An understrength United States team endured a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Switzerland in a friendly on Tuesday, adding further pressure on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad with just a year to go before they co-host the World Cup.
What was meant to be a confidence-boosting farewell ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup turned into a nightmare in Nashville, as the Swiss stormed into a commanding lead within the first 36 minutes at Geodis Park.
Goals from Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo, and Johan Manzambi left the home supporters in disbelief, with jeers echoing through the stadium as frustration mounted.
The loss marked a historic low point for Pochettino, with the US men’s national team now on a four-game losing streak — their longest since 2007.
With several key players missing, Pochettino is navigating a challenging path into the Gold Cup, which kicks off Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago.
AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic was granted leave to rest, while Juventus duo Weston McKennie and Tim Weah were ruled out due to commitments at the FIFA Club World Cup.
This left the Argentine tactician, formerly of Chelsea and Tottenham, relying on a less experienced squad as he assesses depth ahead of the 2026 World Cup to be held in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Judging by Tuesday’s performance, the return of European-based regulars can’t come soon enough.
Switzerland dominated a disjointed US side in the opening 45 minutes, exploiting gaps and punishing defensive errors.
“First of all it’s my responsibility the choice of the starting 11. I wanted to give minutes to certain players, but we were never in the game,” Pochettino admitted after the match.
Veteran defender Walker Zimmerman remained optimistic, despite the heavy loss. Speaking to TNT, he urged fans to keep things in perspective.
“It’s easy to look at one half and think this is all going to pieces, that we can’t come back from a result like this,” Zimmerman said.
“But look at the build-up to 2022 — we took down Morocco 3-0 and they made the semi-final. Things change. That was six months apart.
“So it’s not the end of the world. We accept that it’s not good enough and we realize that. That’s where the disappointment comes in, but we have to flip the script and we’ve gotta make sure we do not come out like that ever again.”
The US now faces a critical test in the Gold Cup, with Pochettino under increasing scrutiny to turn things around before next summer’s global showcase.
