The USMNT should focus on getting their mojo back this summer

The United States Men’s National Team will be back on the field next week when they take on Türkiye and Switzerland in friendlies to prepare for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The continental tournament is usually a chance for the USMNT to once again compete for a title and try to solidify their position as the best team in the region. However, with the Gold Cup serving as the final competitive matches the USMNT will see before they co-host next summer’s World Cup, the Gold Cup has taken on even more importance.

The team gets even more scrutiny when you consider the fact that the most recent competitions that the USMNT have participated in have had some disastrous results. Since the 2022 World Cup ended, the team has participated in five tournaments. They won the 2023 and 2024 Concacaf Nations League Finals, but betweeen those titles, they lost in the 2023 Gold Cup semifinals via penalties to Panama. Then came the 2024 Copa América, where the USMNT failed to make it out of the group. Losses to Panama and Uruguay offset their opening match win against Bolivia. The inability to get to the knockout stage led to U.S. Soccer dismissing then-head coach Gregg Berhalter.

The federation installed Mauricio Pochettino as coach, and the hope was that he would be able to turn the program around and get them back to the place they need to be ahead of the World Cup. However in March, the team lost to Panama and Canada at the Concacaf Nations League Finals to finish 4th out of 4 teams. It was the first time they had ever lost at the Nations League Finals in the history of the tournament, and the team didn’t look great in the process.

This summer, the USMNT must focus on getting their mojo back. They need it as they continue to get ready to host the world in 13 months. Here’s how they can start the process of re-discovering that mojo over the next month:

Play with fire, sense of urgency, tenacity

The players that are in camp for the friendlies and the Gold Cup have to play with a sense of urgency and rediscover the tenacity that has been the calling card of the men’s national team program for 30 years. Who wants to be here for the World Cup? It’s earned through their performance on the field now, and they need to approach this next month of matches with the drive to make a statement. That statement should be to the world and it should be to everyone else: we’re back, and we’re not backing down. There’s been a lot of talk that the players need to fight for the crest. The more important thing is that they recognize the sacrifice for the privilege of being a USMNT player is great. And they should use this opportunity to merge their hearts and the crest together so they can fight for both.

Winning helps, but show progress

Sure, many fans ultimately measure growth and progress by looking at the win column. Winning does help present the case that the program has improved. However, the goal i to show that the team is getting better and they’re using the time afforded them with these friendlies and the Gold Cup to accelerate the development they need to be a contender next summer. As they prepare to co-host arguably the biggest sporting event ever, give fans hope that the USMNT has learned from those past failures. Don’t take the opportunity for granted, because once it’s gone, the players will wish they had one more.

Approach each match moving forward like it’s a knockout game in the World Cup

Part of the urgency that the USMNT needs to show is how they approach each opponent that they play. They need to show that they can get it done against the best in the world during a World Cup. That means treating every match like it’s a World Cup knockout match, no matter the opponent. That first match against Türkiye next weekend in Hartford is important. So is the match against Switzerland on June 10th in Nashville, a team that has made it to the knockout stage in 4 of the last 5 World Cups. But, that urgency has to continue in the Gold Cup group stage against Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti. And should they proceed to the knockout stage, the level should only continue to increase.

Photo by John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images

There shouldn’t be a concern that because the USMNT is playing a team that’s considered a lesser opponent that the squad will play down to that level. The level should consistently be high and the maximum effort should be sought. Effort can fit into a suitcase, it can fit in any home or visitor locker room, and it is essential if you want to defend home turf this summer or take on the world in 2026.