INGLEWOOD, Calif. — U.S. men’s soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino offered an Americanism after the team’s second straight dismal loss in the CONCACAF Nations League tournament.
“If we would be today in this situation in one year time, for sure, I will tell you, ‘Houston, we have a problem, no?’ SOS,” the 53-year-old from Argentina said after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Canada in the third-place match.
The Americans hadn’t lost a competitive match to their northern neighbors on U.S. soil since 1957, and they hadn’t lost back-to-back matches to Canada since 1980 and 1985. But after Pochettino’s team followed up its surprising 1-0 semifinal loss to Panama on Thursday night with another clunker, the coach didn’t seem worried and tried his best to radiate optimism and problem-solving acumen.
“It’s all a process we need to change, and I don’t want to say that I’m happy — don’t take me wrong,” Pochettino said. “But if (there’s) something negative about (a) result, something to learn, it’s better now, because I think we have time.”
The defeats took place at SoFi Stadium, where the U.S. will play its World Cup opener on June 12, 2026.