On first four-game losing streak since 2007, U.S. looks unprepared with World Cup a year away
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The only bright side for the U.S. soccer team is the World Cup starts in a year, not this week.
The Americans conceded four goals in the first half, failed to get a shot on target and were embarrassed in a 4-0 blowout loss to Switzerland in a friendly on Tuesday night.
“It’s really easy to look at one game, one half, and be like, oh, this is all going to pieces, they can’t come back from this,” defender Walker Zimmerman said. “But you look even the build-up to the 2022 (World Cup), we take down Morocco 3-0 and they make it into the semifinal. Things change — that was six months apart. It’s not the end of the world.”
Heading into their CONCACAF Gold Cup opener against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the Americans are on a four-game losing streak for the first time since 2007 and have dropped four consecutive home games for just the third time overall and first time since 1988.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino blamed himself for picking a starting lineup that included four players with two or fewer international appearances. He wanted them to gain international experience but the Americans gave up four goals by the 40th minute for the first time since Nov. 9, 1980, at Mexico and the first time ever at home, according to Opta.
“It was my decision and the decision didn't work,” he said. “It's painful because you don’t want to improve losing games."
A dismayed fan base, angered by first-round elimination at last year's Copa America and two losses in the CONCACAF Nations League final four in March, is questioning the commitment of the team’s player pool.
The U.S. was missing star Christian Pulisic (wanted time off); Yunus Musah (personal reason not disclosed); Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna (headed to the Club World Cup); Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun (injured); and Sergiño Dest (regaining fitness).
Dan Ndoye scored in the 13th minute, Michel Aebischer in the 23rd, Breel Embolo in the 33rd and Johan Manzambi in the 36th. Goalkeeper Matt Turner, playing his first match for club or country since March 23, spilled a shot that led to Embolo's goal. Defenders left the Swiss lots of space.
“You have to take your licks and understand where things went wrong and try to put them right in the next five days,” said defender Tim Ream, among five players who entered at the start of the second half. “There’s some individual errors that we make and we get punished for them at this level.”
Instead of a steady improvement, the U.S. has regressed since reaching the second round of the 2022 World Cup. The Americans are 5-5 under Pochettino, who took over after the Copa America flop led the U.S. Soccer Federation to fire coach Gregg Berhalter.
The U.S. also plays Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the Gold Cup's first round — the Americans have won their group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, along with a second-place finish to Panama in 2011. They're group stage record is 40 wins, one loss and five draws.
Only winning the tournament likely will calm supporters.
“I know in this sport you’re not judged on one game, one half, but you’ve got to be able to bounce back mentally, physically, emotionally,” Zimmerman said. “We've played hundreds of games in our career. Some are going to be amazing. Some aren’t going to be so good.”
Pochettino isn't concerned fans will give up on the U.S. team and stay away from matches.
“The fans are going to be there for sure in the Gold Cup and the World Cup," he said. ”I have no worries about that. The fans are going to be with the team."
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