italy. For the USMNT, this is an opportunity to set the tone, to build momentum, and get people excited about the 2026 World Cup. The U.S. are winless against non-North American top 25 opposition in their last seven games, being outscored 17-3 in that span. You can criticize Jurgen Klinsmann for not being a strong Xs and Os guy, but he was very good at building confidence with big results. Right now, Pochettino is failing in that regard.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDid Christian Pulisic prove anything in his return?

TH: Nah. But did anyone here? Pulisic looked good in moments, but tried to hard carry a team that didn't really know what it was doing. Not his fault.

RT: Certainly not. Fair or unfair, if you take a summer off to rest, you'd better come back looking like you're at 150 percent. Pulisic didn't do that, and he didn't dominate the game in the way that the U.S. needed. Granted, there were bigger problems than Pulisic, but he also wasn't a solution, which only adds fuel to the fire for his critics.

AL: No. Even he essentially said in his documentary that he was taking names when he returned to the USMNT, but was mostly quiet against South Korea. Some of it is tactical. With Sergino Dest sharing the right-hand side, it meant Pulisic had to take more defensive work, as the fullback is known more for going forward than tracking back. But after taking the summer off, one would expect a greater impact.

Getty ImagesWhat needs to change before the Japan match?

TH: At the very least, an attempt to stay with a recognizable system. Josh Sargent, Tristan Blackmon and Sebastian Berhalter out, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Jack McGlynn in. Otherwise, stick to a formation please, Poch. 

RT: It would be nice to get a look at a three-centerback setup, even if it is somewhat imperfect without Antonee Robinson in that left-wingback spot. It's something we haven't seen much of, but also a system that seemingly plays to this group's strengths. Let Tim Ream swat away as much as he can from the middle while putting Richards in a familiar wide centerback role. Meanwhile, Dest and Max Arfsten would get room to roam in the ways they do best. It's certainly worth a shot, even if it's just to establish that it could be an option for the World Cup.

AL: Balogun needs to start. Some of this is unfair to Sargent, who is playing in a system that doesn’t suit him. However, the reality is that most strikers at the international level share the same complaint. The best ones find a way to be dangerous regardless of set up – and he simply hasn’t shown that he can fit on this level. Pochettino also needs to try a new formation. Right now, there’s too much overlap in attack and not enough concern on the defensive end.

(C)Getty ImagesWho deserves a debut against Japan?

TH: Well, every single spot seems to be up for grabs, which isn't a good thing. But it'd have to be Noahkai Banks, even if it's off the bench. 

RT: It would be fun to see Banks get in there as that third centerback. He'd have plenty of experience next to him with Ream and Richards and, as Pochettino said earlier this week, it's worth getting a look at a player that could end up becoming a key option in time for the World Cup. That, of course, would depend on his ability to take the leap in the Bundesliga, but a start in this game would certainly build his confidence.

AL: Banks has to see the pitch. You don’t fly a highly-regarded prospect from Germany to not play him, especially when you played Blackmon extended minutes. And while he’s gotten some caps already, how about seeing what you have with Damion Downs, or even perhaps trying him in a different formation where you can get Balogun or Sargent out there? If Pochettino is serious when he says this is the last window of experimentation, then he should be willing to tinker with the formation where it makes sense.