U.S. Falls to Germany

Despite a Stunning American Goal, the Germans Were More Ruthless in the Friendly Victory

The USMNT dropped its final pre-World Cup tuneup 2-1 to Germany on Saturday at a sold-out Soldier Field in Chicago, but the performance offered plenty of reasons for optimism heading into Friday's Group D opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

Things couldn't have started worse. Joshua Kimmich's free kick, earned after a Tyler Adams foul just outside the box, was headed home unchallenged by Kai Havertz in the second minute for his 22nd international goal—a nightmare opening for a defense that can't afford such lapses when the games count.

To their credit, the Americans responded well. Antonee Robinson leveled the match in the 37th minute, timing a left-footed volley off a German clearance from Christian Pulisic's corner to rocket a shot past Oliver Baumann from 23 yards out. Robinson celebrated his fifth international goal with a cartwheel and backflip.

The U.S. carried momentum into halftime, but Germany restored its lead just before the hour mark when a sharp pass through the penalty area found Leroy Sané for a composed first-time finish.

Pochettino subbed freely after that, with Matthew Freese the only player to go the full 90. Chris Richards remained sidelined with an ankle injury, adding some uncertainty to the backline ahead of what's shaping up to be a pivotal summer for American soccer.