USMNT's 2–5 Belgium Defeat Sparks World Cup Roster Debate — Pochettino Under Scrutiny

The day after the USMNT's 2–5 loss to Belgium, national media debate centered on Pochettino's tactical approach and defensive vulnerabilities exposed by Dodi Lukébakio's brace and Amadou Onana's powerful midfield performance. CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and ESPN all identified center-back depth and defensive compactness as the team's most urgent pre-tournament concerns. Gio Reyna's surprise call-up drew discussion about the squad composition for the May 26 roster announcement. Patrick Agyemang's late consolation goal offered minor encouragement. Pochettino was asked in post-match media whether the result changed his World Cup preparations: he emphasized the Belgium match was an 'evaluation session' and said the squad would 'reset with focus' for Portugal on March 31. Belgium's dominance (21 shots to USA's 12) was the most lopsided stat line in a USMNT friendly in over a decade.