USMNT "needs to show character" vs. Canada
03/22/2025 04:52 PM
The U.S. men’s national team won’t be playing in the CONCACAF Nations League Final on Sunday, but its showdown vs. Canada remains just as important.
Mauricio Pochettino’s squad takes on the Canadians in the third place game at SoFi Stadium, seeking a needed bounce-back result. Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Panama led to heavy criticism towards Pochettino and his players after they lacked the cutting edge to win in one of few competitive matches before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Pochettino is hoping to see a lot of the same from his players against Canada, but also improve in many areas too.
“I think what we want to see is the same focus and concentration and mental level in every single game, official [competition] or no official competition,” Pochettino said in his prematch press conference on Saturday.
“And for me, tomorrow is going to be a game, an important game to see how we react,” he added. “We need to show character..It’s not only about the result but it’s also about to improve our performance.”
The USMNT offered very little in the final third against Canada, with Josh Sargent and Patrick Agyemang coming the closest to scoring. Leading playmaker Christian Pulisic was held in check for most of the match, which was a surprising turnaround in comparison to his recent club form for AC Milan.
Pulisic remains the USMNT’s attacking leader heading into Sunday’s match and an improved performance from him could be what leads other teammates to take more offensive chances.
“A player like him is under pressure in the last few months, high pressure,” Pochettino said about Pulisic. “For sure that is not the Christian that we wanted to see because I think he can do much better.
“Of course you have this characteristic that maybe you can find different ways to motivate people or groups but in the same time you need to identify the players that have their own motivation and their own aggressiveness because they’re comfortable in behaving in this way,” he added.
The USMNT ultimately will want to be braver against their northern neighbors. Canada defeated the USMNT 2-1 in friendly play back in September 2024 and overall has won two of its last four matches overall against the Americans.
Pochettino knows mistakes will happen during his reign as USMNT boss but wants his players to try things rather than not even take the risk at all.
“They need to trust in that they can make a mistake, and the mistake is not to try again,” Pochettino said. “For me that is the most important.”
“People that take risks is what we want, what we love and you cannot play football without risk,” he added. “If you want to play safe, you are not going to affect the game. That is the important thing that also we were talking yesterday — to take risks, is to be brave.”
