{"id":3253,"date":"2026-03-30T04:49:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T04:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=3253"},"modified":"2026-03-30T04:49:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T04:49:35","slug":"usas-stars-ready-to-redeem-themselves-in-yet-another-tough-pre-world-cup-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=3253","title":{"rendered":"USA&#039;s Stars Ready to Redeem Themselves in Yet Another Tough Pre-World Cup Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            POPULAR SEARCHES\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            BROWSE BY\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6><strong>Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) \u2014<\/strong> Walking the streets of Georgia\u2019s stately capital on Saturday, shortly before the United States men\u2019s national team\u2019s World Cup warm-up against Belgium, the excitement among the home team\u2019s fans was palpable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>Under a cloudless sky, supporters of all ages wore those swanky new USA jerseys and ear-to-ear smiles. Inside &#8220;The Benz,&#8221; a packed house of nearly 67,000 danced in the stands and mugged for the Jumbotron just before kickoff.<\/p>\n<p><span>USA fans were hopeful for a solid showing by Mauricio Pochettino&#8217;s squad in Atlanta. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>Some 85 minutes later, though, the mood among the faithful that had packed the home of the NFL&#8217;s Atlanta Falcons and MLS side Atlanta United had shifted completely. Down four goals to FIFA\u2019s ninth-ranked team, entire sections of seats emptied as thousands of those same fans headed to the exits in droves before Patrick Agyemang pulled back a late consolation tally for Mauricio Pochettino\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n<p><span>The USA came out looking sharp but ultimately wilted against Belgium. (Getty)<\/span> <!--&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>After the final whistle in the 5-2 drubbing mercifully sounded, the dejected American players struggled to explain what had just happened. But they also vowed to try and make it right, right back here on Tuesday, when a stout Portugal side comes to town for the second of the Stars-and-Stripes' two games this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6><strong>- <\/strong><strong>4 Takeaways after USA's Loss to Belgium<\/strong><br \/><strong>- <\/strong><strong>Color Clash? How USA-Belgium jersey combo irked players<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>They\u2019d better. After all, the United States' co-hosting duties (alongside Canada and Mexico) for this edition of the 48-team World Cup \u2013 the largest ever in history \u2014 is now just over two months away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Jeremy Doku and Belgium outlasted Christian Pulisic and the USA. (Getty)<\/span> --><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>&#8220;We have another opportunity against a strong team on Tuesday,&#8221; U.S. headliner Christian Pulisic told FOX Sports and other outlets following Saturday\u2019s debacle. &#8220;We want to get a good result and feel good going into the World Cup.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>&#8220;We&#8217;ll go back over video, and we&#8217;ll see what we lacked, or where we could have done better, and then prepare,&#8221; said star midfielder Weston McKennie, scorer of the Americans&#8217; first goal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>&#8220;We have an important game against Portugal,&#8221; added winger-turned-fullback Tim Weah. &#8220;We just have to get back into training and work on some stuff. We have to bounce back.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>It doesn\u2019t matter that all involved agreed that the result was closer than that scoreline would indicate. The hosts took the lead against Belgium and nearly went into the locker room at halftime up by one, only to concede a preventable equalizer mere seconds before the break.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>The visitors then bagged two more before the contest reached the 60-minute mark, including a penalty that Pochettino insisted shouldn&#8217;t have been awarded. At that point, though, the outcome was probably inevitable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>Against the Portuguese, the U.S. must keep the score close.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>It\u2019s a realistic aim. Roberto Martinez\u2019s side, which defeated Spain to win the UEFA Nations League title last summer, were held without a goal in Mexico City later on Saturday at the re-opening of the mythical Estadio Azteca. \u00a0Ultimately, Portugal settled for a scoreless tie with fellow World Cup co-hosts <i>El Tri<\/i> despite possessing the ball for a whopping 67 percent of the match.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>Portugal, even without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, figures to be a lot better in Atlanta. The U.S. will have their hands full with the likes of Manchester United&#8217;s Bruno Fernandes and PSG&#8217;s Nuno Mendes. To have any chance of avoiding another embarrassment, they\u2019ll need to play a much more complete match.<\/p>\n<p><span>Bruno Fernandes and Portugal will give the USA a big test on Tuesday in Atlanta. (Photo by Agustin Cuevas\/Getty Images)<\/span> <!--&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>\"I want to watch [the Belgium loss]\u00a0back and see how we can position ourselves a bit better when we are attacking as a group, to sustain attacks a little bit longer, and not have problems in transition,\" said Pulisic, who hasn\u2019t scored for the national team since 2024 or for his club, AC Milan, since November.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>On Saturday, Pulisic squandered a golden opportunity just before Belgium took a lead they\u2019d never relinquish, one of several key moments that could've gone differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>More than anything, though, the USA can\u2019t afford to let their resistance drop midway through a second consecutive outing. Against FIFA\u2019s No. 6-ranked side, any let-off in effort promises to be once again punished with ruthless efficiency. Just as it will be if and when Pulisic &amp; Co. come up against any other heavyweight foe during the main event\u2019s knockout rounds this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>\"One of the things that we can work on,\" McKennie said, \"is being able to stay consistent in how we start the game to how we finish it with the same intensity.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>For a game that won\u2019t count in the standings, the pressure not to lay another egg in front of a huge, pro-American audience is obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>\"We all have to look into the mirror,\" goalkeeper Matt Turner said after Saturday's loss. For him and the rest of his teammates, Tuesday\u2019s match can\u2019t come soon enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>\"We know we can do better,\" McKennie reiterated. \"We know what went wrong, but we also know and believe fully that we can play with teams of this caliber.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>They'll soon get another chance to prove it and, in the process, give the diehards in the stands some renewed optimism rather than another dose of dejection.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-d515c0f6>\"We want to get a good result on Tuesday,\" Pulisic said. \"And that's what we're going to do.\"<\/p>\n\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>POPULAR SEARCHES BROWSE BY Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) \u2014 Walking the streets of Georgia\u2019s stately capital on Saturday, shortly before the United States men\u2019s national team\u2019s World Cup warm-up against Belgium, the excitement among the home team\u2019s fans was palpable. Under a cloudless sky, supporters of all ages wore those swanky new USA jerseys and ear-to-ear [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3252,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}