Pochettino’s US Side Suffer Fourth Consecutive Defeat in Disheartening 4-0 Loss to Switzerland

An experimental United States team suffered a dismal 4-0 defeat against Switzerland in a friendly match at home on Tuesday, casting a shadow over Mauricio Pochettino’s squad with just a year left before they host the World Cup.

This match, meant to serve as a confidence-boosting farewell ahead of the USA’s participation in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, devolved into calamity during a shocking first half, which concluded with Switzerland leading 4-0 by the 36th minute in Nashville.

Goals from Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Breel Embolo, and Johan Manzambi left the frustrated home supporters at Geodis Park expressing their displeasure with boos echoing from the stands.

This defeat marked the fourth consecutive loss for Pochettino’s team, which is a troubling first for the USA since 2007.

As the USA prepares for the Gold Cup, commencing this Sunday against Trinidad and Tobago, Pochettino is facing the challenge of doing so without several key players.

Star player Christian Pulisic from AC Milan opted out of the tournament for a rest, while Juventus representatives Weston McKennie and Tim Weah are also unavailable due to their club’s commitment to the FIFA Club World Cup.

These significant absences have forced Pochettino, a former coach of Chelsea and Tottenham, to delve deep into his squad’s potential as the USA gears up for the World Cup finals scheduled for next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Following Tuesday’s performance, the return of his European-based players can’t come soon enough, as the Swiss side dominated throughout the first half.

Pochettino accepted responsibility for selecting an inexperienced starting line-up that struggled against the formidable Swiss team.

“Ultimately, it’s on me to decide the starting eleven. I aimed to give certain players minutes, but we were never truly in the game,” the Argentine manager admitted.

US defender Walker Zimmerman tried to stay positive amidst the heavy defeat, asserting that there remains ample time for improvement before the World Cup next year.

“It’s easy to look at just one half and conclude everything is falling apart and that we can’t recover from such a result,” Zimmerman remarked on TNT television.

“But if you reflect on the lead-up to 2022, we comfortably beat Morocco 3-0, and they ended up in the semi-finals. Things can change rather quickly; that was just six months apart.

“So, this isn’t the end of the world. We acknowledge that this performance isn’t up to standard, and we understand the disappointment. It’s crucial for us to turn things around and ensure we never perform like that again.“