TAMPA, Fla. — Four months ago, the U.S. men’s national team looked like a glitching FIFA save file. Now? Mauricio Pochettino has them playing like a group that accidentally inhaled confidence out of a Misty Mountain-sized oxygen tank. Saturday’s 2–1 win over Paraguay wasn’t just a result — it was a resumé line. A fourth straight unbeaten game. A pulse restored. A swagger rediscovered.
And now comes the final boss of 2025: Uruguay, Bielsa edition.
Grab your popcorn. Or maybe a helmet.
Back in March, the USMNT embarrassed themselves in the Concacaf Nations League with back-to-back faceplants against Panama and Canada — losses so ugly you could hear the internet sharpening pitchforks. That’s the moment Pochettino now points to as the turning point.
“Sometimes this type of thing can happen,” he said, basically acknowledging that the meltdown was a spiritual cleanse. That was the bottom of the valley. The part of the movie where the hero is face-down in the mud.
Now? They’re trucking uphill like a team possessed.
Poch’s message:
The negativity didn’t break them — it lit the fuse.
Saturday wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was a mirror — and what the US saw staring back was… grit. Real grit. Not the motivational poster kind. The “we’re absolutely not backing down when your captain tries to scrap our 18-year-old phenom” kind.
When Alex Freeman got tangled up with Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez in stoppage time, half the roster teleported over like they’d been summoned. Benches cleared. Tempers spiked. MLS Young Player of the Year Freeman walked out of the chaos smirking.
“I’ve lived it,” he said about the South American-style firestorm. “It’s good. It’s what we’re made of… we’re not scared of anything as a US team.”
Translation:
This isn’t your older brother’s USMNT — the one that folded like a lawn chair at Copa América last year.
If Saturday was a vibe check, Tuesday is a lie detector test.
Uruguay knocked the US out of Copa América with a grimy, suffocating 1–0 win that basically ended Gregg Berhalter’s tenure. That wasn’t just a loss — it was a national sporting therapy session.
Now the Yanks get their shot at revenge and a look at the new standard they claim they’re climbing toward.
Uruguay under Marcelo Bielsa is like a blender set to “ultra violent.” Tempo, pressure, chaos, courage — everything cranked to 11. They’re a dark-horse World Cup contender for a reason.
It’s also personal for Pochettino. Bielsa is the man who discovered him, molded him, inspired him. The mentor vs. the apprentice.
“I cannot consider him a friend,” Poch said. “It is a bigger respect.”
And then, with a smile, he added the subtext:
Facing Bielsa is fun… and misery.
Traditionally, Uruguay has always had la garra charrúa — the national ethos of fight-everything-that-moves. Think: Luis Suárez gnawing through defenders like he’s late for a reservation.
Add Bielsa?
Now they sprint like they’re being chased by debt collectors.
Timmy Tillman knows what’s coming.
“It’s going to be an intense game… Uruguay is going to play out from the back, just play good football in general.”
Translation:
They’ll punch you in the mouth and complete 32 passes on the way to doing it.
And Mark McKenzie has lived the anthems. The passion. The goosebumps.
“There’s a sense of real pride that South American teams play with,” McKenzie said. “The stadium is rocking… it’s a great example of what it means to play for the national team.”
The US wants that energy — and Tuesday is the perfect chance to prove they have their own.
No, it’s not a friendly. Not in spirit.
This is what a recovering national team needs:
A measuring stick. A stress test. A final exam before 2026 prep kicks into overdrive.
Beating Uruguay isn’t required. But showing you belong on the field with them absolutely is.
This isn’t Concacaf. This isn’t Panama. This is a team that expects to make noise next summer.
If the US can trade punches for 90 minutes, absorb the pressure, and push the tempo without losing their minds? That’s progress.
If they win?
The hype trains leaves the station at Mach 3.
He’s playing like someone who woke up one morning and decided he’s done waiting. His confidence, bite, and composure are pure adrenaline for this team. Against Uruguay’s physical back line? He’ll either thrive or learn something valuable.
If Uruguay tries to drag the game into chaos (spoiler: they will), McKennie becomes the mood manager. He’s got the experience, the intensity, and the “absolutely zero fear” attitude this matchup demands.
The US needs goals against elite teams, and Balogun needs elite goals to prove he’s the guy. Uruguay’s defensive shape is disciplined but attackable. This is a Balogun statement-game opportunity.
Bielsa’s teams overload zones, flood the half-spaces, and force defenders to make decisions at warp speed. Ream & Co. will spend the night scanning like overworked TSA agents.
Every Bielsa game has one:
That moment where the match hits hyperdrive.
Could be the 15th minute. Could be the 75th. But at some point, the game opens up and both teams get sucked into a pinball-style sprint-fest.
The US teams of the past folded in those moments.
This squad? Pochettino believes they’re ready for the chaos.
If the US survives the surge — maybe even flips it — that’ll tell you everything about this team’s evolution.
The USMNT didn’t just need a reset in 2025 — they needed a reboot. The Paraguay win was step one. The belief is back. The identity is forming. The intensity is rising.
Now they face a team that embodies everything they strive for: passion, aggression, discipline, and world-level footballing IQ.
And they face a coach who shaped the current one.
A win proves this rise isn’t a fluke.
A draw confirms growth.
A loss? Doesn’t end anything — but it will be a reminder of how far this journey still goes.
This game has all the makings of a beautiful disaster — in the best way. Two coaches cut from the same cloth. Two teams fueled by history and ambition. A stadium that will feel like a World Cup appetizer.
As Mark McKenzie put it:
“It’s not a friendly match.”
It’s a mirror.
And the USMNT gets to find out what they really look like.
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