The USMNT's Best Performance of the Poch Era 🇺🇸

USA Eviscerate 15th-Ranked Uruguay, 5-1 🇺🇸

Rog writes: Soccer’s coming home! After fending off a roughhousing Paraguay, the U.S. faced down Uruguay on Tuesday for the final game of 2025. And what did we see? A truly experimental team delivered a redemptive obliteration: USA 5-1 Uruguay. This is the first time the USMNT have scored five goals against a CONMEBOL nation, or a top-30 team ever. The vibes were at 11, as @Balrogger wrote in the MiB Discord, “Don’t play up to CONMEBOL, bring them down to CONCACAF.” But with so many of our biggest players missing, what does it all mean? Let’s dig in:

ii. This Was Some Starting Line-Up for Poch 🤨

Nine changes from the team that played Paraguay with just Matt Freese and Sergiño Dest carrying over. Mark McKenzie as captain, alongside John Tolkin, Diego Luna, Auston Trusty, and Timmy Tillman in the Tillman role… this was not even a B-team, it was like a B/C-team. No Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Tim Weah, and on and on. Poch had plenty to say about the missing key players from this window, and yet, WHAT A WIN! The best result and USMNT performance of the Pochettino era.

iii. Four Goals from MLS Players & Even More Gio 🫡

Just 16 minutes in, Sebastian Berhalter combined with Dest for a one-two strike that was technically incredible. Just take a moment and savor the angle on this finish. And don’t forget: 16 months ago, Gregg Berhalter’s last game was the Copa disaster against Uruguay. This proves, once again, that revenge is the single greatest human motivator.

Less than five minutes later, it was two, once again from a set-piece. Berhalter floated in a deep, stunning cross with curl and arc to Alex Freeman, who sent a phenomenal header back across the keeper for his first of two on the night. Such an intelligent goal, and for the U.S. men, their third set-piece finish in the past week. There was more: a late, well-timed run into the box from Luna for the team’s fourth. But what was most fascinating was when the cameras cut to Poch on the sideline, he was not celebrating - he looked furious. He wanted more, and in the second half, he got it. Less than 10 minutes after entering the game, Gio Reyna floated a pass into Tanner Tessmann to make it 5-1 Dreamland, giving Gio his third goal involvement of the window.

iv. This Was Also Very Far From Uruguay’s A-Team 🇺🇾

Uruguay are themselves in a moment of transition and this squad is quite different from the one we saw in the Copa America. In 2025, they have only beaten Peru and Venezuela (both out of the World Cup), along with two friendly wins in October against the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan. Their manager, Marcelo Bielsa, is currently pushing all the buttons, trying desperately to find a team for next summer, but is under fire himself as his squad looked like they gave up on him. They are a side that have tried four different goalkeepers in their last four matches and are without Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, who basically owns Uruguay's midfield and allows Giorgian de Arrascaeta to play more freely (speaking of which, what a goal by him the other night). Their backline was also wide open and bedraggled, especially for a team who had conceded just once in their last six games. But most shocking was Uruguay appeared to have zero resolve; they basically played like they were on vacation.

v. Let’s Recap This Rollercoaster Year 🗓️

The darkness of the CONCACAF Nations League in March, which saw the U.S. soil themselves in losses to Panama and Canada. Then there were the humiliating pair of friendlies against Türkiye and Switzerland when we were outgunned and outpaced. The Gold Cup was the Poch reboot with an inexperienced squad that felt like our B-string, but he has stayed with so many of those players. A 2-0 defeat to South Korea that saw us outplayed again, but then came this five-match unbeaten streak, with friendly wins over Japan, Australia, Paraguay, and now Uruguay, along with a draw with Ecuador, all of whom have qualified for the World Cup. What a journey it has been for this team and for us as fans.

vi. Enthusiasm for the USMNT Still Lies Dormant 🥱

One slightly down theme of the year is the lack of interest and the small crowds. The Athletic wrote a tough piece entitled, "The USMNT is making progress. The fans it hoped to attract haven’t (yet) noticed." It was 10 months ago that U.S. Soccer talked about how they wanted to lead into the World Cup. “We want to play in the biggest stadiums possible, in front of the most people possible, full stop,” said J.T. Batson, U.S. Soccer’s CEO. “Our national team [games] should be huge events. They should be parties, they should be celebrations of soccer, and they should be something that everybody looks forward to.” It hasn’t happened, at least not yet. The USMNT’s second-to-last game of 2025, against Paraguay on Saturday outside Philadelphia, failed to fill the 18,500-seat Subaru Park (despite the best efforts of thousands of exuberant Paraguay fans). That lack of interest is just the reality until the World Cup. 

vii. Looking Ahead to 2026 🏆

I have given up trying to work out where we are. The deviation on this U.S. men’s team is impossible to handicap. As much as this game was so unbelievably fun, there is still one challenge: How does the eventual first-team squad develop chemistry? Players don't just start playing well together. The backline needs cohesion and reps. The midfield too, as there has been so much experimenting and auditioning with so many new faces. International teams are always all-star affairs in terms of just crashing together without much practice, but this is going to be the most all-starry and fleeting of all American teams before a World Cup. Over 70 players have been called up and shuffled through, but with 203 days until next year’s World Cup, the starting XI is utterly wide open. In Poch we trust.

Tell me how you’re feeling about the USMNT right now. I would love to hear from you. 📧

To 2026. No sleep ‘till Metlife. Soccer’s coming home.

Courage,
Rog

MiB HQ Bulletin Board 📣

“Take the Victory Lap, Enjoy the Moment, Bask in It”: Herc Gomez on the USMNT’s Huge Win, Berhalter’s Impact, and Freeman’s Rise 🇺🇸 

On the USMNT’s Team-Wide Fight Against Uruguay 🗣️

“The USMNT showed a killer instinct. I can't tell you how long it's been since I have seen a U.S. men's national team that is intense, that fights, that claws, that doesn't give up on a single play. You can say what you want about Uruguay. You can say what you want about the Valverdes or the Nuñezes of the world not being there. Whatever you want, that is their problem. But what I saw on Tuesday, and what I've been seeing this window and for the last two windows, I've not seen in quite some time.”

Herc on Sebastian Berhalter’s Impressive Goal and Assist 🗣️

“Sebastian Berhalter is one of many who have taken advantage of the opportunities that have been afforded to him by Pochettino and this coaching staff. How long have we been here watching and analyzing the USMNT and seeing corner kicks that don't clear the first post, seeing free kicks that go awry? Now you have a player that not only can deliver a good set piece, but is a dangerous asset in front of goal.”

On Alex Freeman’s Ascendant Performance 🗣️

“When a coach empowers a player, gives confidence to a player, well that ceiling gets a little higher. Alex Freeman was playing as a third center-back and weaved his way like prime Vinícius Júnior, putting Ronald Araújo on skates. A Barcelona center-back, a player that not too long ago was valued at a $100 million, he's gone out the window! It made him look amateurish and then Freeman scores a golazo. That's confidence and that's infectious… I think we're going to see a heavy dose of Freeman at the World Cup.”

On Gio Reyna’s Impact This Window 🗣️

“I've always believed [Gio] was a fixture, just on ceiling and talent alone. And I think Pochettino understands this because at the beginning of the camp, when they asked if he was contradicting himself, he mentioned how special of a player Gio Reyna is. And there are players in the U.S. men's national team who are special, who maybe at the club level have not performed, but always do when they play for their country. We look at Pulisic during his Chelsea years when he wasn't playing, he would use the USMNT as a refresher. I believe this is the case with Gio, and I think Pochettino sees the value there.”

On Mauricio Pochettino’s Vision Finally Coming Into Focus 🗣️

“We could sit here and debate and throw darts at the players who are going to start, but the only thing I know is whoever’s going to be in Pochettino’s starting XI is going to represent him the way he wants to be represented. The fight, the spirit, the attitude, the mentality. That's the only thing I know because that's what he's told us. And that's what I've seen reflected on the field for the last five, six games, even the game they lost. They were outmatched against South Korea, but you saw some fight. And since then, it's been passion. It's been mentality. So I can't sit here and say I know the definite XI, but I can sit here and say, I know what this team is about, tactically and mentally.”

Watch the full international break recap (or listen here) to get all of Herc and Rog’s thoughts on the USMNT's biggest roster questions, what the team needs to do to capture America’s attention, and how far we should expect Poch’s mob to go at next year’s World Cup. And make sure to follow VAMOS on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for so much more.

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A Brand New Shop, Some Brand New Gear 🎁 

We're thrilled to unveil the new Men in Blazers store where we'll continue to releasing apparel, accessories, essentials, and some very special collabs.

News & Notes 🗞️

• Everything you need to know, all in one place. World Cup 2026: which countries have qualified and how did they do it?

• The Louvre should officially change its password to “McTominay.”

• Speaking of which, it was a bad night to be a beer in Glasgow.

• Also, this is really beautiful: Andy Robertson’s (and Diogo Jota’s) World Cup dream.

• Iceland have left the building: There’s a new smallest-ever country to qualify for a World Cup.

• Another island nation, who couldn’t even play at home, are also officially in.

• After a two-year facelift, one of the world’s most famous football stadiums will finally reopen.

• Remember: When in doubt, blame voodoo.

• And finally, is this the best goal scored by an American who doesn’t actually play for the U.S.?

As a Reminder 🗓️

We will be back in your loving arms (and inboxes) one more time in 2025, before we start counting down the final 160 days leading up to next year’s World Cup.

As of now, it looks like the USMNT will host Portugal and Belgium in March in Atlanta during the first international window of the year, before welcoming Germany to Chicago and another to-be-determined opponent to Charlotte in June for a final tune-up.

We’ll be with you every step of the way, but until then, courage!

Rog and the USMNT Only team 🇺🇸 🦅

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