Pochettino Faces Calls to Rethink Setup After Back-to-Back Pre-Tournament Losses

With 70 days until the World Cup begins, the USMNT's March camp results — a 2–5 loss to Belgium and a 0–2 loss to Portugal — are drawing broad analysis from US soccer media and supporters. Two consecutive defeats, combining for a 2–7 aggregate against opposition ranked 9th (Belgium) and 6th (Portugal) globally, have exposed the team's defensive vulnerabilities under Pochettino's 4-3-3 system. While Portugal were missing key starters Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leão, and Diogo Costa, the results point to systemic issues in defensive transitions and set-piece vulnerability. Pochettino's next opportunity to respond is the May 31 friendly vs Senegal in Charlotte before his May 26 roster announcement. Group D opponents Kosovo, Paraguay, and Australia will all have analyzed these defensive patterns. US Soccer Federation has not indicated any tactical changes.