An experimental United States squad suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Switzerland in a friendly on Tuesday, compounding pressure on head coach Mauricio Pochettino just a year before the country co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.
The match in Nashville, billed as a confidence-booster ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, turned into a disaster as Switzerland netted four times within the opening 36 minutes. Goals from Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo, and Johan Manzambi silenced the home crowd at Geodis Park, who responded with loud boos.
The loss marked the USA’s fourth straight defeat—its worst run since 2007.
Pochettino was without key players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah, all unavailable due to rest or Club World Cup commitments. Their absence forced the Argentine coach to test the squad’s depth, with poor results.
“First of all it’s my responsibility—the choice of the starting 11,” Pochettino said. “I wanted to give minutes to certain players, but we were never in the game.”
Veteran defender Walker Zimmerman tried to stay positive, referencing the team’s 2022 form: “It’s easy to look at one half and think this is all going to pieces… but look at the build-up to 2022 — we took down Morocco 3-0 and they made the semi-final.”
The U.S. opens its Gold Cup campaign on Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago.
