SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After a turbulent run-up to this summer's Gold Cup, the U.S. men's national team can breathe again.
In the throes of a four-game, home losing streak under new-ish manager Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT began the Gold Cup Sunday with a resounding 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago. The scoreline was by no means a fluke, either. The U.S. dominated from start to finish, and received a pair of goals from Malik Tillman and another from Patrick Agyemang when he deflected in Diego Luna's goal-bound effort. Substitutes Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright rounded out the scoring in the final 10 minutes, padding the USMNT's goal differential in the process.
It made for the kind of comfortable win that seemed beyond this group of players just last Tuesday following their 4-0 humbling against Switzerland. But the funk surrounding the USMNT went deeper than that result.
Just how low had the U.S. sunk? The USMNT hadn't lost four consecutive games at home since 1988, when it lost two games each to Chile and Ecuador. That was at the tail end of a 40-year barren spell between World Cup appearances for the USMNT. The current streak also involved almost the entirety of the U.S. player pool from stars to second-teamers. It couldn't entirely be blamed on youth.
Then there was the off-field drama. Among the more dominant storylines surrounding the side was Christian Pulisic's decision to take the summer off and not play in the Gold Cup, which resulted in a chorus of criticism from fans as well as former U.S. internationals like Landon Donovan.
Pulisic's father, Mark, then came to his son's defense with the help of ChatGPT. That was followed by Pulisic saying he didn't understand manager Mauricio Pochettino's decision to turn down his offer to play in two friendlies and bypass the Gold Cup, to which Pochettino reminded the sometime U.S. captain that he is the one in charge, not the players.
The only way for the USMNT to really change the conversation was by winning. It didn't really matter that the victory came over the 100th-ranked team in the world -- one shorn of key forward Levi Garca who, in an only-in-Concacaf move, picked this weekend to get married. (He'll be back for T&T's remaining games.) This youthful side, with seven starters having less than seven caps entering the match, needed to start building a foundation somehow, and they did precisely that.
"I think [Sunday's win] is about [congratulating] them and I think the first half there's a lot of positive things, that we need to keep evolving in different areas," said Pochettino. "But I think overall it was a good game and three points. [It's] important to keep working.
"Nothing is done, but yes, to feel the victory and being more positive in the next few days, I think it's important to grow that confidence in between us."
It helped that the more veteran elements of the U.S. lineup provided the required platform for success. Center backs Tim Ream and Chris Richards gave outside backs Alex Freeman and Max Arfsten the security to perform their two-way roles on offense and defense with confidence, Arfsten in particular pushing higher up the field. Luca de la Torre provided stability to Sebastian Berhalter in midfield, while Tillman led the attack with two goals, allowing Luna to buzz around defensively and provide two assists, with Jack McGlynn making attacking contributions as well.
Granted, it helps that the U.S. was playing T&T and not Switzerland but scaling the rock face is a lot easier when the handholds are within reach. It will make for a greater level of confidence when the tougher moments arrive, and could apply to both team veterans and youngsters alike.
For Tillman this kind of performance has been a long time coming, so much so that teammate Chris Richards was shocked that the two goals were Tillman's first with the national team. But more is being asked of the PSV attacker in this environment than in previous camps with the national team. He's as soft-spoken as they come, but is ready to take on a bigger role.
"I'm quite confident. I had a good season at PSV," said Tillman, who notched 16 goals and five assists for his Dutch team in 2024-25 (34 games, all competitions). "I've been here quite some time now. So yeah, I just take the responsibility. I like to take it and try to show it to everyone else."
That dynamic between youth and experience was also visible through a more unsung contribution deeper in midfield. Tyler Adams was out with a foot injury and Johnny Cardoso was sidelined due to an illness, which meant Pochettino had to mine the depth chart/ In this instance he opted for De la Torre and Berhalter -- the latter sat in a deeper role, allowing de la Torre to sniff out opportunities while also tracking back when needed.
Overall the combination showed promise, and is the latest sign that De la Torre is another player who is making an impression on Pochettino. The San Diego FC midfielder has long been a performer that knits the attack together in the middle third. But in this case, he's picked his moments to push further up field when the situation demands it.
Pochettino liked what he saw out of both players, and is pleased that another midfield combination is emerging.
"I think the football relationship between Luca and [Sebastian], it was fantastic and they controlled the game," said Pochettino. "They played really well. I am so happy. They both show that in that position they can fit very well.
"Of course we didn't have the help of Tyler and Johnny, but this is a good thing -- a period of opportunity to see [the other two] players. But sometimes [they] surprise you and say, 'Okay, they take the opportunity,' and that is good because the competition is going to be higher now."
Luna, for one, felt the presence of his veteran teammates, as well as the love of 30 friends and family members in the stands.
"It allows me to get the ball and combine," Luna said about playing with Tillman and de la Torre. "And then have guys that have experience and have been in tough moments, be there and help along the way. [Having] good players around you always allows you to be more confident and have trust within the team."
Luna's two-assist performance, including a steal and feed to Tillman for the USMNT's second goal, was another step forward for the native of nearby Sunnyvale, Calif. The bear hug he got from Pochettino after being substituted in the 74th minute showed his continued ascendency.
The extent to which this mix of youth and experience can move forward will get its next test in four days against Saudi Arabia in Austin, Tex. That is bound to be a much tougher assignment than Sunday's match. But for now, the clouds have parted a bit, and the hope is that the coming forecast for the USMNT involves even more sunshine.
