ATLANTA — For the first time in the U.S. national team’s evolution under Mauricio Pochettino, this summer’s World Cup felt real and urgent Saturday.
The 5-2 embarrassment against Belgium on Saturday was a mere friendly, but after 18 months of regional competitions and one-off matches without consequence, dozens of player trials, constant experimentation and visits to a variety of Off-Broadway venues, the Americans stepped onto a big stage against an acclaimed foe 76 days before their World Cup opener.
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Sound the alarms.
The U.S. seized the lead on Weston McKennie’s goal late in the first half but relinquished it before halftime. Belgium then scored three in the first 22 minutes of the second half and another late, triggering boos from the announced crowd of 66,867 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and demolishing the U.S. five-game unbeaten streak.
The ninth-ranked Red Devils were a class above the Americans. Make that three classes above.
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Any hope of a deep U.S. run this summer will rest on, at some point during the 48-team competition, upsetting an opponent with greater talent and history. Saturday’s display raised serious questions about the U.S. capacity to do so.
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The collective defensive effort wilted under pressure time and time again and, with numerous chances to score while the outcome was still in doubt, the Americans squandered them.
Christian Pulisic and the USMNT received a rude wake-up call from Belgium on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
(John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF via Getty Images)
Christian Pulisic, the star forward and face of the 15th-ranked team heading into the program’s most important summer, was downright lousy. He butchered three golden scoring chances — an issue that has plagued his AC Milan season for months.
The Americans will remain in Atlanta for Tuesday’s friendly against fifth-ranked Portugal, which will be without injured superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Belgium will face Mexico in Chicago on Tuesday.
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While Belgium’s roster did not include star goalkeeper Tibault Courtois and all-time leading scorer Romelu Lukaku (89 goals in 124 matches), the initial U.S. absentees for this nine-day camp were midfielders Tyler Adams and Diego Luna, right back Sergiño Dest and forward Haji Wright.
Then this week center backs Chris Richards (knee) and Miles Robinson (groin) were sidelined with injuries, setting off alarms about an already unsettled backline heading into two tall tasks.
Pochettino chose to start out with a four-man alignment featuring Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie in the middle and Antonee Robinson and Tim Weah on the corners.
Plagued by injuries for two seasons at Fulham, Robinson made his first U.S. appearance since November 2024. Typically a forward or wing during his U.S. career, Weah filled the same deep-lying role he does in France with Olympique Marseille.
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Saturday was also a massive day for midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who has never shown much with the national team despite an ascending club career that has taken him to Atletico Madrid’s starting lineup.
The attacking pieces were formidable: red-hot striker Folarin Balogun, plus Pulisic, Malik Tillman and the ultra-versatile McKennie.
The biggest surprise came in goal, with Matt Turner ending Matt Freese’s streak of 12 consecutive starts. Freese remains the top man, but having served as a faithful back-up since last summer, Turner, the 2022 World Cup starter, welcomed a major test before the summer. Freese is expected to start against Portugal.
Turner was on high alert on multiple early occasions, watching threats miss the target. Belgium’s attack filtered through Kevin De Bruyne, the former Manchester City star now with Napoli, and Jeremy Doku, a quick and tricky winger from Manchester City.
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Weston McKennie puts USMNT on top, Belgium responds in kind
The U.S. created three promising chances in the first 14 minutes: Pulisic headed Weah’s cross over the crossbar, Robinson tested diving keeper Senna Lammens with a 28-yard rip and Pulisic shot poorly on the run from the top of the box.
McKennie should have scored in the 17th minute, collecting a corner kick flicked by Tanner Tessmann to the back side. In desperation, Lammens, a Manchester United back-up in his second international match, stepped up to constrict McKennie’s options and, with his head turned, thwarted the wicked 6-yarder. A sure opportunity squandered, McKennie raised his hands to his head.
After a sustained lull, the match crackled back to life before intermission.
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McKennie redeemed himself with the 39th-minute opening goal, thanks in large part to Cardoso, whose pick on Alexis Saelemaekers freed his teammate to volley in Robinson’s corner kick from inside the 6-yard box for his 12th international goal.
Doku continued causing havoc on the left flank. In the 45th minute, Turner punched out Doku’s 16-yard bid. The ball sailed well outside the box to center back Zeno Debast, who settled it and, before the U.S. could apply pressure, smoked a 30-yard shot past three opponents and beyond the diving Turner’s reach for his first international goal.
Belgium needed just seven minutes of the second half to take the lead. Doku started it, crossing into traffic. With the U.S. failing to clear, Saelemaekers set up Amadou Onana for a one-timer as he infiltrated the penalty area.
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Turner made nice back-to-back saves, but on the second shot, Ream touched it. Charles De Ketelaere converted the penalty kick.
Amid mass substitutions by both sides, Dodi Lukebakio toyed with Max Arfsten in the 68th minute and whipped an angled shot into the top far corner. Fourteen minutes later, Lukebakio took advantage of U.S. failures to stab a 10-yarder into the near corner.
The U.S. answered in the 87th minute, applying high pressure to force a turnover that led to Patrick Agyemang’s goal.
This day and this match, however, was cataclysmic for Pochettino and a team that is running out of time to get it right.
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Here’s how the action unfolded in real-time:
Live coverage is over39 updates
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:46 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:41 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:35 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
After a tight first half, Belgium pulled away with four second-half goals in a tough wake-up call for the U.S.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:31 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Five minutes of stoppage time are added to the clock, with Belgium up 5-2.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:28 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Ricardo Pepi intercepts the ball as Belgium tries to play it out of the back, and Patrick Agyemang is there to bury it into the back of the net in the 87th minute.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:26 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Belgium nearly makes it six as forward Loïs Openda goes for goal, but Matt Turner makes a great save and scrambles to smother the ball.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:24 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Dodi Lukebakio sends in his second goal in less than 15 minutes with another banger off a bad touch from Sebastian Berhalter. Things are looking bleak in Atlanta.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:16 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
A brief stop as Belgium captain Youri Tielemans runs straight into the center referee while going after the ball. Both of them appear to be fine, but the referee briefly calls the ball dead after the unexpected contact.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:14 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
After Belgium pulls further ahead, Pochettino tries to shake up the U.S. lineup with more changes, including Gio Reyna returning to the field.
Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie are out, with Reyna, Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi and Joe Scally coming in.
Reminder that each team can make up to 11 substitutions in this friendly. So far, the U.S. has made eight.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:09 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Dodi Lukebakio jukes Max Arfsten with ease and sends in a long-distance stunner to give Belgium its fourth unanswered goal of this game.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:09 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:06 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
In the 63rd minute, Pochettino makes three changes in the U.S. lineup, taking off Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah and Tanner Tessmann and replacing them with Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 2:05 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:59 PM PDT
Sean Leahy
Charles De Ketelaere cashes in on his penalty chance and the Belgians have a two-goal lead with a half hour to play.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:58 PM PDT
Sean Leahy
Jérémy Doku continues to cause issues on the left side. A follow up chance went of Tim Ream’s arm and after a VAR review Belgium will get a penalty.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:54 PM PDT
Sean Leahy
Moments after Christian Pulisic skied a chance in front of the Belgium net, the Red Devils counter and grab the lead.
Amadou Onana finished off an Alexis Saelemaekers pass for his first international goal early in the second half.
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:45 PM PDT
Sean Leahy
Cristian Roldan enters as a sub for Johnny Cardoso for the U.S.
No changes for Belgium.
U.S. 1, Belgium 1
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:36 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:28 PM PDT
Sean Leahy
Weston McKennie’s 39th-minute goal and Zeno Debast’s equalizer leaves us level after the opening 45 minutes.
Possession: Belgium 58.8%, U.S. 41.2%
Shot attempts: Belgium 13, U.S. 8
Shots on goal: Belgium 4, U.S. 4
Corner kicks: Belgium 5, U.S. 4
Fouls: Belgium, 4, U.S. 2
Sat, March 28, 2026 at 1:24 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff