Pochettino and the USMNT suffer a 5-2 defeat against Belgium

The United States men’s national team fell 5–2 to Belgium on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in a match that shifted dramatically after halftime.

The Americans opened the scoring in the 39th minute through Weston McKennie, assisted by Antonee Robinson, but Belgium equalized just before the break with a goal from Zeno Debast in the 43rd minute.

Belgium took control in the second half, scoring in the 53rd minute through Amadou Onana and extending the lead after a handball by Tim Ream resulted in a penalty converted by Charles De Ketelaere in the 59th minute.

Dodi Lukébakio added two more goals in the 68th and 82nd minutes, the first assisted by Thomas Meunier, as Belgium capitalized on defensive lapses by the hosts.

A late goal by Patrick Agyemang reduced the deficit, but the outcome was already decided.

Belgium’s attacking duo of Jeremy Doku and Onana proved decisive throughout, consistently breaking down the U.S. defense in the second half after an otherwise balanced opening period.

While Rudi Garcia saw his tactical adjustments pay off for Belgium, the substitutions made by Mauricio Pochettino had the opposite effect, disrupting both the attacking flow and defensive structure of the U.S. team.

Rather than strengthening the side, the changes unraveled the balance built during the first half, effectively undoing the work the USMNT had managed before the break.

The defeat marks the second heavy loss for the United States under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, following a 4–0 loss to Switzerland last year. With Portugal next on March 31, the U.S. faces mounting pressure to regroup after a performance that drew boos from home supporters.

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