"We will definitely have the possibility of winning the World Cup."

Mauricio Pochettino as the U.S. national team continues its relentless fall. Despite boldly declaring their intention to win, the reality is that they are caught in a four-game losing streak.

On the 11th (Korea time), the United States suffered a 0-4 defeat to Switzerland in a friendly match held at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee. They conceded four goals in just the first half and collapsed dramatically.

It was a one-sided game. The United States fell behind first in the 13th minute of the first half, giving up an opening goal to Andoni, and ten minutes later allowed an additional goal to Michel Eberle. The side defense was repeatedly breached with ease.

Luck was not on their side. In the 33rd minute of the first half, a long-range shot by Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez was parried by the goalkeeper. However, the deflected ball ended up with Breel Embolo, leading to another goal.

But that was not the end. Just three minutes later, in the 2005 birth year, Johan Manzambi's left-footed shot yielded the fourth goal against them. This was Manzambi's debut goal in international matches. As the disheartening goals continued, boos erupted from the stands. Even though it was an experimental lineup without many key players, their performance was pitiful.

Ultimately, the United States could not recover even a single goal in the second half, falling to a 0-4 defeat. This marked the worst form ahead of their participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup starting on the 16th, concluding June's international matches in a dismal state.

Having lost both friendly matches held at home, the United States has fallen into a four-game losing streak in international matches. In March, the United States suffered a shocking defeat to Panama in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League, followed by another loss to Canada in the third-place match.

The United States' slump continued during this international match period. On the 8th, they scored just one minute into the match against Turkey but ultimately lost 1-2 due to an unexpected mistake. This marked the first time since 2015, during the Jurgen Klinsmann era, that the United States recorded three consecutive losses.

Adding insult to injury, the United States also suffered a heavy defeat against Switzerland, leading to their fourth consecutive loss. Consequently, Pochettino has become the first U.S. national team coach to lead his team to four consecutive defeats in 18 years since 2007. Notably, a four-game home losing streak in U.S. soccer history has not occurred in 37 years since 1988 and is the third humiliation.

Pochettino is in crisis less than a year into his appointment. He took over the U.S. national team in September of last year. He made a promising start by defeating Panama 2-0 in his debut match and recorded four wins and one loss in five matches. However, after exiting the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League, consecutive losses to Turkey and Switzerland have led to poor performance.

There is no place left for Pochettino to retreat. After being dismissed from Tottenham in 2019, he failed consecutively at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea. If he fails to achieve results with the U.S. national team, his career will undoubtedly take a significant hit. So far, his record stands at five wins and five losses in ten matches.

Although the United States has reached the Round of 16 in the last three tournaments, it is unlikely they will guarantee passage through the group stage of the upcoming North American World Cup held at home next year. Pochettino shouted after the match against Turkey, "We must believe. We need to compete like today. We will definitely have the possibility of winning the World Cup," but the reality is dire.

Meanwhile, the United States will play a friendly match against the South Korean national team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, in September. Korea will face the U.S. and Mexico in succession to prepare for the 2026 World Cup finals stage. It is anticipated that Son Heung-min and Pochettino, who were together during their time at Tottenham, will meet as rivals after a long time.

[Photo] Sports Bible, OneFootball, U.S. national team social media.

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