Mauricio Pochettino’s team looks to bounce back after an embarrassing performance against Belgium.
Tuesday night. It's the final chance to impress. With U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino set to name his roster for the 2026 World Cup in May, players will have their final opportunity to turn heads as the USMNT takes on Portugal in Atlanta.
, the Stars and Stripes will look for a much more positive result when they take on the Portuguese, who are ranked fifth in the FIFA World Rankings. Portugal enters the match after an underwhelming scoreless draw against Mexico, which marked the first match at the newly-renovated Estadio Azteca ahead of the 2026 World Cup.begin their World Cup journey against Paraguay on June 12, the squad will also be playing the first time with knowledge of every group stage opponent, as Kosovo and Türkiye will play for the final Group D slot earlier in the day, joining the U.S., Australia and Paraguay. Although friendly results won’t matter heavily, finding some confidence against one of the world’s top-ranked teams will be critical as Pochettino’s group looks to infuse hope into the nation’s soccer supporters. Christian Pulisic hopes to lead his team to a better result against Portugal. | Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images Taken back to reality with the loss to Belgium, the USMNT will have had a strong few days of reflection and training, knowing the issues that plagued them in the defeat. They will come back out to the Atlanta crowd with a point to prove. Pochettino switched the group back to his preferred 4-2-3-1; however, expect the team to revert to the three-man backline and five-man defensive unit when out of possession, as that formation proved fruitful for the USMNT in an incredible five-match unbeaten run in the fall. The last time the USMNT suffered a heavy defeat to an elite nation came in 2024 with a 5–1 loss to Colombia. After that, they bounced back to draw Brazil 1–1, a response they will hope to replicate against Portugal.After finding success in the three-man backline, the switch back to a 4-2-3-1 proved ugly. Will Pochettino switch back, or will the USMNT finally learn how to play in their manager’s preferred system?Matt Turner got a rare opportunity between the sticks against Belgium. If Matt Freese gets the starting chance, it could signify that he is to be the USMNT's World Cup starter for June 12 and beyond.After the 4-2-3-1 didn’t work out for the USMNT, expect to see some rotation not only in personnel but also in formation. At least to start the game, Pochettino could revert to the 3-5-2, or even 3-5-1-1. Within the formation, expect to see some new faces, too. Matt Freese will likely start, with Pochettino giving his first-choice goalkeeper the stronger opponent of the window, even after Turner had a strong performance against Belgium. Reverting to the three-man backline, Alex Freeman could play an untraditional role at right center back, offering more in transition and further emphasizing an attack alongside defensive stalwarts Mark McKenzie and Chris Richards, the latter of whom will be available for the first time this international window after suffering a knee injury earlier in the month. Richards may replace Tim Ream on the backline, after Saturday’s rough outing for the Charlotte FC center back. Advancing to the wingback roles, Antonee Robinson and Tim Weah performed well against Belgium and will have further opportunities to impact the game as midfield conduits. As Johnny Cardoso heads back to Madrid with a leg injury, Pochettino may rely more heavily on Tanner Tessmann to anchor the midfield defensively. Up top, Folarin Balogun has all but sealed the starting striker role given his form with Monaco, but could play right in front of Gio Reyna, who will need to impress in his final audition for a roster spot this summer. While this could be the starting lineup, expect plenty of substitutions, as Pochettino seeks a final look at players before naming just 26 to the World Cup team.How Portugal might look against the USMNT. | FotMob Portugal was defensively sound against Mexico, but struggled to create chances to break the deadlock. Managed by Roberto Martínez, the team aims to play through and destroy opponents in the buildup, while limiting how much time they spend in midfield. With starting goalkeeper Diogo Costa not available, Portugal could turn to José Sá between the sticks, giving him a chance to audition for the backup role after Rui Silva started against Mexico. At center back, Gonçalo Inácio could draw into the lineup and partner with Renato Veig, while stars Nuno Mendez and Diogo Dalot take on fullback roles. Midfield could provide plenty of problems for the USMNT, with Bruno Fernandes playing alongside Rúben Neves as attacking midfielders, with Vitinha between them. In the front three, the partnership of Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceição should cause havoc as well. With no Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the line, Paulinho could get an opportunity in his return to the national team, after creating a chance in a second-half substitution appearance against Mexico.: Sà; Dalot, Veiga, Inàcio, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Fernandes; Neto, Paulinho, ConceiçãoBen Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.
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