The recent international break concluded with disappointment for the United States Men`s National Team. However, optimistically, the upcoming summer Gold Cup offers another opportunity to demonstrate that the losses to Panama and Canada were merely minor setbacks, not indicators of a deeper issue as they look towards the World Cup.
Typically, the summer between major international tournaments would provide rest for key USMNT players, with the Gold Cup occurring in years between the Concacaf Nations League and the World Cup. However, this summer might be different. With the United States, Canada, and Mexico co-hosting the 2026 World Cup and automatically qualifying, they will not participate in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers scheduled to resume in June.
Without these competitive qualifying matches and with Concacaf schedules committed through the World Cup for major nations, it`s essential for the USMNT to maximize this summer window. It represents their best chance to compete against strong opponents before the pre-World Cup period. U.S. Soccer seems to recognize this necessity, having scheduled summer friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland in early June, prior to the Gold Cup tournament.
Facing strong teams serves as valuable preparation and suggests a strategy to utilize the first-team squad for the Gold Cup, rather than a primarily domestic-based roster. A significant difference between club and international team management is the availability of consistent training time, which is crucial for a coach to optimize team performance.
The USMNT only had three days of training before the recent Concacaf Nations League matches, compared to players in the January camp who had several weeks with the coach. With the first friendly on June 7th and the Gold Cup final on July 6th, the coach could potentially have a month with the squad if the USMNT reaches the final. This period is critical for World Cup preparation, further enhanced by Saudi Arabia`s invitation to participate in the Gold Cup.
Participating in the Gold Cup, the USMNT could face up to eight teams ranked in the top 60 of FIFA`s men`s rankings and is guaranteed to play at least two teams currently in the top 30. Gathering the players for an extended period while competing against top-tier opposition is a vital opportunity for significant team development and learning.
Their defensive play appeared disjointed against Canada, and the only way to rectify such issues is through consistent practice together. The coach would also have time to address mistakes and develop new tactical approaches, such as breaking down defensive formations. As the coach mentioned after the loss to Canada, improvements take time, and the Gold Cup provides a substantial period to work with the squad.
The coach stated, `I`ve observed that teams preparing for the World Cup often don`t reach their peak performance until around the time of the tournament itself. I want to reassure the fans: avoid pessimism and negative feelings.`
The most effective way to alleviate concerns is by securing victories and demonstrating strong soccer. With this extended summer period, the USMNT has the potential to show significant progress. Their Nations League performances highlighted the need for development, and a summer free from club commitments could be exactly what`s needed to overcome their current slump in performance.
